New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is adding a former teammate to his staff for the 2024 season.
Moments ago, SportsTrust Advisors announced that Dont’a Hightower, one of their clients, is returning to New England. He’ll be the Patriots’ linebackers coach.
Hightower, a former first-round pick out of Alabama, was teammates with Mayo from 2012-2015. They won Super Bowl XLIX together.
During his time with the Patriots, Hightower racked up 569 tackles, 27 sacks and two forced fumbles. The highlight of his career was forcing a crucial fumble from Matt Ryan in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons.
Now, Hightower will try to develop the next generation of playmaking linebackers on the Patriots.
Heeee’s Back to Coach LBs for the Patriots. Congrats @zeus30hightower and @Patriots#LegendsLiveHere pic.twitter.com/oKzfKgnb6V
— SportsTrust Advisors (@_SportsTrust) February 9, 2024
Hightower is essentially taking on Mayo’s old role with the Patriots. The familiarity of the defensive system and the mindset demanded in New England should make it a smooth transition.
Patriots fans, are you excited about Hightower’s return?