After nine seasons in the NFL, all of them with the New England Patriots, linebacker Dont’a Hightower decided to call it a career on Tuesday when he announced his retirement.
He built a pretty impressive resume for himself that includes two Pro Bowl selections, one All-Pro second-team nod and three Super Bowl championships.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft had a classy response to Hightower’s big career decision.
“We are honored to call @zeus30hightower a Patriot and will always celebrate him as a champion.”
For the entire quote from Robert Kraft, please click: https://t.co/DdarRRioIS
– New England Patriots (@Patriots) March 22, 2023
Hightower was taken by New England with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft just a few months after he lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants for the second time in five seasons.
At that time, the Patriots hadn’t won a world championship since all the way back in the 2004 season, and they needed another piece or two in order to return to the top of the football world.
They did just that in Hightower’s third season when they narrowly defeated Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Everyone remembers Malcolm Butler’s interception near the end of the game when Seattle inexplicably attempted a pass despite starting from near the end zone instead of giving the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch, but on the prior play, Hightower tackled Lynch on the one-yard line to prevent a touchdown.
That year, Hightower recorded 89 total tackles (51 solo), 13 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and six sacks in 12 regular season games.
He got his first Pro Bowl nod in 2016, which was the year the Patriots overwhelmed a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to win their fifth Super Bowl.
NEXT:
The Patriots Retain A Key Defensive Player Wednesday
