June 10 in Pats History: Chuck Fairbanks

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Chuck Fairbanks​

Happy posthumous birthday to Chuck Fairbanks, who would have been 88 today. The second best coach and general manager in the history of the Patriot franchise was born on June 10, 1933 in Detroit, and was hired by the Pats on January 26, 1973.

After seven years of awful to average-at-best drafts had left the Patriot roster devoid of talent, in Fairbanks' first draft the team selected John Hannah, Sam Cunningham and Darryl Stingley. The next year they drafted Steve Nelson, Andy Johnson and Sam Hunt. Then in '75 the Pats added Russ Francis, Rod Shoate and Steve Grogan. For most teams a three-year stretch like that would be extremely impressive, but the Patriots were not done yet - hitting gold the following year.


Grogan had performed well enough in relief of injured Jim Plunkett for Fairbanks to put the number one pick from the 1971 draft on the market. Three days prior to the 1976 draft the trade was made, with the Pats receiving two first round selections in the upcoming draft, first and second round 1977 picks, and a backup QB for good measure. Those four draft picks turned out to be center Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, running back Horace Ivory, and cornerback Raymond Clayborn, who was belatedly voted in to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2017. That group of four went on to play a combined 482 games for the Patriots.

In Fairbanks first season the Pats only went 5-9, but the improvement was already apparent. The offense improved from 24th to 16th in points scored, while the defense rose from 26th to 16th. The next year Fairbanks installed his 3-4 defense and the team started out at a league best 6-1, before injuries were too much to overcome. Still, the 7-7 finish was the first non-losing record since just missing out on a chance at the first super bowl in 1966, ending a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons.

1975 saw a player strike over the Sullivan's miserly negotiating tactics that led to a canceled preseason game, and a distraction that could not be overcome. Unfortunately this was just a foreshadowing of events to follow a couple years later.

In '76 the Pats went 11-3, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The team ranked second in scoring offense and third in turnover differential. The Pats led the league with 5.0 yards per rush, and had not lost a game since October. Then came the Ben Dreith game, arguably the most egregiously one-sided officiated game in the history of the NFL. With Pittsburgh decimated by injuries and the AFC vastly superior to the NFC that year, the Raider-Patriots game was the de facto league championship game. Yes, it still bothers me to this day.

Fairbanks worked out contract extensions for Hannah and Leon Gray, two future Patriot Hall of Famers. The Sullivans screwed Fairbanks over however, not approving the deals and forcing him to renege on the contracts. Hannah and Gray walked out on the team during preseason and did not return until week four. The Pats had lost two games to below average teams by that time and never recovered, going 7-3 the rest of the way to finish 9-5, but missing the playoffs.

In 1978 Fairbanks worked out a contract extension with Stingley, just prior to his being viciously hit and paralyzed by Jack Tatum in a preseason game. When the Sullivans refused to honor that verbal commitment, it was the final straw; Fairbanks started looking for another job. The team won the AFC East, but then word leaked out that Fairbanks had been hired by the University of Colorado. Billy Sullivan suspended Fairbanks prior to the final game of the season, making the OC the head coach when the Pats had the ball, and the DC the head coach when on defense. The ridiculous arrangement predictably failed, and Fairbanks was allowed to return and coach the first home playoff game in franchise history. Under gloomy skies a lethargic and distracted team was defeated by Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini and Bum Phillips' Houston Oilers on new years eve of 1978. With that loss, the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks era was over.

Former Patriots Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks Passed Away

The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Chuck Fairbanks, who served as head coach of the Patriots for six seasons from 1973 through 1978.

www.patriots.com

Chuck Fairbanks, a Fitful Football Coach, Dies at 79 (Published 2013)

Mr. Fairbanks built successful football teams in college at the University of Oklahoma and in the N.F.L. with New England. But controversy often followed him.

www.nytimes.com

Chuck Fairbanks for Patriots Hall of Fame - PatsPropaganda

This time of year the Patriots Hall of Fame committee meets to decide who will be the newest inductees. Each of the past couple years a heated debate has been centered around Bill Parcells, but I think there’s an equal and less-discussed case to be made for Chuck Fairbanks for the Patriots Hall...

www.patspropaganda.com

‘Roughing the Passer’: The Patriots-Raiders Game You Should Know About

Now that Tom Brady has shown us his throwback resume, let’s flash back to the Patriots-Raiders AFC divisional playoff game that took place on Dec. 18, 1976.

archive.boston.com

​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Steve King​

Happy 70th birthday to Steve King
Born June 10, 1951 in McAlester, Oklahoma
Patriot OLB, 1973-1981; uniform #52
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on March 6, 1973

Due to paperwork not being properly filed for his redshirt freshman season at Tulsa, Steve King went from being ineligible for the draft, to eligible for the supplemental draft, to eligible and removed for the supplemental draft, to finally being declared a free agent. Remembering the linebacker from when he recruited him when he was in high school, Chuck Fairbanks signed King as a rookie.

Steve King proceeded to play 126 games with the Patriots, mostly in sub packages and on special teams. King was a starter in 1974 and 1976, and was a team captain in 1981.

I found a few cool columns on Steve King, linked below.

This first one focuses on his high school days as a quarterback, with some post-football tidbits.

Steve King reflects on 9-year career as NFL linebacker

Steve King had an illustrious nine-year career as an NFL linebacker.

www.washingtontimes.com

In one game against the New York Jets, King sacked future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath twice and intercepted one of his passes.​

​

“It was interesting because my wife always joked about how good looking he was,” King laughed.​

​

King married his wife Cathy in 1975 and the couple has since lived in the Boston area.​

​

Their son, Tyler, was a four-year starting lineman at the University of Connecticut, saw some time on NFL practice squads, and is now a personal trainer and mixed martial arts fighter in the Boston area.​

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patriotsalumni.com

Quinton, Oklahoma is a long way from Foxboro, Massachusetts, but somehow, Steve King found his way there.​

​

For most of his childhood, Steve grew up on a cattle ranch in southeast Oklahoma owned by his grandmother who in turn, deeded his family 40 acres. As one might imagine, his life was full of the chores typical of that type of setting but when those were done, sports dominated, and football was on the top of that list.​

​

Once football was over, it was decision time again for Steve. At 32 years of age, Steve says it “was like starting over.”​

​

Rather than use his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, a friend who worked for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance convinced him to get into the business. For 10 years he worked as an independent agent and then in 1992, opened his own brokerage. He then merged his firm with Risk-Strategies where he currently works.​

I liked this article the best, as it focuses on the magical-but-tragical 1976 season.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve King

Linebacker Steve King played in 124 games for the Patriots from 1973-1981. We take a look back at his career in this Alumni Spotlight.

www.patriots.com

"The guys got together in a team meeting without the coaches, and we all made a commitment. There was a great chemistry on that team. We went on to go 11-3, got the Wild Card and came within a couple of plays of beating the Raiders, who were the Super Bowl Champions that year. ​

​

If we beat Oakland in that game, I'm convinced we would have won the Super Bowl, because we'd already beaten Pittsburgh, who would have been our next opponents. Oakland took them apart. The Super Bowl was against the Vikings, and I believe the way the Raiders ran the ball on the Vikings--and we were the strongest running team in the league that year with (Sam) "Bam" Cunningham, Andy Johnson and Don Calhoun--we would have run all over the Vikings."​

Quinton grad Steve King reflects on NFL career

Steve King had an illustrious nine-year career as an NFL linebacker.

www.mcalesternews.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Tim Tebow​

June 10, 2013: The Patriots sign QB Tim Tebow to a two-year contract

Tebow on joining Pats: Will 'be a lot of fun'

Tim Tebow said Tuesday it was "an honor" to be able to play for Bill Belichick and learn from Tom Brady, saying he expects his time with the New England Patriots "to be a lot of fun."

www.espn.com

By the 14th straight Tebow question, Belichick said: "I think I've covered it. Anything else?"​

A teammate of Tebow's for three seasons at the University of Florida, Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez said Tuesday he was surprised to be reunited with his college quarterback in the NFL.​

"Once I heard the information I was a little shocked and I was happy," Hernandez said. "Definitely was a surprise for probably most of us."​

Tebow participated in Tuesday's practice solely as a quarterback, but Hernandez said he was unsure of Tebow's role going forward.​

"There's a reason why he's here. I actually don't now the reason yet but we'll see," Hernandez said. "I'm sure he'll be doing a few things here. That's up to Bill Belichick."​

Former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke, who has been working with Tebow over the past month to tweak his throwing mechanics, told USA Today Sports that he believes Tebow can play quarterback in the NFL.​

The move reunites Tebow with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was the Broncos' head coach when Denver traded into the first round to draft the Heisman Trophy winner in 2010.​

Belichick often has spoken with admiration of Tebow's versatility, intelligence and character. Belichick covets what he has described as tough, smart, versatile football players.​

Last month, Yahoo! Sports cited an "organizational source" as saying Belichick disliked Tebow as a player and there was "no chance" of him landing in New England. Belichick dismissed that notion last week, telling ESPNBoston.com that the report was completely untrue.​

When asked about his relationship with Tebow, Belichick said, "Yeah, I like Tim. I have a lot of respect for Tim."​

Ironically, Tebow's last NFL start came in Denver's blowout playoff loss in Foxborough to Brady and the Patriots following the 2011 season.​

Tebow, 25, figures to compete with Ryan Mallett for a backup job behind Brady. The Patriots also released reserve quarterback Mike Kafka on Monday.​

One of the NFL's most polarizing players, Tebow was released by the New York Jets in late April following a disappointing season as a backup to Mark Sanchez.​

Happy 73rd birthday to Jeff White
Born June 10, 1948 in Bronxville, New York
Patriot K/P, 1973; uniform #2
Signed as a free agent on October 2, 1973

Jeff White took over as the Pats kicker in week four of 1973, and somehow lasted the rest of the season. He missed his only field goal try in a two-point week 5 loss to the Jets, then had a horrible game at Philadelphia two weeks later. White went 1-5 on his field goal attempts that day and also missed an extra point in a 24-23 loss to the Eagles.

In the final game of the season White missed both field goal attempts as well as an extra point in an 18-13 loss to the Colts. For the season White connected on just 14 of 25 field goals - including two misses from inside the twenty - and went 3 for 9 outside the forty. In week four White had to fill in at punter and did not fare any better, averaging 27.2 yards per punt.

While the Patriots did bring White back for training camp in 1974, the team had already signed a left footed soccer player from England to play in the Atlantic Coast Football League to learn how to be a pro football placekicker. John Smith became the Pats new kicker in '74, while White was at least able to still collect a paycheck for spending the season on IR.




Happy 31st birthday to Dewey McDonald
Born June 10, 1990 in Ranson, West Virginia
Patriot safety, 2015; uniform #31
Waiver claim from Indianapolis on October 28, 2015

The Pats claimed Dewey McDonald off waivers and added him to the roster when LB Rufus Johnson was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. That move was done primarily to utilize Dewey on special teams, as Brandon Bolden was suffering from a hamstring injury. The product from the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans was released on November 12, and then went on and off the practice squad a couple times.

McDonald was added to the active roster on November 26 when Aaron Dobson was placed on IR, and then cut for good two days later. McDonald played in only one game for the Pats; he appeared in a total of 32 NFL games from 2014 to 2017, mostly with the Colts and Seahawks.

Patriots place WR Aaron Dobson on IR; Sign DB Dewey McDonald

The New England Patriots announced that they have signed DB Dewey McDonald to the 53-man roster. In addition, the Patriots placed WR Aaron Dobson on injured reserve.

www.patriots.com

Dewey is also an example of why coaches determine a player should be a defensive back rather than a receiver.

​

Happy 51st birthday to David Wilson
Born June 10, 1970 in Los Angeles
Patriot safety, 1992; uniform #26
Signed to the practice squad on September 30, 1992

David Wilson was elevated to the active roster on October 16, 1992 and appeared in one game for the Patriots, a week 7 loss to the Browns. Originally a late round pick out of Cal for the Vikings, he then re-signed with Minnesota and was with the Rams for the full 1994 offseason.




Happy 73rd birthday to Dan Kecman
Born June 10, 1948 in Pittsburgh
Patriot LB, 1970; uniform #45

A literal one hit wonder, Dan Kecman's sole NFL game was in week one of the 1970 season at the age of 22, in a 27-14 win for the Patriots against Miami. For the last several years he has been an assistant high school football coach in Rockville, Maryland.




One other player with a New England connection that shares today's birthday:

Mike DeVito, 37 (June 10, 1984)
Mike went to Nauset Regional High School on Cape Cod, and the University of Maine.
The defensive lineman spent nine years in the NFL, playing in 110 games for the Jets and Chiefs.

- Dan Fouts (1951); HoF QB for the Chargers, and Hall of Shame announcer.

- Kyle Williams (1983); 5-time Pro Bowl DT for the Bills.

- Larry Brooks (1950); 5-time Pro Bowl DT for the Rams.

- Kevin Donnalley (1968); Oiler/Dolphin/Panther guard played in 207 games.

- John Kerns; RT for the 1947-49 Buffalo Bills was born (1923) and also died (1988) on this date.

 

[captain stone]

Today in Patriots History
Chuck Fairbanks​

Happy posthumous birthday to Chuck Fairbanks, who would have been 88 today. The second best coach and general manager in the history of the Patriot franchise was born on June 10, 1933 in Detroit, and was hired by the Pats on January 26, 1973.

After seven years of awful to average-at-best drafts had left the Patriot roster devoid of talent, in Fairbanks' first draft the team selected John Hannah, Sam Cunningham and Darryl Stingley. The next year they drafted Steve Nelson, Andy Johnson and Sam Hunt. Then in '75 the Pats added Russ Francis, Rod Shoate and Steve Grogan. For most teams a three-year stretch like that would be extremely impressive, but the Patriots were not done yet - hitting gold the following year.


Grogan had performed well enough in relief of injured Jim Plunkett for Fairbanks to put the number one pick from the 1971 draft on the market. Three days prior to the 1976 draft the trade was made, with the Pats receiving two first round selections in the upcoming draft, first and second round 1977 picks, and a backup QB for good measure. Those four draft picks turned out to be center Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, running back Horace Ivory, and cornerback Raymond Clayborn, who was belatedly voted in to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2017. That group of four went on to play a combined 482 games for the Patriots.

In Fairbanks first season the Pats only went 5-9, but the improvement was already apparent. The offense improved from 24th to 16th in points scored, while the defense rose from 26th to 16th. The next year Fairbanks installed his 3-4 defense and the team started out at a league best 6-1, before injuries were too much to overcome. Still, the 7-7 finish was the first non-losing record since just missing out on a chance at the first super bowl in 1966, ending a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons.

1975 saw a player strike over the Sullivan's miserly negotiating tactics that led to a canceled preseason game, and a distraction that could not be overcome. Unfortunately this was just a foreshadowing of events to follow a couple years later.

In '76 the Pats went 11-3, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The team ranked second in scoring offense and third in turnover differential. The Pats led the league with 5.0 yards per rush, and had not lost a game since October. Then came the Ben Dreith game, arguably the most egregiously one-sided officiated game in the history of the NFL. With Pittsburgh decimated by injuries and the AFC vastly superior to the NFC that year, the Raider-Patriots game was the de facto league championship game. Yes, it still bothers me to this day.

Fairbanks worked out contract extensions for Hannah and Leon Gray, two future Patriot Hall of Famers. The Sullivans screwed Fairbanks over however, not approving the deals and forcing him to renege on the contracts. Hannah and Gray walked out on the team during preseason and did not return until week four. The Pats had lost two games to below average teams by that time and never recovered, going 7-3 the rest of the way to finish 9-5, but missing the playoffs.

In 1978 Fairbanks worked out a contract extension with Stingley, just prior to his being viciously hit and paralyzed by Jack Tatum in a preseason game. When the Sullivans refused to honor that verbal commitment, it was the final straw; Fairbanks started looking for another job. The team won the AFC East, but then word leaked out that Fairbanks had been hired by the University of Colorado. Billy Sullivan suspended Fairbanks prior to the final game of the season, making the OC the head coach when the Pats had the ball, and the DC the head coach when on defense. The ridiculous arrangement predictably failed, and Fairbanks was allowed to return and coach the first home playoff game in franchise history. Under gloomy skies a lethargic and distracted team was defeated by Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini and Bum Phillips' Houston Oilers on new years eve of 1978. With that loss, the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks era was over.

Former Patriots Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks Passed Away

The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Chuck Fairbanks, who served as head coach of the Patriots for six seasons from 1973 through 1978.

www.patriots.com

Chuck Fairbanks, a Fitful Football Coach, Dies at 79 (Published 2013)

Mr. Fairbanks built successful football teams in college at the University of Oklahoma and in the N.F.L. with New England. But controversy often followed him.

www.nytimes.com

Chuck Fairbanks for Patriots Hall of Fame - PatsPropaganda

This time of year the Patriots Hall of Fame committee meets to decide who will be the newest inductees. Each of the past couple years a heated debate has been centered around Bill Parcells, but I think there’s an equal and less-discussed case to be made for Chuck Fairbanks for the Patriots Hall...

www.patspropaganda.com

‘Roughing the Passer’: The Patriots-Raiders Game You Should Know About

Now that Tom Brady has shown us his throwback resume, let’s flash back to the Patriots-Raiders AFC divisional playoff game that took place on Dec. 18, 1976.

archive.boston.com

​

This is why the Sullivans should Never be spoken-of with gratitude or affection.

 

[captain stone]

Today in Patriots History
Tim Tebow​

June 10, 2013: The Patriots sign QB Tim Tebow to a two-year contract

Tebow on joining Pats: Will 'be a lot of fun'

Tim Tebow said Tuesday it was "an honor" to be able to play for Bill Belichick and learn from Tom Brady, saying he expects his time with the New England Patriots "to be a lot of fun."

www.espn.com

By the 14th straight Tebow question, Belichick said: "I think I've covered it. Anything else?"​

A teammate of Tebow's for three seasons at the University of Florida, Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez said Tuesday he was surprised to be reunited with his college quarterback in the NFL.​

"Once I heard the information I was a little shocked and I was happy," Hernandez said. "Definitely was a surprise for probably most of us."​

Tebow participated in Tuesday's practice solely as a quarterback, but Hernandez said he was unsure of Tebow's role going forward.​

"There's a reason why he's here. I actually don't now the reason yet but we'll see," Hernandez said. "I'm sure he'll be doing a few things here. That's up to Bill Belichick."​

Former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke, who has been working with Tebow over the past month to tweak his throwing mechanics, told USA Today Sports that he believes Tebow can play quarterback in the NFL.​

The move reunites Tebow with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was the Broncos' head coach when Denver traded into the first round to draft the Heisman Trophy winner in 2010.​

Belichick often has spoken with admiration of Tebow's versatility, intelligence and character. Belichick covets what he has described as tough, smart, versatile football players.​

​

​

Mike DeVito, 37 (June 10, 1984)
Mike went to Nauset Regional High School on Cape Cod, and the University of Maine.
The defensive lineman spent nine years in the NFL, playing in 110 games for the Jets and Chiefs.

Too bad that Tebow didn't take the TE conversion possibility here more seriously back then, especially after his two-time teammate TE was arrested.

Also too bad that DeVito wasn't taken in the 7th round or at least signed here as a UDFA after the 2007 draft...He would've been a Perfect 3-4 DE here, right up until the switch to the more aggressive 4-3 beginning in 2012...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

The second best coach and general manager in the history of the Patriot franchise

Chuck was a brilliant genius. Noll got Joe Greene and put together a dynasty, but Fairbanks, to me, outworked and outthought everybody to put the Patriots on top of the world in four years. With the limited resources and support (and mentioned blatant obstruction) of the Sullivan ownership plus eternal anti-Patriots bias entrenched before he arrived. All due respect to Bill Belichick, Walt Coleman decides to ignore the rules and then Troy Brown's career is ended twenty months later in the preseason and we're sitting on zero titles.

the Ben Dreith game, arguably the most egregiously one-sided officiated game in the history of the NFL.

'arguably'? I have never heard of anything even close. People whine deafeningly about one or two missed/blown calls in a game, or a crucial home job call. This debacle had half a dozen Dreith crew-manufactured Deus ex Machinas down the stretch, after an entire afternoon of hometown favoring, pampering and protection. Atkinson was deservedly thrown out in Foxborough; in Oakland there wasn't even a penalty for breaking Francis' nose. The disgust in Gino's voice commenting on the multiple Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties on Prentice McCray echo forever. Dreith marched the ball down the field to the end zone.

Yes, it still bothers me to this day.

Paraphrasing Herb Brooks, all of the 1976 Patriots and all of us with eyes and a functioning brain who saw it live, including my older brother ["Villapiano is holding Francis' arms behind him!! Look at the ball bouncing off between the '8' and the '1' on his jersey!!! THE REF IS STANDING RIGHT THERE LOOKING AT IT!!!!" "Roughing The Passer?!?! They NEVER call that!!!" "This is the biggest home job in history."] will take this to our graves. The revering of Ben Dreith when he finally kicked the bucket in April is just like the Tulsa Massacre murderers being honored as heroes (They are. They all lived long lives, considered model citizens, with zero accountability and zero remorse).

Under gloomy skies a lethargic and distracted team was defeated

Steve Grogan hurt his knee in that mostly meaningless Monday night usual loss at the Orange Bowl. In retrospect, he should not have even tried to play against Houston. We'd had a string of other injuries that year including Adams and Smith. '76 was the year we were healthy.

the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks era was over.

And Leon Gray was dealt away, and those ridiculous, absurd red pajama pants were introduced. Sullivan kept our team logo, but otherwise it was like he was trying to avoid the Super Bowl. But he's not the only deluded owner we had. After wisely, finally getting rid of Eason and Berry, Victor Kiam had six months to just sign Doug Flutie and make him the starter and the Patriots would be competitive and probably at least in the playoffs before Parcells arrived. And he didn't. And Robert Kraft made Drew Bledsoe the highest paid athlete in the sports [Belichick was OK with it because it cleared up cap space], comparing Drew to Bobby Orr and Ted Williams etc.; then he drives the real GOAT Brady out of town by among other things, not standing up for him during the witch hunt and sending AB packing when Tom personally vouched for the guy. Speaking of our logo, when he purchased the team Kraft personally hand wrote to Phil Bissell, "I too prefer the old logo". Just like he 'hoped and prayed' for Brady to stay when that too was completely within his power as owner to determine.

 

[jmt57]

Too bad that Tebow didn't take the TE conversion possibility here more seriously back then, especially after his two-time teammate TE was arrested.

Also too bad that DeVito wasn't taken in the 7th round or at least signed here as a UDFA after the 2007 draft...He would've been a Perfect 3-4 DE here, right up until the switch to the more aggressive 4-3 beginning in 2012...

"There's a reason why he's here. I actually don't now the reason yet but we'll see," Hernandez said. "I'm sure he'll be doing a few things here. That's up to Bill Belichick."​

Who know, perhaps the real reason that Tebow was signed was to keep an eye on Hernandez, talk with him, and attempt to get him under control.

The problem with that plan was that by the end of training camp, no amount of rationalizing could justify utilizing a roster spot on a quarterback with such an inaccurate arm.


And yeah, it certainly would have been nice to have had Mike DeVito on the defensive line for the Patriots - from let's say 2009 on - as an alternative to Shaun Ellis or Ron Brace, for example.

 

[captain stone]

"There's a reason why he's here. I actually don't now the reason yet but we'll see," Hernandez said. "I'm sure he'll be doing a few things here. That's up to Bill Belichick."​

Who know, perhaps the real reason that Tebow was signed was to keep an eye on Hernandez, talk with him, and attempt to get him under control.

The problem with that plan was that by the end of training camp, no amount of rationalizing could justify utilizing a roster spot on a quarterback with such an inaccurate arm.


And yeah, it certainly would have been nice to have had Mike DeVito on the defensive line for the Patriots - from let's say 2009 on - as an alternative to Shaun Ellis or Ron Brace, for example.

Yeah knowing what we know now, keeping an eye on the Late Prisoner would've been an excellent reason to sign Tebow; and after the arrest occurred, he should've been fully committed to the position switch as a measure of atonement for his old college teammate...

And another reason why drafting/signing DeVito would've made sense is that he could've stepped right in when Mike Wright suffered his annual injury, especially in 2007, 2010 & '11...

 

[Pape]

Today in Patriots History
​

Happy 73rd birthday to Jeff White
Born June 10, 1948 in Bronxville, New York
Patriot K/P, 1973; uniform #2
Signed as a free agent on October 2, 1973

Jeff White took over as the Pats kicker in week four of 1973, and somehow lasted the rest of the season. He missed his only field goal try in a two-point week 5 loss to the Jets, then had a horrible game at Philadelphia two weeks later. White went 1-5 on his field goal attempts that day and also missed an extra point in a 24-23 loss to the Eagles.

In the final game of the season White missed both field goal attempts as well as an extra point in an 18-13 loss to the Colts. For the season White connected on just 14 of 25 field goals - including two misses from inside the twenty - and went 3 for 9 outside the forty. In week four White had to fill in at punter and did not fare any better, averaging 27.2 yards per punt.

While the Patriots did bring White back for training camp in 1974, the team had already signed a left footed soccer player from England to play in the Atlantic Coast Football League to learn how to be a pro football placekicker. John Smith became the Pats new kicker in '74, while White was at least able to still collect a paycheck for spending the season on IR.

Jeff White, and his infamous 3 yard punt

 

[jmt57]

Yeah knowing what we know now, keeping an eye on the Late Prisoner would've been an excellent reason to sign Tebow; and after the arrest occurred, he should've been fully committed to the position switch as a measure of atonement for his old college teammate...

And another reason why drafting/signing DeVito would've made sense is that he could've stepped right in when Mike Wright suffered his annual injury, especially in 2007, 2010 & '11...

Yeah, Mike Wright came to mind initially but I was remembering him more of an interior defensive lineman. I forgot he played defensive end as well. Good catch, because when he went out with those injuries it was a big negative impact. Having both DeVito and Wright would have been a nice luxury, and made the team less dependent on Brace, Ellis, Kyle Love, Myron Pryor, etc.

 

[p8ryts]

Today in Patriots History
Chuck Fairbanks​

Happy posthumous birthday to Chuck Fairbanks, who would have been 88 today. The second best coach and general manager in the history of the Patriot franchise was born on June 10, 1933 in Detroit, and was hired by the Pats on January 26, 1973.

After seven years of awful to average-at-best drafts had left the Patriot roster devoid of talent, in Fairbanks' first draft the team selected John Hannah, Sam Cunningham and Darryl Stingley. The next year they drafted Steve Nelson, Andy Johnson and Sam Hunt. Then in '75 the Pats added Russ Francis, Rod Shoate and Steve Grogan. For most teams a three-year stretch like that would be extremely impressive, but the Patriots were not done yet - hitting gold the following year.


Grogan had performed well enough in relief of injured Jim Plunkett for Fairbanks to put the number one pick from the 1971 draft on the market. Three days prior to the 1976 draft the trade was made, with the Pats receiving two first round selections in the upcoming draft, first and second round 1977 picks, and a backup QB for good measure. Those four draft picks turned out to be center Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, running back Horace Ivory, and cornerback Raymond Clayborn, who was belatedly voted in to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2017. That group of four went on to play a combined 482 games for the Patriots.

In Fairbanks first season the Pats only went 5-9, but the improvement was already apparent. The offense improved from 24th to 16th in points scored, while the defense rose from 26th to 16th. The next year Fairbanks installed his 3-4 defense and the team started out at a league best 6-1, before injuries were too much to overcome. Still, the 7-7 finish was the first non-losing record since just missing out on a chance at the first super bowl in 1966, ending a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons.

1975 saw a player strike over the Sullivan's miserly negotiating tactics that led to a canceled preseason game, and a distraction that could not be overcome. Unfortunately this was just a foreshadowing of events to follow a couple years later.

In '76 the Pats went 11-3, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The team ranked second in scoring offense and third in turnover differential. The Pats led the league with 5.0 yards per rush, and had not lost a game since October. Then came the Ben Dreith game, arguably the most egregiously one-sided officiated game in the history of the NFL. With Pittsburgh decimated by injuries and the AFC vastly superior to the NFC that year, the Raider-Patriots game was the de facto league championship game. Yes, it still bothers me to this day.

Fairbanks worked out contract extensions for Hannah and Leon Gray, two future Patriot Hall of Famers. The Sullivans screwed Fairbanks over however, not approving the deals and forcing him to renege on the contracts. Hannah and Gray walked out on the team during preseason and did not return until week four. The Pats had lost two games to below average teams by that time and never recovered, going 7-3 the rest of the way to finish 9-5, but missing the playoffs.

In 1978 Fairbanks worked out a contract extension with Stingley, just prior to his being viciously hit and paralyzed by Jack Tatum in a preseason game. When the Sullivans refused to honor that verbal commitment, it was the final straw; Fairbanks started looking for another job. The team won the AFC East, but then word leaked out that Fairbanks had been hired by the University of Colorado. Billy Sullivan suspended Fairbanks prior to the final game of the season, making the OC the head coach when the Pats had the ball, and the DC the head coach when on defense. The ridiculous arrangement predictably failed, and Fairbanks was allowed to return and coach the first home playoff game in franchise history. Under gloomy skies a lethargic and distracted team was defeated by Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini and Bum Phillips' Houston Oilers on new years eve of 1978. With that loss, the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks era was over.

Former Patriots Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks Passed Away

The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Chuck Fairbanks, who served as head coach of the Patriots for six seasons from 1973 through 1978.

www.patriots.com

Chuck Fairbanks, a Fitful Football Coach, Dies at 79 (Published 2013)

Mr. Fairbanks built successful football teams in college at the University of Oklahoma and in the N.F.L. with New England. But controversy often followed him.

www.nytimes.com

Chuck Fairbanks for Patriots Hall of Fame - PatsPropaganda

This time of year the Patriots Hall of Fame committee meets to decide who will be the newest inductees. Each of the past couple years a heated debate has been centered around Bill Parcells, but I think there’s an equal and less-discussed case to be made for Chuck Fairbanks for the Patriots Hall...

www.patspropaganda.com

‘Roughing the Passer’: The Patriots-Raiders Game You Should Know About

Now that Tom Brady has shown us his throwback resume, let’s flash back to the Patriots-Raiders AFC divisional playoff game that took place on Dec. 18, 1976.

archive.boston.com

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Chuck Fairbanks, Russ Francis, Julius Adams, all must eventually be in Pats HOF.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Jeff White, and his infamous 3 yard punt

Great uniform, though

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Chuck Fairbanks, Russ Francis, Julius Adams, all must eventually be in Pats HOF.

Chuck Fairbanks, Russ Francis, Julius Adams, Mosi Tatupu and Darryl Stingley all should have long since already been inducted into what would be a legitimate Pats HOF.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

In '76 the Pats went 11-3, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The team ranked second in scoring offense and third in turnover differential. The Pats led the league with 5.0 yards per rush, and had not lost a game since October. Then came the Ben Dreith game, by far the most egregiously one-sided (and nonpublicized) officiated game in the history of the NFL. With Pittsburgh decimated by injuries and the AFC vastly superior to the NFC that year, the Raider-Patriots game was the de facto league championship game.

I give credit to Bob Costas, who specifically brought this up in the pregame of the playoff in LA in January '86; Axthelm of course did not even acknowledge it, in keeping with the national blindness to antiPatriots bias and national hypnotism by antiPatriots proganda.

That day, the Patriots showed up for a playoff game.

Dreith and his crew showed up to perpetrate a debacle.

The Raiders showed up to get their Super Bowl Christmas gift a week early.

The Patriots' wives were in the stands cheering us on; up until the last minutes we were ready to celebrate and get laid.

Instead we got screwed.

 

[captain stone]

The Raiders showed up to get their Super Bowl Christmas gift a week early.

The Patriots' wives were in the stands cheering us on; up until the last minutes we were ready to celebrate and get laid.

Instead we got screwed.

Saturday night, December 18 1976 should've gone like this:

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Saturday night, December 18 1976 should've gone like this:

Officials and Raiders Anger Patriots (Published 1976)

www.nytimes.com

Why Do Raiders Fans Complain about the "Tuck Rule" Game but Forget 1976...? - TGT USA

Raiders fans complain about the "Tuck Rule Game" in the 2002 playoffs. But what about that roughing the passer call in the '76 AFC divisional round game...?...

thegruelingtruth.com