The Baltimore Ravens are bringing back one of their own to hang up his cleats with the team. The Ravens announced that defensive tackle Haloti Ngata will return to Baltimore for a press conference to officially retire Wednesday.
Ngata had previously announced his retirement this offseason. He posted a photo of himself on Instagram at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro — 19,341 feet — with a banner saying he was retiring from the NFL.
Originally selected by the Ravens in the 2006 NFL draft, Ngata became another in a long line of defensive stars for Baltimore. Ngata was drafted to help keep linebacker Ray Lewis clean and more able to scrape down the line to make tackles. However, Ngata ended up becoming a force of his own on the defensive line, creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
In nine seasons with the Ravens, Ngata had 449 total tackles, 25.5 sacks, 74 quarterback hits, five interceptions and five fumble recoveries — including one returned for a touchdown.
Ngata would go on to play three years with the Detroit Lions and one with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring.
The discussion now turns to whether Ngata has done enough to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame. The last defensive tackle to be enshrined was Curley Culp, who played from 1968-1981. In spite of his six Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections, NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and 68 career sacks, it took him 32 years to be given his gold jacket in 2013 as a senior nominee.
