Dont’a Hightower announces his retirement

After not playing in the 2022 NFL season, linebacker Dont’a Hightower announced on Tuesday in an article for the Players’ Tribune that he had decided to retire.

“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?”

READ DONT’A HIGHTOWER’S “THANK YOU, NEW ENGLAND”

Hightower played nine seasons for New England after the Patriots selected the Alabama All-American 25th in the 2012 NFL Draft.

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Since then, the Patriots have not missed the playoffs with the linebacker on the team. In 2020, New England went 7-9 and did not participate in the postseason, but Hightower opted out of that season under the NFL’s coronavirus-pandemic plan.

Hightower returned in 2021 as the Patriots posted a 10-7 record and returned to the playoffs. But with Hightower gone again in 2022, New England went 8-9 and missed the postseason.

New England had an 86-31 regular-season record and a 12-5 postseason mark in games in which Hightower played. The victories included three in the Super Bowl. Hightower played a key role in each of the NFL championship game wins.

On the Seattle offense’s next-to-last snap of Super Bowl XLIX, Hightower brought down Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at the New England 1-yard line despite playing with a torn labrum in a 28-24 victory on Feb. 1, 2015. On the next play, Malcolm Butler, an undrafted rookie from West Alabama, sealed the win with an interception.

In Super Bowl LI, Hightower sacked Matt Ryan, causing the Falcons quarterback to fumble. The Patriots recovered the loose football at the Atlanta 25-yard line with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown and spark a comeback from a 16-point deficit that New England turned into a 34-28 overtime victory on Feb. 5, 2017.

In the Patriots’ 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019, Hightower recorded two sacks, three quarterback hits and a pass breakup.

“People always ask what makes the Patriots culture so different,” Hightower said. “Easy answer: It was about professionalism, period. You knew that you had to show up every single day — not just physically but more so mentally. We had a saying, ‘If you do it right, you do it light.’ Being good was expected. Being great might even get you a thumbs up from Bill (Belichick). Luckily, I knew a thing or two about that from my time at Alabama under coach (Nick) Saban.”

In 117 NFL regular-season games, Hightower recorded 569 tackles, 27 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, 67 quarterback hits, one interception, 18 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He turned two of the fumble recoveries into touchdowns.

Hightower was selected for the Pro Bowl in the 2016 and 2019 seasons.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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