New England Patriots lineback Dont’a Hightower said he has no interest in visiting the White House to celebrate his team’s Super Bowl victory, becoming the third player to skip out on the ceremony.
“Been there, done that,” Hightower said during an interview with ESPN. It would’t be the first time Hightower has declined a White House invitation for the Super Bowl champions. He did not join the Patriots on the visit to the White House after winning the big game in 2014. Hightower had already been to the White House after his college team, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, won the national championship.
Hightower’s remarks suggest his absence at the White House ceremony is not intended to be a political statement, unlike some of his other teammates. Patriots tight end Martellus Bennet and defensive back Devin McCourty have decided to boycott the White House visit, citing their opposition to President Donald Trump.
“I don’t support the guy that’s in the house,” Bennett said prior to the Super Bowl, before confirming after the game that he wasn’t going to attend the White House ceremony. McCourty told Time magazine he was skipping the occasion because “I don’t feel accepted in the White House.”
Patriots running back James White, who scored three touchdowns in the Super Bowl, said he is also considering sitting out the event.
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