While the New England Patriots celebrated Devin McCourty with a retirement ceremony Tuesday, another three-time Super Bowl champion with the organization announced his retirement earlier in the day.
Dont'a Hightower, who sat out the entire 2022 season as a free agent, hung up his shoulder pads for good with a post in the Players Tribune to officially put an end to his illustrious career. Hightower, 33, spent nine seasons with the Patriots and earned Pro Bowl honors twice.
On Wednesday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who traded up in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft to select Hightower at No. 25 overall, showered the retired linebacker with a heap of praise.
"Dont'a's blend of intelligence, positional versatility and physicality made him one of the rarest of players that I have ever coached," Belichick said in a statement. "Very few players were capable of as much as Dont'a, who could win from multiple positions with power, athleticism and his mind. His skills were most evident in two of the all-time great plays in franchise history, which led directly to two Super Bowl championships, but date back to the start of his decorated college and NFL careers.
"As a rookie, it was clear that Dont'a was already a mature, highly-competitive player who could make an immediate impact, which he did in his first game and consistently over the course of a decade."
Hightower's ability to rise to the occasion and make massive and timely plays to help secure Super Bowl titles were standout moments in his career. His winning quotient wasn't just recognized by Belichick, but Patriots owner Robert Kraft as well.
"Dont'a Hightower is a champion," Kraft said in a statement. "He won at every level he ever played and always excelled in championship games. He helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls after winning two national championships at Alabama to become just the second player to win multiple championships at each level. He was a versatile linebacker whose game-altering plays in each of our Super Bowls earned him the moniker 'Mr. February.'
"Some of his greatest performances came on our biggest stage, including a crucial goal-line tackle against Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX, his strip stack against Atlanta two years later that sparked the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, and a two-sack performance that was part of a stifling defense which held the explosive L.A. Rams to just three points in Super Bowl LIII. I congratulate Dont'a on a tremendous career. We are honored to call Dont'a a Patriot and will always celebrate him as a champion."
With McCourty being a no doubt candidate for the Patriots Hall of Fame, it surely wouldn't be a surprise if he has some company with Hightower joining him there.
