Today in Patriots History
Sale, EJ and the rest of June 13 trivialities
Happy 49th birthday to Sale Isaia
Born June 13, 1972 in Honolulu
Patriot guard, 2000; uniform #72
Signed as a free agent on August 30, 2000
Sale Isaia went undrafted out of UCLA in 1995 and spent time the Browns, Ravens, Colts, Raiders, as well as in NFL Europe from 1995 to 2000. He was on IR with Cleveland as a rookie, then had played in nine games for the Ravens in 1996, spent '97 on IR with a knee injury, and '98 on IR with an Achilles tendon injury. Isaia then spent the 1999 offseason with Indy, and was allocated to Frankfurt of NFL Europe in 2000. After being waived by Oakland in late August he was signed by the Pats in Bill Belichick's first year as head coach in Foxboro, after Todd Rucci was placed on injured reserve. Sale was signed so late there is no mention of him whatsoever in the
2000 Patriots Media Guide.
Isaia appeared in all 16 games for the Patriots in 2000 with 14 starts, but was released the following spring. The Pats re-signed him at the start of training camp; in early September he was placed on IR for the fourth time in his career, and then released with an injury settlement. He was unable to generate interest from any other team, thus ending his NFL career at that point with service time of 25 games played - and one season short of receiving an NFL pension (which he surely could have used after all those injuries).
Nov 10, 2000:
Hawaii will always be home to Isaia
"It's been a long year," said the 6-foot-5, 320-pound starting right guard for the struggling Patriots (2-7). . . .
The Hawaii-born Isaia, who is of Samoan ancestry, said he idolized Mosi Tatupu.
"I still haven't had a chance to meet him,"said Isaia, referring to the ex-Patriot who coaches at a high school near Foxboro.
"I miss spam musubi like crazy," added Isaia, "and I've missed Rainbow Drive-In since my wife first took me there."
But as the temperatures begin to dip below 40, his focus is on the crisis at Foxboro Stadium. Patriots' quarterbacks have been sacked 34 times. Drew Bledsoe has been dropped 30 times. At this rate, Bledsoe will top last season's career-high 55-sack total. . . .
He is a member of a line that has been in a state of flux all year. The only lineman who's been at his position since the start of training camp is center Damien Woody.
Head coach Bill Belichick's plan to protect Bledsoe's blind side suffered when the University of Hawaii's Adrian Klemm, the team's top draft pick, was injured last summer and was unable to start at left tackle in his rookie year.
Klemm has just been activated and will play a little. But he will not start this season.
"I think we're beginning to jell," Isaia said of his patchwork line. "We just have to keep our heads straight and stay focused."
How bad was the 2000 offensive line (and team as a whole)? Here is a reminder, from December 11, 2000:
The coach lambasted his players in the locker room following a 24-17 loss in Chicago. Belichick said his 4-10 team seemed to be getting even worse.
www.bostonglobe.com
They allowed Shane Matthews, a backup quarterback with a 46 rating and one who had completed 49 percent of his passes, to complete 15 straight to set a team record. The Bears had scored just one offensive touchdown in 18 quarters entering the game.
Five times Bears receiver Eddie Kennison caught slant passes over the middle.
(Bledsoe) blamed himself for missing some throws that might have pulled the game out. He came close to blaming young offensive linemen Adrian Klemm and Greg Robinson-Randall, who had trouble competing. Left guard Klemm was called for three penalties and often was beaten by his man, and right tackle Robinson-Randall also struggled.
The third quarter was a disaster. The Patriots ran six offensive plays for 3 yards. It could have been worse, as J.R. Redmond fumbled following a 9-yard run deep in New England territory, but Sale Isaia recovered.
August 1, 2001:
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The New England Patriots announced the signing of veteran offensive lineman Sale Isaia today.
www.patriots.com
Isaia, 29, returns to the Patriots after starting 14 of 16 games last season, establishing career-highs in both categories. The 6-foot-5-inch, 320-pound tackle first signed with the Patriots on Aug. 30, 2000 after being released from the Oakland Raiders. He was inserted into the Patriots starting lineup by the second week of the regular season and missed just one start (10/8/00) the remainder of the season.
Happy 34th birthday to E.J. Biggers
Born June 13, 1987 in Miami
Patriot CB, 2016 off season; uniform #39
Signed as an unrestricted veteran free agent on March 30, 2016
Edjuan Cinclair Biggers had played in 92 games with 34 starts when the Pats signed the veteran free agent in March of 2016. The Western Michigan alum was competing for a backup role behind Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan, but he was always a bit of a longshot to make the team - eventually
losing out in his roster battle to Jonathan Jones and Justin Coleman and being cut August 23.
March 30, 2016:
The Patriots announced that they have signed DB E.J. Biggers as an unrestricted free agent from the Philadelphia Eagles.
www.patriots.com
May 19, 2016:
We take a look at E.J. Biggers, a new addition to the defensive backfield and on special teams, and how he might help the Patriots.
www.espn.com
August 23, 2016:
The Patriots have released running back Donald Brown with an injury settlement.Brown hasn't practiced for three weeks due to the undisclosed ailment that sabotaged his fast start to camp. Brow…
www.bostonherald.com
June 13, 2019: Pats trade for TE
Michael Roberts
Roberts was viewed as a low risk (traded for a 7th round draft pick), high ceiling possibility. The 6'5, 265-pound target had been a fourth round draft pick mostly used as a run blocker in two seasons for Detroit. He had caught 45 passes for 533 yards and 16 touchdowns – the most by any tight end in the nation – as a senior at Toledo, and measured in with 11.5-inch hands and with a three-cone drill of 7.05 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. But Roberts never reached the sum of those parts while in Detroit, logging four receptions for 46 yards as a rookie and nine receptions for 100 yards and three touchdowns in 2018.
A day later the trade was voided due to a failed physical. With the deal falling through the Patriots were back to Ben Watson (suspended for the first four games), Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo and undrafted free agent Andrew Beck at tight end.
Update : According to a statement released from the Lions on Friday,”Michael Roberts reverted back to the team’s roster, per trade conditions. Subsequently, the Lions announced that they have waived […]
www.boston.com
June 13, 2013: Drug dealer Alexander Bradley files a civil rights case in federal court against
Aaron Hernandez. This came after the two were unable to agree on a settlement stemming an incident where police found Bradley bleeding in a parking lot from a bullet wound that caused him to lose his right eye.
June 13, 1997: Pats sign DT
Henry Thomas
Thomas was a 32-year old veteran who had been named to two Pro Bowls during his twelve season NFL career when he signed with the Pats. The team was able to squeeze every last bit of mileage out of him as he never missed a single game over four seasons with the Patriots, compiling 237 tackles, 21 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions during his time in New England.
June 13, 1960: Pats sign lineman
Abe Cohen
An original Boston Patriot, Abe Cohen played in every game for the Boston Patriots in the inaugural season of the American Football League.
In two sports, football and wrestling, Abe Cohen has made a mark in Wyoming Valley and in national and international circles. As recently as in 1990, the Plymouth High School graduate was named to the Football Hall of Fame at the University of Tennessee/Chattanooga. In...
www.luzernecountysportshalloffame.com
Several other pro football players born on this date with New England connections:
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Dave O'Brien, 80 (June 13, 1941); did not start playing football until his senior year at Watertown High School. He was a walk on at BC and was drafted by the Pats in 1963, but instead signed with Minnesota. O'Brien was on the field for Jim Marshall's infamous wrong-way touchdown/safety. The lineman played in 60 games over five seasons before a broken fibula ended his NFL career at the age of 26. In a bit of trivia, he was part of the only Massachusetts high school football game that had five players that would go on to play in the NFL.
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Fritz Barzilauskas (6/13/20-11/30/90); born and raised in Waterbury, then went to Holy Cross and Yale. The guard was the 3rd overall pick in the 1947 draft by the Boston Yanks. Spent two seasons in Boston and two in New York, playing in 36 games.
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Veto Kissell (6/13/27-3/19/97); born and raised in Nashua, then went to Holy Cross. The fullback and linebacker played in 20 games in 1949-50.
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Tom Cichowski (6/13/63-9/17/15); grew up in Southington CT, was a 2nd round pick by the Packers in 1966, and played in 13 games for Denver at tackle in 1967-68.
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Mike Dwyer, 58 (6/13/63); Dwyer went to Barnstable High School, the University of Rhode Island and UMass. The defensive tackle played in three games as a replacement player for Dallas in 1987, and is now back home as an assistant football coach in Barnstable.
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George Smith (6/13/41-3/5/86); center/linebacker won two NFL championships and was named to one Pro Bowl over seven seasons; played for the 1945 Boston Yanks.
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Jack Riley (6/13/09-3/22/93); starting tackle for the 1933 Boston Redskins.
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Frank Martin (6/13/1919-11/15/1981); halfback spent four years in the league, including three games for the 1945 Boston Yanks.
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Sam Adams, 48; Seattle defensive lineman is the son of
Patriot guard Sam Adams, a member of the Pats 1970s all-decade team who played 119 games for the Patriots.
