Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower officially hangs it up: ‘A career beyond my wildest dreams’
Hightower #Hightower
Dont’a Hightower, a longtime defensive centerpiece for the Patriots, announced his retirement Tuesday.
After becoming a free agent following the 2021 season and remaining unsigned, Hightower put an end to any speculation surrounding his playing future by penning a Player’s Tribune essay, entitled “Thank You, New England.” The piece details his decision, reminisces, and expresses gratitude for the support over his career.
“I know these announcements always feel bittersweet, but I can’t think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England,” Hightower wrote. “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 sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, and did not play for any team in 2022.
Hightower, who turned 33 earlier this month, was a key member of New England’s three most recent championships.
In Super Bowl XLIX against Seattle, Hightower made a key tackle on the play before cornerback Malcolm Butler’s game-sealing interception. On first down, with the ball on New England’s 5-yard line, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch might have made it into the end zone had Hightower not grabbed his feet.
“When I saw Seattle line up in that I-form, I knew Beast Mode was getting it, and I knew they’d been gashing us with that strong-side lead all game,” Hightower wrote. “I knew he was going to walk through a huge hole if I didn’t take a risk. It’s funny how things come full circle, because when I was at Alabama, Kirby Smart used to always tell us, ‘Never ever go behind a block unless you’re sure you’re going to make a play.’
“Well, I wasn’t sure. But I figured we had nothing to lose. So, I ripped up under [offensive tackle Russell] Okung and shot my shot. All I saw was Marshawn’s two legs churning, and I just prayed to God that I could clip him up or something. I reached out … and you already know what happened next.”
The sequence set up second and goal from the 1-yard line, where Hightower prepped to stop Lynch once more. But the Seahawks decided to throw the ball. Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass, ending the game.
“When they lined up for the Malcolm Butler interception, I was thinking the same thing as everybody else in the world: Marshawn is getting the rock,” Hightower recalled. “When they snapped the ball, I took one step into the hole, ready to unleash everything I had on him. Then I saw Russ turn to throw it.
“When I saw Malcolm running out the endzone with the ball, I was screaming, ‘Get down! Get down, bro!!!’ We jumped in the dogpile, and everyone was screaming, ‘We did it!!! We did it!!!’
Two years later, in Super Bowl LI against Atlanta, Hightower again made a critical defensive play, this time as part of New England’s historic 28-3 comeback.
“I’ll never forget when we were in the locker room at half-time,” Hightower wrote. “We’re down 21–3, so some guys are quiet, and some guys are doing the rah-rah stuff. I sat there and for some reason thought, ‘Man, I don’t even have a son yet. But one day, he’s going to watch the tape of this game, and he’s gonna know one thing for sure. His dad never [expletive] quit.’”
On third and 1 at Atlanta’s 36-yard-line, with 8:35 remaining in the fourth quarter, Hightower hit Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan mid-throw and forced a fumble. The Patriots, then trailing 12-28, recovered the ball at Atlanta’s 25-yard line.
The play strip-sack set up a key touchdown and two-point conversion.
Hightower’s career will be remembered by not just those pivotal moments, but his sustained performance and leadership over the better part of a decade. He contributed immediately after getting drafted in the first round out of Alabama in 2012, with four sacks and nine quarterback hits as a rookie. He walks away with 27 career sacks and 67 quarterback hits.
“I appreciate everyone who helped me make this dream come true,” he wrote.