Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Haloti Ngata announced his retirement in spectacular fashion on Monday. Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn has also taken the opportunity to thank Ngata on behalf of the organization.
Ngata ended his illustrious career by scaling Mt Kilimanjaro. Quinn also issued a statement thanking Ngata for his time in Detroit, via Twitter.
Bob Quinn on Haloti Ngata’s retirement. pic.twitter.com/WBgsVD8W8i
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) March 18, 2019
Ngata enjoyed quite the long and prosperous career in the NFL. Detroit can take solace in the fact that it hosted one of the premier defensive tackles of his generation.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Ngata with the 12th overall pick n the 2006 NFL Draft. He became an integral piece of one of the most vaunted defenses in the NFL. He was eventually named a five-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler for his status as the anchor of the Ravens defense. More importantly, he was able to secure a ring in Super Bowl XLVII.
Despite his success, Ngata was traded to Detroit in exchange for a fourth and fifth-round pick. There is no question that he had experienced a dip in production during his time with the Lions. His struggles were magnified by his constant battles with injury. He registered 53 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and seven pass deflections in his three seasons with Detroit.
Although Ngata may have had a modest impact on the Lions organization, it is clear that he made quite the impression on people during his time there. Very few players have been able to end their careers on their own terms. Even less have enjoyed the type of success he did during his time in the NFL.
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