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Dont'a Hightower Retires

Dont'a Hightower Retires
21 Mar
2023
Not in Hall of Fame

Following Devin McCourty, we have another significant New England Patriot who has announced his retirement in Dont’a Hightower.

Hightower was the 28thOverall Pick in 2012, and the All-American from Alabama won the starting strongside Linebacker in training camp for Bill Belichick.  Hightower became a dependable part of the New England defense, later moving to the weak side, but always excellent in his role.   

A large part of the Patriots' success in the 2010s, Hightower helped New England win three Super Bowls, most notably with a strip sack that sparked the Patriots comeback against Atlanta in SB LI.   Along the way, the man nicknamed “Mr. February” collected two Pro Bowls along the way.

After opting out the 2020 Season due to COVID-19, Hightower came back with a solid 2021, but that was the final year for him as a Patriot.  Hightower left New England with 27 Sacks and 569 Combined Tackles.

Hightower, who was not signed to any team last year, will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027, and going into this season, he was ranked #83 among active players (#11 in Linebackers) on our Hall of Fame Monitor.  We don’t think that Hightower will get past the preliminary nomination, but is an excellent candidate for the Patriots Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Dont’a Hightower the best in his post-playing career.

Last modified on Tuesday, 21 March 2023 21:34
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