REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — A man has been sentenced to 55 years to life in prison for killing the daughter of former Oakland Raiders star Fred Biletnikoff in 1999.

Mohammed Haroon Ali received the sentence Thursday in San Mateo County Superior Court after being convicted of first-degree murder in March for killing his then-girlfriend Tracey Biletnikoff.

At the sentencing, the San Mateo County Times (http://bit.ly/M0iTda) reports the NFL Hall of Famer called Ali an “animal” and said his hatred for him would never go away.

Prosecutors say Ali strangled his 20-year-old girlfriend at a drug and alcohol treatment center during a fight over whether he had relapsed.

Ali insisted it was an accident, but testified he pulled off her pants to make it look like a sex crime. He repeatedly apologized in court Thursday.