Former New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday in The Players' Tribune.

"Today, I am officially retiring from the NFL. I know these announcements always feel bittersweet, but I can't think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England," the 33-year-old Hightower wrote. "A decade, three Super Bowls, two Pro Bowls, and the birth of my son -- all playing for one franchise. How many guys have a story like that?