Former Baltimore Ravens lineman Haloti Ngata announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP / Leon Halip
LOS ANGELES, United States, Mar 18 – Former Baltimore Ravens lineman Haloti Ngata announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, signing off from the sport with a message delivered from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Ngata, a Super Bowl winner with the Ravens in 2013 and one of the most talented defensive players of his generation, leaves the sport after 13 seasons.
“I’m retiring from the NFL on top,” Ngata, 35, said in an Instagram post accompanying a photograph of him at the top of Kilimanjaro.
“Just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude,” Ngata added. “Thank you Lord for letting me play the game I love for 13 unforgettable years. I’m retiring on top.”
The five-time Pro Bowler spent the 2018 season with the Philadelphia Eagles after three seasons with the Detroit Lions.
But he will be best remembered for his career with the Ravens, where he spent nearly a decade after being drafted in 2006.
In Baltimore he was part of a feared defense, where he amassed 25.5 sacks over nine seasons.
Ngata, who is of Tongan descent, grew up in Utah and also excelled at rugby during his youth, playing for Salt Lake City’s successful Highland High School team.
