Haloti Ngata

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Lore & Background

Ngata's journey to the NFL began with high expectations after being listed as a five-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect by Rivals.com. He chose Oregon over BYU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Washington, though he initially felt most at home at Brigham Young University due to his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His college career faced a major setback when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on a punt coverage play in 2003, causing him to miss the rest of that season. He returned over the next two seasons to become one of the best players in college football, totaling 17.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks while earning consensus All-American honors in 2005. He also proved his versatility as a special teams player, blocking seven kicks during his three-year career at Oregon.

In Their Own Story

Ngata's professional debut was immediate and impactful; in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he returned an interception 60 yards to the Tampa Bay 9-yard line, leading directly to a field goal in a 27–0 win. His tenure with the Ravens included significant milestones, such as scoring his first career regular-season touchdown on a fumble recovery against Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams in 2011. That same year, he forced a fumble that led to an interception by Ray Lewis against the New York Jets, though Ngata was fined $15,000 for roughing the passer after sacking Mark Sanchez. His dominance culminated in Super Bowl XLVII, where he played all four postseason games, recording 10 solo tackles and three assisted tackles. In a notable Week 14 incident during the 2012 season, his hit on Washington Redskins rookie Robert Griffin III twisted the quarterback's right knee, leading to surgery later that year.

Reader's Guide

Fans should note Ngata's resilience and physical attributes; he recorded a 495 lb bench press max at Oregon, second all-time among Ducks players behind only Igor Olshansky. His career was briefly interrupted by personal tragedy when his mother, 'Ofa, died from kidney illness on January 13, 2006, shortly after he decided to leave Oregon early for the draft. Professionally, he faced a suspension in December 2014 for four games due to a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Despite these challenges, he maintained elite production, earning Second-team All-Pro honors in 2008 and First-team All-Pro nods in 2010 and 2011. After refusing to restructure his contract with the Ravens due to an upcoming $16 million cap hit, he was traded to Detroit for two draft picks. He retired as a Raven via a one-day ceremonial contract signed on May 28, 2019, and was inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor on October 11, 2021.

Did You Know?

• Ngata was the first time in Ravens franchise history that a defensive lineman was selected in the first round of the draft.
• He played rugby in high school and helped lead the Highland Rugby Club to the National Rugby Championship, where he received a red card in the title match.
• In 2014, Ngata was fined $8,268 for intentionally kicking Washington Redskins guard Shawn Lauvao during a preseason game.
• Ngata announced his retirement from the NFL on March 18, 2019, posting an Instagram photo of himself atop Mount Kilimanjaro with a banner reading 'I'm retiring from the NFL on top.'
• He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.