Haloti Ngata

Etuini Haloti Ngata (Tongan pronunciation: [ˈŋata]; born January 21, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Oregon and earned consensus All-American honors. Ngata was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. Ngata played for the Ravens for nine seasons before being traded to the Detroit Lions before the 2015 NFL season. Ngata was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for one season in 2018 before retiring.

Haloti Ngata
refer to caption
Haloti Ngata in 2015
No. 92, 94
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1984-01-21) January 21, 1984
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:340 lb (154 kg)
Career information
High school:Highland (Salt Lake City, Utah)
College:Oregon (2002–2005)
NFL Draft:2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:515
Sacks:32.5
Forced fumbles:7
Fumble recoveries:5
Interceptions:5
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Ngata, of Tongan ancestry,[1] was born in Inglewood, California. He attended Highland High School, where he played on the football team in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a three-year starter on the defensive line. As a senior, he recorded over 200 tackles and led his team to the state quarterfinals, following a 12–2 record and a berth in the State Championship as a junior. Ngata was named the 2001 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and a first-team USA Today All-USA selection.[2] He played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Ngata was listed as a five-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com.[3] He chose Oregon over BYU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Washington.

Ngata also played rugby in high school, and helped lead the Highland Rugby Club to the National Rugby Championship. He was red carded in the championship match.[4]

College career

A devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Ngata said he felt most at home at Brigham Young University, but struggled to make his college decision. He eventually signed a national letter of intent to play for the Oregon Ducks football team of the University of Oregon.[5] Ngata tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on a punt coverage play in 2003 and missed the rest of that season. But over the next two seasons, Ngata became one of the best players in college football. Ngata totaled 107 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks total in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. He was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2004, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2005. Following his junior season in 2005, he was recognized as the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American, Oregon's first in 43 years. Ngata also earned praise as a dangerous special teams player, blocking 7 kicks during his 3-year career at Oregon.

He had a 495 lb (225 kg) bench press max, which ranks second all-time among Oregon Ducks football players, behind only Igor Olshansky's 505 lb (229 kg).

Professional career

2006 NFL Draft

Ngata decided to leave Oregon a year early because his mother, 'Ofa, was in the early stages of kidney dialysis. She died from her illness on January 13, 2006.[6]

Ngata was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round with the 12th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.[7] It was the first time in franchise history the Ravens used a first round pick on a defensive lineman. Ngata became the highest selected defensive lineman from the current Pac-12 conference since Andre Carter in 2001.

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 4+1⁄8 in
(1.93 m)		 338 lb
(153 kg)		 33+1⁄8 in
(0.84 m)		 9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		5.16 s1.73 s2.94 s4.65 s7.95 s31.5 in
(0.80 m)		9 ft 2 in
(2.79 m)		37 reps
All values from NFL Combine[8][9]

2006–2007
Ngata (far left), Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs chase down Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker in 2006.

On July 28, 2006, Ngata ended a brief contract holdout by agreeing to a 5-year contract worth up to $14 million with the Baltimore Ravens. In his first game in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he returned an interception 60 yards to the Tampa Bay 9 yard-line which led to a field goal in a 27–0 win.[10] In a Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he recorded his first career sack in the second quarter on a 3-yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger in a 31–7 win.[11] In his rookie season, he started in all 16 games and finished the campaign with 31 tackles, one sack, and an interception. The following season, he made 63 tackles and three sacks.

2008

In the 2008 season, Ngata started all 16 regular season and three postseason games. He led the Ravens defensive line with 77 total tackles (43 Solo, 34 Assist), one sack, a career-high 2 Interceptions, and 5 passes deflected as part of the NFL's #2 passing defense. He was named to the Pro Bowl as a first alternate and earned Second-team All-Pro honors by the Associated Press for the first time in his career.[12]

2009

During the 2009 season, Ngata started all 16 Ravens regular season and both post-season games. During the regular season, he recorded 36 tackles, of which 26 were unassisted and 1.5 sacks.[13] He was selected for the first time in his career to play in the NFL Pro Bowl.

2010
Ngata in 2010.

After an outstanding 2010 season which included 63 tackles and 5.5 sacks, Ngata was selected to the 2010 All-Fundamentals Team by USA Football and the NFL Players Association.[14]

2011

On February 15, the Ravens placed their franchise tag on Ngata.[15] On September 20, he was signed to a 5-year deal worth $61 million.[16]

The Ravens opened the 2011 season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 11. In the game Ngata forced a fumble and tipped a pass that led to a Ray Lewis interception; the Ravens won 35–7.[17] Two weeks later against the St. Louis Rams, Ray Lewis sacked Sam Bradford. Bradford fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Ngata who scored his first career regular season touchdown.[18]

On October 2, 2011, during the Ravens game against the New York Jets, Ngata sacked Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, causing Sanchez to fumble the ball. Ravens linebacker Jarrett Johnson picked up the fumble and returned it for a touchdown. The Ravens won the game by a score of 34–17. After reviewing the hit, the NFL levied a $15,000 fine against Ngata for roughing the passer even though no penalty was called by officials during the game.[19]

Ngata finished the season with a career-high 64 tackles (36 unassisted), along with 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 passes defended. Ngata also earned his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.

2012

During the 2012 season, Ngata played mostly defensive tackle and sometimes defensive end, collecting 5 sacks and 51 tackles overall. Ngata played in all four games of the Ravens 2012 postseason, recording 10 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles as he helped the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII.[20] A notable incident that occurred in this season happened in Week 14, when he hit Washington Redskins' rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III in his right knee, twisting it. Griffin would re-injure this knee later in the season, forcing him to undergo surgery.

2013

In 2013, Ngata played mostly as a nose tackle making 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 passes defended in 15 games played.

2014

On August 29, 2014, Ngata was fined $8,268 for intentionally kicking Washington Redskins guard Shawn Lauvao during the final preseason game.

On December 4, 2014, Ngata was suspended for four games after he violated the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.[21]

2015

On March 10, 2015, Ngata was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2015 4th round pick (used to select Za'Darius Smith) and a 2015 5th round pick (used by the Arizona Cardinals to select Shaquille Riddick) to play defensive tackle.[22] Ngata struggled in the first half of the season with an injury, but gained momentum and finished with 2.5 sacks and 24 tackles.

2016

On March 9, 2016, the Detroit Lions re-signed Ngata to a two-year, $12 million contract, with $6 million guaranteed.[23][24] Ngata was hampered by a shoulder injury that limited his playing time. Overall, he played 13 games and finished the 2016 season with 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three passes defended.

2017

On October 11, 2017, Ngata was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn biceps in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers.[25] He started all five games before the injury and recorded seven tackles and a pass deflection.

2018

On March 15, 2018, Ngata signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.[26] In his lone season with the Eagles he appeared in 13 games and had 17 tackles, including a sack.

Retirement

On March 18, 2019, Ngata announced his retirement from the NFL with an Instagram post of him atop of Mount Kilimanjaro with a banner "I'm retiring from the NFL on top".[27][28] On May 28, 2019, the Ravens announced he will sign a one-day ceremonial contract with the team to retire as a Raven.[29] At his retirement press conference, it was also announced that Ngata will be inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.[30] He was inducted on October 11, 2021.[31]

NFL career statistics
Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
CmbSoloAstSckFFFRYdsTDIntYdsAvgLngTDPD
2006BAL 163113181.0000016060.06002
2007BAL 166343203.01000000.0001
2008BAL 165543121.00000284.0706
2009BAL 143525101.51100000.0001
2010BAL 166346175.50100000.0005
2011BAL 166436285.023281000.0006
2012BAL 145133185.00000000.0001
2013BAL 155223291.50000000.0003
2014BAL 123119122.020002168.01307
2015DET 14241592.50000000.0003
2016DET 132211111.50000000.0003
2017DET 57700.00000000.0001
2018PHI 13171161.01000000.0001
Career[32]18051532519032.57528158416.860040

Awards and honors

NFL

College

Personal life

Ngata was born in Inglewood, California, to Solomone Ngata and 'Ofa (née Moala),[33] who had emigrated from Tonga to the United States in the early 1970s.[34][35] He has two older brothers, Solomone Jr. and Finau, a younger brother, Vili, and a younger sister, Ame.[35] Haloti Ngata was named after his maternal uncle, Haloti Moala-Liava'a, who was a middle linebacker for the Utah Utes (1984–1988).[33][35] The family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1990.[35] In December 2002, Ngata's father died in a single-vehicle truck accident, while trying to climb the on-ramp to Interstate 80 from Route 215 just outside Salt Lake City.[35] His mother, having battled with Chronic Kidney Disease/Diabetic Nephropathy for years, died in January 2006.[34]

Ngata's extended family includes numerous athletes. One of his cousins, Tevita Moala, was a starting linebacker on Oregon State's 2000 Fiesta Bowl team.[36] Another cousin, Fili Moala, was an All-American defensive lineman at Southern California (2004–2008), and subsequently played for the Indianapolis Colts. Ngata is also a distant relative of basketball player Jabari Parker[37] and PGA Tour Golfer Tony Finau.

Ngata resides in Park City, Utah with his wife Christina Ngata (née Adams) whom he married in June 2007. The couple has three sons: Solomon (born July 2009), named after his late grandfather;[38] Haloti Maximus (born August 2012); and Colt (born January 2014).[39][40]

References
  1. Lisiate Wolfgramm, "Gentle Giant" Archived May 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Planet-Tonga.com, undated.
  2. "2001 All-USA football team", USA Today, February 7, 2002
  3. Rivals100: The Rivals100, June 3, 2003
  4. Bitonti (January 10, 2006), "Who Is Haloti Ngata?", Draft Daddy, archived from the original on June 18, 2006
  5. Feldman, Bruce (May 28, 2002). "A recruiting pitch of another kind". ESPN.com.
  6. "Sense of loss drives Ravens' Haloti Ngata". Baltimore Sun. September 10, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  7. "2006 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  8. "Haloti Ngata Draft Profile", NFLDraftScout, retrieved November 10, 2009
  9. "Haloti Ngata, Combine Results, DT - Oregon". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  10. "Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - September 10th, 2006". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  11. "Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers - December 24th, 2006". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  12. "Haloti Ngata". Nfl.com. January 21, 1984. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  13. "Haloti Ngata 2009 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  14. Haloti Ngata selected to 2010 All Fundamentals Team
  15. "DT Haloti Ngata franchised by Ravens". espn.com. February 15, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  16. "Ravens sign Haloti Ngata". espn.com. September 20, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  17. "Ravens force 7 turnovers, crush Steelers 35-7". WJLA-TV (Washington). September 11, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  18. Ravens: Ngata scores a touchdown, Carroll County Times Archived December 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  19. "Haloti Ngata fined for hit on Mark Sanchez". Baltimore Sun. October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  20. "Super Bowl XLVII - San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - February 3rd, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  21. "Haloti Ngata Suspended for 4 Games, Took Adderall Violating NFL Policy". December 4, 2014. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  22. Wesseling, Chris. "Lions acquire Haloti Ngata in trade with Ravens". NFL.com. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  23. "Lions re-sign DT Haloti Ngata". Detroit Lions. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  24. Birkett, Dave (March 9, 2016). "Detroit Lions re-sign DT Haloti Ngata on 2-year deal". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  25. "Lions sign free agents DE Datone Jones and DT Caraun Reid". DetroitLions.com. October 11, 2017.
  26. "Veteran DT Haloti Ngata Signs With Eagles On One-Year Deal". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. March 15, 2018. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  27. Hensley, Jamison (March 18, 2019). "Ngata retires from NFL atop Mount Kilimanjaro". ESPN.com.
  28. Patra, Kevin (March 18, 2019). "Haloti Ngata announces retirement after 13 seasons". NFL.com.
  29. "Haloti Ngata Returning to Retire as a Raven". BaltimoreRavens.com. March 18, 2019.
  30. "Brian Billick, Haloti Ngata Going Into Ravens' Ring of Honor". BaltimoreRavens.com. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  31. "A Physical Freak and Gentle Giant, Haloti Ngata Emotional About Ring of Honor Induction" baltimoreravens.com
  32. "Haloti Ngata Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  33. Bellamy, Ron (February 10, 2002). "Ducks make emotional, religious connection with top recruit". The Register-Guard.
  34. Chadiha, Jeffri (May 8, 2006). "Bittersweet: Haloti Ngata's draft joy came in knowing how proud his parents would have been". Sports Illustrated.
  35. "Sense of loss drives Ravens' Haloti Ngata". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013.
  36. "University of Oregon Fiesta Bowl team, lightning rod of controversy, defies stereotypes 10 years later". The Oregonian. September 29, 2010.
  37. Morrissey, Rick (January 28, 2012). "Simeon's Jabari Parker is more than just a basketball star". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  38. "'Perfect kid' Ngata grows into brick wall". Carroll County Times. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010.
  39. "Ravens' Ngata still keeping on the weight". ESPN.com. August 6, 2012.
  40. "Ravens Pro-Bowler Haloti Ngata ponders his football mortality after another season of injuries". Baltimore Sun. January 10, 2013.
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