Longtime Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower is officially calling it a career.
In a lengthy piece for The Players’ Tribune, Hightower announced his retirement from the NFL.
“They say time flies in this league. Boy, they’re not lying,” Hightower wrote. “Today, I am officially retiring from the NFL. 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?
“So this is a happy day for me, and I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate you embracing a Southern kid from Lewisburg, Tennessee.”
Hightower, a former first-round pick out of Alabama, spent his entire career on the Patriots.
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Former long-time #Patriots Linebacker Dont’a Hightower announced his retirement from the NFL at age 33.
He won 3 Super Bowls while on the Pats. pic.twitter.com/ghKGA2KKgT
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 21, 2023
In a decade with the Patriots, Hightower won three Super Bowl titles. He played a pivotal role in their comeback win over the Falcons in 2017.
From an individual standpoint, Hightower was an All-Pro linebacker, racking up 569 total tackles, 43 tackles for loss, 27 sacks and 18 passes defended.
Hightower last played for the Patriots in 2021. There’s no question he’ll be remembered in New England for years to come.