Former New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday with an open letter in The Players’ Tribune.
The 33-year-old enjoyed a glittering nine-year career - all of it spent in Foxborough - which yielded three Super Bowl rings, two Pro Bowl appearances and a second-team All-Pro selection in 2016. And in his touching message upon announcing his retirement decision, Hightower revealed a bout of food poisoning threatened to rule him out of the Patriots’ 13-3 Super Bowl LIII victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
“That third ring?” Hightower wrote. “Just as sweet, despite dealing with food poisoning in the days leading up to the game. All I can say is, when Sunday rolled around, you already know what it is.... Do your job. Simple as that. We kept our mouths shut that whole week. The only reply was up on that scoreboard. 13–3.”
The 2012 NFL first round draft pick recorded two sacks and a pass deflection as the Patriots secured their record-equalling sixth Super Bowl title. And, with the exception of the 2020 season where he elected to opt out due to the COVID pandemic, Hightower featured in every campaign for Bill Belichick’s all-conquering side.
In his most recent season, the Tennessee native notched up 64 total tackles and played 15 of the 17 regular season games before his contract expired on March 16 2022. Hightower was without a club for the entirety of the 2022 season.
The two-time Pro Bowler also shed some light on what happened in the dressing room at half-time during the Patriots infamous Super Bowl LI comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. Down 21-3 at the interval, Hightower recalled the chaos in the locker room and let slip on how he stayed motivated for the second period.
“I’ll never forget when we were in the locker room at half-time.” He added. “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 f—-ing quit.’ You already know the rest. And I’ll never get tired of inscribing ‘The Strip Sack’ on anything I sign.”
The Tom Brady-led squad secured the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history with their 34-28 win, in a game that saw Hightower register two solo tackles, one sack and a vital forced fumble deep in Atlanta territory.
Hightower finishes up his career with a total of 353 tackles, 27 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception from nine hugely successful campaigns with the Patriots.
