Happy Birthday, Don Blackmon

[Actual Pats Fan]

3/14/58

 

[jimnance]

APF- thanks for posting this.
While your unhealthy obsession with the Pats logo is annoying, I gotta give you props for all your posts remembering Patriots players from the past.

Always brings back good memories.

 

[SEA_Pat]

One of my favourite LB groups of all time. Don Blackmon, Andre Tippett, Larry McGrew and Steve Nelson. Great secondary too. Pity they were overshadowed by that ridiculous Bears D.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

One of my favourite LB groups of all time. Don Blackmon, Andre Tippett, Larry McGrew and Steve Nelson. Great secondary too. Pity they were overshadowed by that ridiculous Bears D.

Yeah, the whole team-defense, ST, offense esp. running game-played their butts off the last four games (Cincy, playoff clincher at home, then at Jets, Raiders & Fins) with an avalanche of turnovers.

I should have snuck down to the French Quarter and slipped some Cosby-dope into Eason's beer the night before the game.

 

[oldrover]

Great memories of that team... well, except the last game.

By the way, I really like that uni Blackmon is wearing. Maybe we should bring those back! Has that been discussed?

 

[RobertWeathers]

He should be wearing a goddamn red jacket.

Anyone who saw him play would agree.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

APF- thanks for posting this.
While your unhealthy obsession with the Pats logo is annoying, I gotta give you props for all your posts remembering Patriots players from the past.

Always brings back good memories.

Thanks! I'm happy with my lifelong Patriots obsession, but I would describe going along with Krafty Bob's Married to the NFL self-delusional folly as unhealthy.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Great memories of that team... well, except the last game.

By the way, I really like that uni Blackmon is wearing. Maybe we should bring those back! Has that been discussed?

 

[jmt57]

Blackmon was a very good, underrated player. With he and Andre Tippett on the outside, Steve Nelson inside with (Clayton Weishuhn, Johnny Rembert, and Larry McGrew) the Patriots had one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL in the 80's.

It's unfortunate that Blackmon's career ended prematurely due to injury (and Weishuhn's as well). On the bright side he didn't end up paralyzed like Daryl Stingley; coincidentally both career-ending plays came against the Raiders.


edit to add: New England Patriots linebacker Don Blackmon, who lay paralyzed...

Blackmon, an outside linebacker, was overshadowed by fellow linebacker Andre Tippett and never reached the Pro Bowl in his seven seasons. Blackmon was frequently mentioned as one of the NFL's most underrated players.

'He was one of the premier linebackers in the game,' Patriots Coach Raymond Berry said.​

Squish the Fish: 1985 Patriots Run One of the Greatest in NFL History

“We had a great defense,” said (John) Hannah. “We had Andre Tippet and Donnie Blackmon as bookends. You couldn’t double-team one and leave the other unblocked. There was no getting outside on those two guys. They were the best outside linebackers I’ve ever seen put on a team.”​

 

[Dingleberry]

Blackmon was a beast in that 85 playoff game against the Dolphins. He and Clayborn were my binkies from that team. And Julius Adams, of course!

 

[scott99]

Very underrated OLB, especially with Tippett getting all of the hype back then (and deservedly so). Blackmon was a fantastic player in his own right.

 

[SEA_Pat]

Very underrated OLB, especially with Tippett getting all of the hype back then (and deservedly so). Blackmon was a fantastic player in his own right.

Not to mention LT overshadowing both.

 

[Mack Herron]

Big fan. Along with Tip, the two best OLBs we have had.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

And Julius Adams, of course!

Whose passing before his enshrinement into the team's HOF will never be accepted by me. Berry was the last of six head coaches Julius, an original "New England" Patriot, played for. His leadership on and off the field, and locker room presence and lifelong loyalty to the franchise put him at #1 on my list of all time Patriots. He coined "The NEXT One!" here when Tom Brady was eight years old.