For linebacker Dont’a Hightower, the New England Patriots’ comeback in Super Bowl LI was tough and took a lot of willpower, but that only took a few hours.
If coming back from 25 points is tough, try going through labor for 17 hours. That was the challenge faced by Hightower’s fiancee, Morgan Hart, in a recent feature from The Boston Globe’s Stan Grossfeld.
Hart shared that Hightower kept on chanting “28-3, 28-3” during labor.
“It was surreal,” Hart told Grossfeld. “It was a long night and a long day, and he kept reminding me, ’28-3, 28-3,′ meaning you can be behind and come back. Never, never give up.
“Dont’a is a motivator and always has been,” Hart continued. “’28-3′ is about what you can do as a team and, in this case, it was the two of us as a team. He kind of renewed my spirit that he was in this with me, and if I wavered at all, he was here to pick me back up. He got me through it, for sure.”
The 30-year-old Hightower has long been one of the Patriots’ leaders on defense and was a big part of the Super Bowl comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. His strip sack of Matt Ryan during that game was a huge play that turned the tide in New England’s comeback.
The birth of Grayson played a big role in Hightower’s choice to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season. He will certainly be missed on the field.
