That said, it’s good to hear from him finally.
I kept expecting him to come back for one final season last year.
And when it didn’t come, I just assumed he had no interest in making an announcement.
Because there is no lack of worthy candidates for the title.
Gronk will be as well in four years or so.
That Tweet from the Patriots says it all.
Three Super Bowl rings, three crucial, game-changing plays from Hightower.
:
Not one of those wins would’ve happened without him stepping up at a crucial moment.
In that way, Hightower was the David Ortiz of the second half of the Dynasty.
And I’m happy to see that his contributions are not lost on him.
In hisannouncement in The Player’s Tribune, he walks us through all of them.
How many guys have a story like that?
…
Every ring tells a story.
When I look at that first ring, I think about the Marshawn tackle.
I knew he was going to walk through a huge hole if I didnt take a risk.
…
Well, I wasnt sure.
But I figured we had nothing to lose.
So I ripped up under Okung and shot my shot.
I reached out … and you already know what happened next.
Then I saw Russ turn to throw it.
When I saw Malcolm running out the endzone with the ball, I was screaming, Get down!
Get down, bro!!!
We jumped in the dogpile, and everyone was screaming, We did it!!!
We did it!!!
Every Super Bowl I won, theres a little memory like that attached to it.
Ill never forget when we were in the locker room at half-time.
Were down 213, so some guys are quiet, and some guys are doing the rah-rah stuff.
I sat there and for some reason thought, Man, I dont even have a son yet.
His dad never f***ing quit.
You already know the rest.
And Ill never get tired of inscribing The Strip Sack on anything I sign.
Just as sweet, despite dealing with food poisoning in the days leading up to the game.
We kept our mouths shut that whole week.
The only reply was up on that scoreboard.
But that’s not a hill I’m looking to die on.
Better yet, it will preserve it in amber for future generations to admire.
Hightower was a Pro Bowler.
But above all else, he’ll always be associated with those championships.
And that’s what will put in him in the Hall at Patriots Place.
Easy answer: it was about professionalism, period.
You knew that you had to show up every single day not just physically but more so mentally.
We had a saying, If you do it right, you do it light.
Being good was expected.
Being great might even get you a thumbs up from Bill.
Luckily, I knew a thing or two about that from my time at Alabama under Coach Saban.
For nine seasons, I lived that mentality 24/7.
Today, Im totally at peace knowing that I gave this franchise every ounce of sweat I had left.
Enjoy retirement, High.
You’ve earned it.
