Haloti Ngata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Haloti Ngata

Ngata in 2015
No. 92, 94
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1984-01-21) January 21, 1984 (age 41) 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
Baltimore Ravens (2006–2014) Detroit Lions (2015–2017) Philadelphia Eagles (2018)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLVII) 2× First-team All-Pro (2010, 2011) 3× Second-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2012) 5× Pro Bowl (2009–2013) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006) Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor Consensus All-American (2005) Morris Trophy (2005) Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year (2005) First-team All-Pac-10 (2005) Second-team All-Pac-10 (2004)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 515 Sacks: 32.5 Forced fumbles: 7 Fumble recoveries: 5 Interceptions: 5 Defensive touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Etuini Haloti Ngata (born January 21, 1984) is a former professional football player. He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Ngata was known for his strength and skill on the defensive line.

He played college football for the Oregon Ducks. There, he earned top honors as an All-American. The Baltimore Ravens picked him in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during his career. Ngata played nine seasons with the Ravens. After that, he joined the Detroit Lions and later the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2025, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Early life and high school football

Haloti Ngata was born in Inglewood, California. His family has Tongan ancestry. He grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He went to Highland High School. There, he was a star player on the football team. He played on the defensive line for three years. In his senior year, he made over 200 tackles. He helped his team reach the state quarterfinals. As a junior, his team had a great 12–2 record. They even made it to the State Championship game.

Ngata was named the 2001 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also chosen for the first-team USA Today All-USA team. He played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Experts like Rivals.com rated him as one of the best young players in the country. He chose to play college football at Oregon.

Ngata also played rugby in high school. He helped his team, the Highland Rugby Club, win the National Rugby Championship.

College career at Oregon

Ngata is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He decided to play for the Oregon Ducks football team at the University of Oregon.

In 2003, Ngata had an injury to his knee (an anterior cruciate ligament or ACL tear). This meant he missed the rest of that season. But in the next two seasons, he became one of the best college football players. In 2004 and 2005, he had 107 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks.

He was named to the All-Pac-10 team twice. In 2005, he was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. He also became a consensus All-American. This was a big achievement for Oregon, as he was their first All-American in 43 years. Ngata was also great at blocking kicks on special teams. He blocked 7 kicks during his three years at Oregon.

He was very strong, able to bench press 495 pounds (225 kg). This is the second-best ever among Oregon Ducks football players.

Professional career

Joining the NFL

Ngata decided to leave Oregon a year early to join the NFL. His mother was very ill at the time and passed away in January 2006.

The Baltimore Ravens picked Ngata in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was the 12th player chosen overall. This was the first time the Ravens used a first-round pick on a defensive lineman.

On July 28, 2006, Ngata signed a 5-year contract with the Ravens. In his very first NFL game, he made a big play. He intercepted a pass and ran it 60 yards. This led to the Ravens scoring a field goal. In Week 16, he got his first career sack against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished his first season with 31 tackles, one sack, and an interception. The next year, he had 63 tackles and three sacks.

Baltimore Ravens highlights (2008–2014)

In 2008, Ngata played in all 16 regular season games. He led the Ravens' defensive line with 77 tackles. He also had two interceptions and five passes defended. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate and earned Second-team All-Pro honors.

Ngata in 2009

In 2009, Ngata played in all 16 games again. He had 36 tackles and 1.5 sacks. This year, he was chosen for his first NFL Pro Bowl.

After a great 2010 season with 63 tackles and 5.5 sacks, Ngata was recognized as one of the top players in the NFL. His fellow players ranked him 17th in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.

In 2011, the Ravens signed Ngata to a big 5-year deal. In the first game of the season, he forced a fumble and tipped a pass that led to an interception. Two weeks later, he recovered a fumble and scored his first career regular season touchdown! He also forced another fumble that led to a touchdown for his team. Ngata finished the season with a career-high 64 tackles and 5 sacks. He earned his third straight Pro Bowl appearance. He was ranked 9th by his fellow players in 2012.

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

During the 2012 season, Ngata played a key role. He helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII. He had 5 sacks and 51 tackles that season. He was ranked 42nd by his fellow players in 2013.

In 2013, Ngata played mostly as a nose tackle. He had 33 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He was ranked 45th by his fellow players in 2014.

In 2014, Ngata played in 12 games. He finished with two sacks, 32 tackles, and two interceptions. He was ranked 82nd by his fellow players in 2015.

Detroit Lions (2015–2017)

On March 10, 2015, Ngata was traded to the Detroit Lions. He played as a defensive tackle for them. He had some injuries early in the season but finished strong with 2.5 sacks and 24 tackles.

In 2016, the Lions re-signed Ngata. He played 13 games and had 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks. In 2017, he suffered an injury in Week 5 and was placed on injured reserve. He had 7 tackles before his injury.

Philadelphia Eagles (2018)

On March 15, 2018, Ngata signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his only season with the Eagles, he played in 13 games. He had 17 tackles and one sack.

Retirement

On March 18, 2019, Haloti Ngata announced his retirement from the NFL. He shared a photo of himself on top of Mount Kilimanjaro with a banner saying he was retiring "on top." On May 28, 2019, the Ravens announced he would sign a special one-day contract. This allowed him to officially retire as a Raven. He was also inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor on October 11, 2021.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Awards and honors

NFL

• Super Bowl champion (XLVII)
• 2× First-team All-Pro (2010, 2011)
• 3× Second-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2012)
• 5× Pro Bowl (2009–2013)
• PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006)
• Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor

College

• Consensus All-American (2005)
• First-team All-Pac-10 (2005)
• Second-team All-Pac-10 (2004)
• Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year (2005)
• Morris Trophy (2005)

Personal life

Haloti Ngata was born in Inglewood, California. His parents, Solomone and 'Ofa, moved to the United States from Tonga in the early 1970s. He has two older brothers, Solomone Jr. and Finau, and two younger siblings, Vili and Ame. Haloti was named after his uncle, Haloti Moala-Liava'a, who played football for the Utah Utes. In 1990, his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Sadly, his father passed away in a truck accident in 2002. His mother also passed away in 2006 after a long illness.

Many of Ngata's relatives are also athletes. His cousin, Tevita Moala, played football for Oregon State. Another cousin, Fili Moala, was an All-American defensive lineman at Southern California and played for the Indianapolis Colts. Ngata is also related to basketball player Jabari Parker and golfer Tony Finau.

Ngata lives in Park City, Utah with his wife, Christina. They got married in June 2007. They have three sons: Solomon (born 2009), Haloti Maximus (born 2012), and Colt (born 2014).

Images for kids

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  Ngata in 2009

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

See also

In Spanish: Haloti Ngata para niños