Just In: Dont’a Hightower Wins Major NFL Award For Week 7

Dont’a Hightower was brilliant during the Week 7 contest with the Chicago Bears, and now he is getting some extra shine.

The league announced that Dont’a Hightower was awarded with the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award for his great efforts in Sunday’s contest. The Patriots linebacker had a block punt that was returned for a nice touchdown. This touchdown knotted up at 24 in the third quarter, and Hightower blocked the Bears’ punt attempt. Kyle Van Noy scooped the ball up and run for a 29-yard touchdown. This score helped the Patriots secure their win.

“I honestly didn’t really know what to do because I’ve never blocked a punt before. I just knew if I could get there before he punted it, I could hit him. So once I was able to see that, that was kind of my mindset there. I actually caught it, and it went in my armpit and I flipped over. That’s when I lost it. Then I saw KV. KV was going to pick it up, and I almost pushed him to the ground. He was taking too long, so in my head, I’m like, ‘Yo, they’re coming, they’re coming, and you’re taking too long.’ So I almost pushed him down. But it was a great play, man. Whenever you’re able to make plays like that, especially on special teams, that’s big,” Hightower said after the game.

.@zeus30hightower is the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week!https://t.co/bTqP35PAnx pic.twitter.com/0piJzTbzed

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 24, 2018

“Going back and watching that on film is going to be sick. Hightower did all the work. I guess I get all the glory, so I appreciate him and what an amazing player he is and everyone can be quiet now,” Van Noy said of the blocked punt.
Hightower received the Player of the Week award for the second time in his career. He was also the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for Week 6 in 2016.