Qualin Dont'a Hightower was selected in the first round (25th overall) by the New England Patriots in the 2012 NFL Draft.
One of the Patriots' two first-round picks in 2012 -- along with Chandler Jones -- Hightower was part of a young nucleus of Patriots defensive players drafted between 2010 and 2014 who would go on to form the core of three Super Bowl championship teams in the decade.
Get to know more about Hightower, who is on a short list of players to win multiple championships in both college and the NFL:
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Dont'a Hightower's bio
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 260 pounds
- Birthdate: March 12, 1990
- Birthplace: Lewisburg, Tennessee
- College: Alabama
- NFL experience: 9 seasons
Dont'a Hightower's career NFL stats
Here are some of Dont'a Hightower's notable career achievements and statistics:
- Three-time Super Bowl champion (2014, 2016, 2018)
- One-time Super Bowl runner-up (2017)
- Two-time Pro Bowl (2016, 2019)
- Second-Team All-Pro (2016)
- 2016 Week 6 AFC Defensive Player of the Week
- 2018 Week 7 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
- Career totals (through 2021 season):
- 569 combined tackles
- 27 sacks
- 1 interception
- 1 safety
- 5 fumble recoveries
- 2 defensive touchdowns
Here are Dont'a Hightower's contract details with the Patriots
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Hightower completed a four-year, $35.5 million contract with the Patriots following the 2021 season and will be an unrestricted free agent in March 2022.
Through the 2021 season, Hightower has earned nearly $53 million.
Dont'a Hightower's college career
Dont'a Hightower played college football at the University of Alabama for Nick Saban, where he won a pair of national championships following the 2009 and 2011 seasons.
A four-star recruit out of Marshall County High School in Lewisburg, Tennessee -- where he remains the lone alum to make it to the NFL -- Hightower chose to play for Alabama over offers from Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Georgia Tech.
Hightower appeared in 44 games with 42 starts over four seasons for the Crimson Tide, receiving a medical redshirt after suffering a knee injury four games into his sophomore year in 2009.
Hightower was a Consensus All-American as a junior in 2011, along with future Patriots teammate Dwayne Allen, the All-American tight end at Clemson. He finished his career at Alabama with 234 combined tackles, five sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Meet Dont'a Hightower's family
Hightower and his wife, Morgan, have one son, Grayson, who was born in 2020.