Coach Dont’a Hightower Making Positive First Impression

Dont’a Hightower played his entire NFL career with the New England Patriots. From 2012 through 2021 he was a force from his linebacker position, helping the Patriots win three Super Bowls. He spent five seasons as a teammate of head coach Jerod Mayo. Hightower took over as a defensive captain following Mayo’s retirement.

Hightower was one of the Patriots’ most popular and productive players during his career. He played in 134 games for New England, including 17 in the postseason. He was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2014 and 2019 seasons. Hightower also made arguably the most important (and most underrated) tackle in franchise history. He stopped the Seahawks from scoring on the play before Malcolm Butler’s game-winning interception in Super Bowl 49.

In honor of the return of the Patriots/Seahawks matchup, let's remember one of the most underrated plays in Super Bowl history made by Dont'a Hightower. If he doesn't make this tackle, the Super Bowl is over. Keep in mind he played with a torn labrum. 👀🏆 pic.twitter.com/n91slFd2kk

— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) September 19, 2020

It was far from the only big play in Hightower’s career. He recorded a strip sack against Matt Ryan and the Falcons in Super Bowl 51. He sacked Rams’ QB Jared Goff twice in Super Bowl 53.

Also Read – The All-Patriots Team of the Tom Brady Era

But despite all of those accolades as a player, Dont’a Hightower entered the 2024 training camp with the New England Patriots as a coach for the first time. Suddenly the savvy veteran is a rookie all over again. The early reviews are extremely positive.

Coach Hightower

Jerod Mayo stated he hoped Dont’a Hightower would transition into coaching by joining his staff. The two were both SEC linebackers drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots. Both made multiple Pro Bowls and won Super Bowls. Both became team captains and leaders of successful squads as players. Like Mayo, Hightower spent a few years away from football before embarking on a second career as a coach. Now Hightower is coaching the Patriots linebackers, a position previously held by Mayo.

“It’s been good,” Mayo said of his first training camp on staff. “All the guys in my room make it easy. I’ve got a really good group of young men,” he said about the linebacker unit. “It’s been great. I’ve been enjoying all of it.”

Drew Wilkins coaches New England’s outside linebackers. Although Wilkins never played in the NFL, he has been a coach in the league since 2010. He worked under Jim Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens before spending the past two on Brian Daboll’s staff with the New York Giants. Wilkins raved about his new co-worker in New England.

“This guy is going to be a head coach in the NFL,” Wilkins said of Hightower. “He’s so smart, so gifted as a communicator. And understands the game at such a high level, which makes sense when you realize the defenses that he’s been in.”

Hightower played collegiately for the Alabama Crimson Tide under Nick Saban before joining Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. He played under other position coaches who went on to become head coaches, including Matt Patricia, Brian Flores, and Jerod Mayo.

“This is a superstar in the league that we’re all lucky to be around every day,” said Wilkins

So how has the rookie coach enjoyed his first post-playing training camp?

“All I thought it would be and a little bit more,” said Dont’a Hightower. Just like in his playing days, the same could be said about Hightower.