NFL star Haloti Ngata announces retirement in epic way on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro
NFL defensive lineman Haloti Ngata just announced his retirement in an epic way on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro Monday. The former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman decided to hang up his cleats after 13 years in the league, which also included stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.
The 35-year-old Ngata revealed the news with an Instagram post on the highest mountain in Africa -- at 19,431 feet in the air.
"Just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude," Ngata wrote. Thank you Lord for letting me play the game I love for 13 unforgettable years. I'm retiring on top. I might be finished playing football, but I'm holding tight to the friendships, memories and wisdom I've gained along the way."
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Haloti Ngata (@hngata92) on
The NFL veteran added that he is "walking away with no regrets" and he "gave it my all."
He was selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He spent nine years of his career with the team, becoming a five-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. He played in 180 games in his career, recording 32.5 sacks and 519 combined tackles.
Ngata will go down as one of the best defensive players of his era, one whose contributions were almost always an underrated aspect of some of the league's best defenses in recent history, according to CBS Sports.