Ravens legend, Haloti Ngata retires from the NFL

According to reports, Haloti Ngata is retiring from the NFL, but in a way he’s going out on top:

Haloti Ngata announced his retirement with a picture of him standing atop Mount Kilimanjaro. In the picture he was holding a banner with the announcement “I’m retiring from the NFL On Top, Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,341 feet. The banner had the logos of all three NFL teams he played for, the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ngata was in Baltimore from 2006-2014. He was voted into the Pro Bowl five times as a Raven and won a Super Bowl ring in the 2012 season. In his prime, Ngata was one of the best defensive linemen in the league. Ngata finishes his NFL career with 515 tackles, 32.5 sacks and five interceptions.

Ngata had 25.5 of his career sacks with the Ravens and here’s a fun fact, he had all five of his interceptions as a Raven as well. Ngata interceptions were some of the most memorable plays in Ravens history. It always caught quarterbacks by surprise that such a big defensive lineman could not just knock the ball down, but he could intercept it.

The man who broke Ben Roethlisberger’s nose, was a fan favorite with the Ravens. It’s still not uncommon to see number 92 jerseys in Baltimore. Ngata was graceful and a smooth athlete despite being a 6’4″ 340 pound man. The NFL has seen a lot of players who are gigantic, who are both space eaters and pass rushers. Ngata was a unique player and if it weren’t for knee injuries, the Ravens may have kept him around for his full 14 year run.

Ngata had some amazing highlights. It’s hard to think of another defensive lineman who has the ball skills that Ngata had. He was the most multi-dimensional defensive lineman that the Ravens have ever had. His name is tied to some of the best moments in the history of the purple and black and the Ring of Honor is a possibility for Ngata.

Ngata is just 35. It’s old for an NFL player and young for the rest of the population. He was always a person who seemed to get it, and will probably be successful in whatever his next venture is. As far as retirement announcements go, climbing Mount Kilmanjaro is an impressive way to do it.

Ngata is also known in Baltimore for his Royal Farms commercials. The commercials didn’t stop running when he went to play for the Detroit Lions. Now, Justin Tucker handles the commercials. Ngata will always be a favorite in Baltimore because of his great play, but also his likable personality.