Dont'a Hightower to skip White House visit after Super Bowl LI win
New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower joined teammates Martellus Bennet and Devin McCourty on Wednesday in announcing he will not visit President Trump at the White House.
The Super Bowl 51 champion reveals his plans during an appearance on SportsCenter, saying he wouldn't go to the White House because he had already "been there, done that," according to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss.
"Been there, done that," Dont'a Hightower said, also noting he didn't go to White House in 2014 w/ Pats. Had previously been with Alabama.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) February 8, 2017
The Patriots came back in a stunning Super Bowl LI championship victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, marking one of the greatest games in sports history.
After the big game, tight end Martellus Bennett was quick to reveal on Sunday that he would not attend the White House, expressing little worry about what team ownership would think.
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In an exclusive interview with TIME, Patriots safety Devin McCourty also revealed his plans to skip the team trip.
"I'm not going to the White House," McCourty wrote in a text message. "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't."
Before these three New England Patriots players announced they would skip a team visit to the White House, it was star quarterback Tom Brady who actually set the precedent.
The five-time Super Bowl champion backed out of the team's 2015 White House plans -- citing a "family commitment" -- and Twitter was quick to remind Bennett and McCourty critics of this fact.
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