Dont'a Hightower Announces NFL Retirement; Won 3 Super Bowls with Patriots
March 21, 2023
Three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who played a decade for the New England Patriots, announced in a Players' Tribune article that he is officially retiring from the NFL on Tuesday.
"Today, I am officially retiring from the NFL," Hightower wrote.
"I know these announcements always feel bittersweet, but I can't think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England. A decade, three Super Bowls, two Pro Bowls and the birth of my son—all playing for one franchise. How many guys have a story like that?"
Hightower played from 2012-19 with the Pats before returning for the 2021 season after opting out of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For his career, Hightower amassed 569 tackles, 67 quarterback hits and 27 sacks in 117 games (114 starts). He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2016 and 2019.
The former Alabama linebacker notably starred in Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. During the 13-3 win, Hightower got two sacks and three quarterback hits en route to holding the Rams to the lowest point total in Super Bowl history.
Hightower also made a huge stop in Super Bowl XLIX on Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, stopping him at the one-yard line with a minute left in the game and the Pats clinging to a 28-24 lead. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception on the next play to Pats cornerback Malcolm Butler, sealing the New England victory.
The 2016 second-team All-Pro also came up with a huge play in Super Bowl LI, when the Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime.
With his team down 28-12 in the fourth quarter, Hightower got a strip-sack on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Alan Branch recovered for the Pats, who marched down the field for a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Overall, Hightower was a home run draft pick for the Pats. The first-rounder engineered massive plays in all three Super Bowls and held down the fort at linebacker for a decade.