10 Toughest Patriots Ever

[tatepatsfan]

Rodney Harrison made a tackle in the Super Bowl against Carolina with a broken arm because he didn't have time to make it to the sideline. He is definitely in my top 5.

 

[Lambeau12]

I would say Tom Brady.

 

[reflexblue]

Grogen

Nelson

Brady

Bledsoe

Hannah

Brown

Bruschi

Harrison

Ted Johnson

Tim Fox

I'm sure there are a lot of players from the teams in the Sixties and the Seventies, but time has a way of diminishing how they played. Even though i saw the teams from the early seventies on i can't remember how individuals played except for players that really stood out like Grogen and Nelson. Nelson played with a sling to keep his dislocated shoulder from popping out. Its easy to remember a player like that.

 

[zoostation]

Russ Francis

 

[reflexblue]

Russ Francis

I'll see your Russ Francis and raise you a Clayton Weishuhn

 

[dalero]

In addition to those already mentioned, I would consider nominating Houston Antwine, Mosi Tatupu, Bob Gladieux, Steve Kiner, Bob Windsor, Ray Hamilton, Shelby Jordan and surely some others I am forgetting. If you're going by position then the kicker should be Vinatieri; unlike most kickers he was often in on tackles.

Leon Gray lined up next to Shelby Jordan and I think he was much more dominating. Vincent "The Undertaker" Brown was a punishing LB.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Mosi Tatupu

He just killed guys out...

 

[Bostonian1962]

Before I opened, this thread, I thought this started and ended with STEVE GROGAN. I see many others said the same thing. No brainer.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Surprised no one's mentioned Mike Vrabel, who played nearly every game during his tenure with the Pats save for a couple of weeks recovering from a broken bone, and played in a lot of pain during some of those stretches. . . .

 

[Krugman]

Cant see Mosi Tatupu not making that list.....

 

[NordicVoyager]

Grogan, Hannah and Russ Francis definitely would make my top ten list.

Tippett was amazing and probably should be ranked higher than both Bruschi and Harrison amazing as that may seem.

We forget what the early years of the Kraft era was like. Bledsoe was incredibly tough to hang in there with those mediocre teams. Might be heresy, but i think he was tougher than Brady when the going was tough. On the other hand, Tom has had such unbelievable mental determination. Is that toughness?

 

[mac]

RB Carl Garrett

 

[AzPatsFan]

In addition to those already mentioned, I would consider nominating Houston Antwine, Mosi Tatupu, Bob Gladieux, Steve Kiner, Bob Windsor, Ray Hamilton, Shelby Jordan and surely some others I am forgetting. If you're going by position then the kicker should be Vinatieri; unlike most kickers he was often in on tackles.

I will always remember TE Bob Windsor catching a pass at about the 10, he still managed to pull his leg away from the tackler's grasp while every spectator knew he was wrecking his knee and stagger to the end zone, even though he knew it meant it was the end of his career.

Its one of those memorable plays, just like Watson's run to tackle the intercepting Broncos CB at the end line 99 yards away. The poor call by the referee made it useless effort, even though the fumble through the end zone should have been ruled a Touchback. Ball back to the Pats.

But overall Steve Grogan was Mr. tough guy...