Dont’a Hightower just finished being the unheralded Super Bowl hero for the second time in three years. With 8:33 left in the 4th quarter, down by 16, Hightower forced a crucial strip sack of Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. The play set up a New England Patriots touchdown, and a later two-point conversion.
The play ended up being a big part of why New England won the game. Flashback to two years ago in Super Bowl 49 when Seattle was at the New England five-yard line. On the verge of running in the game winning touchdown, Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch was dragged down by…you guessed it, Dont’a Hightower.