It is a true reunion for the New England Patriots coaching staff after Jerod Mayo made the ultimate decision to bring Dont'a Hightower back.
He will serve as the insider linebackers coach.
However, this wasn't just a spur of the moment decision by Mayo. The two have talked about this possibility in the past and now it's a reality.
"Hightower, he was my little brother when he got here and one of the smartest players that I've been around. We've been talking about this for a while. I'll be honest with you. We've been talking about it for a while," Mayo told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. "Hightower has always really wanted to coach. He was a coach on the field. Obviously, he took the torch and ran with it. As far as the championships and the leadership skills that he has, it was very important, but it wasn't like a yesterday, ‘hey man, you want to be my linebacker coach’? This was an extensive search."
So with the search, it was clear that Hightower was the best candidate. And now he's back at Gillette Stadium.
But this is a new experience for Hightower, so Mayo had some very important advice for the new coach.
"Just to be a sponge, the same way he was when he came in as a player. Just try to learn from as many people as possible," Mayo explained. "When I got here, I could talk about my journey. You have a guy like DeMarcus Covington, who really started off on offense, moved over to defense, quality control, then all of a sudden, he's coaching the linebackers without the linebacker tag. He's going to the front, but he had an extensive knowledge of different position groups. Also, I would say he really helped me with the behind-the-scenes stuff – the drawing of the cards and setting up practice and things like that. Steve [Belichick] helped me as well, but I spent a lot of time with DC and am confident in what he’s taught me. So, with Hightower, he should do the same thing."
Hightower spent all 10 seasons with the Patriots, finishing as a three-time Super Bowl champion. He is also a member of the New England Patriots All-2010s Team and the New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team.
He finished his career with 569 total tackles, 27 sacks, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and one interception, having opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
So while he got some time off, Hightower is back in the building and will try and help this team get back to its winning ways.
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