The New England Patriots waived the usual four-year waiting period to induct Tom Brady into their Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, with team owner Robert Kraft announcing at Gillette Stadium the retirement of the quarterback’s No. 12.

Brady played with New England from the 2000 through 2019 seasons before completing his NFL career with three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During his 20 seasons with the Patriots, Brady played in nine Super Bowls, with New England winning six of them.

But while paying tribute to Brady on Wednesday night, former New England coach Bill Belichick touched on some of the other contributors to the Patriots dynasty, including former Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

“Without Hightower,” Belichick said, “I don’t know how a couple of the Super Bowls would have turned out.”

Hightower played with New England from 2012 through 2019 and in 2021, making the playoffs in each. The Patriots won the NFL championship game for the 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl to cap the 2017 campaign, but Hightower played in only five games that season because of torn pectoral muscle.

New England had an 86-31 regular-season record and a 12-5 postseason mark in games in which Hightower played. Hightower played a key role in each of the three Super Bowl victories.

On the Seattle offense’s next-to-last snap of Super Bowl XLIX, Hightower brought down Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at the New England 1-yard line despite playing with a torn labrum in a 28-24 victory on Feb. 1, 2015. On the next play, Malcolm Butler, an undrafted rookie from West Alabama, sealed the win with an interception.

In Super Bowl LI, Hightower sacked Matt Ryan, causing the Falcons quarterback to fumble. The Patriots recovered the loose football at the Atlanta 25-yard line with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown and spark a comeback from a 16-point deficit that New England turned into a 34-28 overtime victory on Feb. 5, 2017.

In the Patriots’ 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019, Hightower recorded two sacks, three quarterback hits and a pass breakup.

In 117 NFL regular-season games, Hightower recorded 569 tackles, 27 sacks, 43 tackles for loss, 67 quarterback hits, one interception, 18 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He turned two of the fumble recoveries into touchdowns.

Hightower was selected for the Pro Bowl in the 2016 and 2019 seasons.

Hightower retired after the 2021 season, but he returned to New England this offseason as the team’s inside-linebackers coach.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.