FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick cited one of his mentors on Monday, talking about how Bill Parcells said that the mark of a great champion is being able to "get up off the mat" after taking a big punch.

Parcells and Belichick probably wouldn't argue that a second layer can be added to that: Championship-caliber players rise up and deliver their best performances when the stakes are highest and their teams need them most.

This thought came to mind when thinking about the impact that linebacker Dont'a Hightower has had on the Patriots' victories in Super Bowl XLIX and Super Bowl LI.

If not for his terrific goal-line tackle on running back Marshawn Lynch two years ago, does cornerback Malcolm Butler's game-saving interception on the next play ever happen? And if not for his fourth-quarter strip sack of quarterback Matt Ryan on Sunday night, would the Patriots simply have run out of time in their comeback surge?

Those are not just big plays. Those are championship plays.

As Belichick dissected the Patriots' 25-point comeback over the Falcons, he said, "That was a huge play by Dont'a. We needed a play like that somewhere along the line. That was the key play. Without that, I don't know if we'd have enough possessions or could get it done quick enough."

Meanwhile, Hightower's explanation was pretty straight forward: "I see Matt Ryan with the ball in his hands and I wanted it, so I went and took it."

If only it were always that simple, especially when it comes to his future with the team.

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Hightower is one of the Patriots' most important offseason priorities, as he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. Once the euphoria of Super Bowl LI settles down, and Belichick and his staff get down to bottom-line business, ensuring his return to the club in 2017 will be critical.

"He's a great football player," Belichick said. "Five years [with the team], a versatile player, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, setting the edge, defensive end in passing situations. It's very similar to what he did at Alabama and very similar to what Coach [Nick] Saban told me he would do for us. He'll be on the field for you every down and it's just a question of where you want to put him. He can do all those things. Not only that, High's smart, he's tough, he gives us good leadership, and a lot of communication."

Soon enough, that communication will extend to the negotiating table, where Hightower is in position to command a similar contract to what former teammate Jamie Collins signed with the Cleveland Browns (four years, $50 million).

Now isn't the time for that conversation as there's some partying for everyone to do, but two days after the most dramatic and improbable comeback in Super Bowl history, it's hard to argue that Hightower's value to the Patriots has ever been higher.