Pro Football Hall of Fame Nominee: Haloti Ngata
"We were lucky, in my mind, to get Haloti. I'm reminded of the night we drafted him – of the phone calls that I got from some of the people that I have the most respect for in the National Football League – [they] called us and said, 'You just got a great one.' And he lived up to that reputation from the time he stepped on the field in Baltimore. He could dominate from one play to the next, and I think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."
- Ozzie Newsome, Longtime Ravens General Manager and Pro Football Hall of Famer (2024)
"I put Haloti in that group of iconic players that helped us to get where we are as a franchise."
- Steve Bisciotti, Ravens Owner (2015)
"He's a phenomenon. He's one of those guys that you have to find out where he's at. I've been around football a long time, but to see that guy's gifts athletically and what he does to destroy offenses, it's really special – definitely when you're playing behind him."
- Ray Lewis, Longtime Ravens Linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer (2008)
"He's the best athlete I've ever seen for a man as big and strong as he is."
- John Harbaugh, Ravens Head Coach (2010)
"I watch a lot of film, and he's a hell of a player. I love the way they play him. I do recognize talent and greatness, and Ngata has a lot of it."
- Vince Wilfork, Longtime Patriots Defensive Tackle (2011)
"He's a complete defensive lineman. He knows how to stop the run really well, and he can pass rush at the same time. Just blocking him – you have to scheme around him, because he can really go in there and destroy double teams and make it harder to run the football."
- Maurkice Pouncey, Longtime Steelers Center (2013)
"He's just got every part of a game that you could ask for in a defensive lineman. He can beat you with his power, with his speed, with his ability. He can single-handedly tear apart a play. He's one of those guys that doesn't give up [on a play] at the same time. He's one of the toughest guys you're going to face every year."
- Chris Myers, Longtime Broncos & Texans Center (2013)
"You can't replace a guy like that – a future Hall of Famer, one of the best to ever do it at that position."
- Chris Canty, Longtime NFL Defensive End & Former Raven (2015)
"Five-technique defensive end? Check. Three-technique defensive tackle? Check. Nose tackle? Check. Stop the run? Check. Rush the passer? Check. Zone-blitz dropper who can make plays on his feet in a short area? Check. Add up all the checks, and then ask offensive linemen how to block him."
- Charles Davis, Longtime CBS & NFL Network Analyst (2011)
"He reminds me of Warren Sapp. You knew he was going to be double-teamed, but he was so dominant on the inside [that] you couldn't do anything about it."
- Charlie Batch, Longtime Lions & Steelers Quarterback (2013)
"Haloti Ngata is a beast that is unfairly athletic for his size."
- Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com Contributor (2012)
"The player Haloti – he was one of the most athletic big men I've ever been around – he played the shade, the three, the five. He could have played linebacker. He is a star, and he was a star when he was playing. He is a star as a person. And the thing that you loved the most about him was he never acted that way. He was just a good dude and a great teammate."
- Don "Wink" Martindale, Former Ravens Defensive Coordinator (2021)
"His combination of size, athleticism and drive makes him impossible to block with one player."
- Jamison Hensley, ESPN.com Writer (2012)
"Ngata is the most disruptive player on the Ravens' defensive front. The Pro Bowler is unquestionably the top interior defender in the game. His ability to single-handedly take over games makes life easier for his teammates. At 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, Ngata is a mountain of a man with extraordinary strength, power and athleticism. He mauls blockers at the point of attack and routinely blows through double-teams to create penetration up the middle and negate inside runs, while also pressing the pocket against the pass. Ngata's underrated quickness and agility also allow him to defeat blockers with arm-overs and spin moves, making him nearly impossible to block on the interior."
- Bucky Brooks, Longtime NFL Writer (2012)