Today in Patriots History

[Actual Pats Fan]

Another slow day for Patriot birthdays: three players with a combined twelve games played with the Pats.


Ken Herock, 76 (July 16, 1941)
Patriot TE, 1969
Uniform #36
Herock played in six games with no stats for the Patriots in the sixth and final year as a pro football player. He became a scout and director of player personnel for the Raiders in 1975 (when Oakland was winning super bowls), and then took the same position with Tampa Bay (somehow turning the Bucs into a playoff team despite their owner's infamous frugality). Herock then went to Atlanta, where he drafted Deion Sanders and Brett Favre, among others; he was also the one NFL scout who believed in Tim Tebow. In 2010 Herock caused a bit of an uproar when he was quoted as saying that he didn't feel there are any topics off limits in pre-draft interviews. He now operates a company that prepares NFL prospects for that very same interview process.

Side note: while looking up information on Herock I came across these two articles, which I found pretty interesting:

No. 1 Pick Headed to Falcons : Ismail: Patriots trade top choice to Cowboys, who are expected to trade it again.

The Most Botched NFL Draft Pick Ever


Bill Atessis, 67 (July 16, 1949)
Patriot DE, 1971
Uniform #73
Atessis was a 2nd round pick by the Colts in '71, but he was let go injured in training camp and released in mid-season. The Pats signed him and he played in five games for them that year. The following year he was asked to lose weight in order to transition to outside linebacker, and ended up walking out of training camp. The Pats traded him to the Cardinals, but he ended up on IR again. In '73 the Jets signed him with the idea of going back to the defensive line, but he was cut in early August to end his NFL career. Atessis now works as a project manager in the construction industry in his native Texas for Faithful + Gould.


Louis Leonard, 33 (July 16, 1984)
Patriot DT, 2010
In his fourth and final year in the NFL, Leonard was signed by the Patriots on December 15, 2010 - and waived six days later. In between he played in the week fifteen 31-27 victory against Green Bay when Matt Flynn threw three touchdowns subbing for an injured Aaron Rodgers.



Four other deceased players with interesting life stories and varying connections to the New England area:

- Harry Connolly (1920-2006); Norwalk native went to Boston College, and the tailback was the 37th overall pick in the 1943 NFL draft.

- Al Cornsweet (1906-1991): Brown grad was a fullback and coach of the 1931 NFL Cleveland Indians.

- Herman Gundlach (1913-2005); went to Worcester Academy and Harvard, and was a guard for the 1935 Boston Redskins.

- Grenny Lansdell (1918-1984); born in Great Barrington, he went on to become one of the great triple threats in college football history. After the war Lansdell went on to become a pilot for Trans World Airways for 30 years.



Other pro football players born today:

- Barry Sanders, 49 (7/16/68); my condolences if you never saw him play.

- Max McGee (1932-2007); unlikely (and hungover) hero of Super Bowl I.

- Gary Anderson, 58 (7/16/59); one of only two kickers to have a 'perfect' season.

- Aaron Glenn, 45 (7/16/72); CB was named to three Pro Bowls, with 41 career interceptions and eight career touchdowns.

He played for the bad guys, but Cliff Branch (b. 8/1/48 in Houston) is a very nice man, and belongs in Canton.

I think it was Matt Millen who told the story of one time when the Raiders were set to kick off a game within thirty minutes and no one had any idea where Cliff was. He finally showed up just in time to dress and be ready, saying he overslept.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Only one former Patriot born today.


Tony Gaiter, 43 (July 15, 1974)
Patriot PR/KR/WR, 1997 - 2000
Uniform #17 ('97) and #14 (2000)
Pats 6th round (192nd overall) pick of the 1997 draft, out of Miami.
Gaiter (shouldn't he have gone to Florida rather than the U?) was only 5'8 and 169 pounds. He ran track and was a tailback with the Hurricanes, then switched to receiver his senior year. The Pats cut Gaiter near the end of training camp his rookie year, then signed him to the practice squad. He was activated in late November and played in a week 14 victory over the Colts. Gaiter was again waived at the end of the 1998 camp. He was re-signed prior to a week 8 game at Miami but did not play, and released again. After two seasons in San Diego he came back for a third Pats training camp in 2000 - perhaps hoping for better luck with a new head coach - but again did not survive roster cuts.


Others with New England area connections:

- Tim Riordan, 57 (7/15/60); New London native was a quarterback at Temple when Bruce Arians was head coach for the Owls. He was drafted by the St Louis Cardinals in '84, and was later a backup QB for the Saints. Riordan also played in the USFL for two seasons.

- John Bunting, 67 (7/15/50); born in Maine, but grew up in Maryland. Spent 11 seasons in the NFL as an OLB for the Philadelphia Eagles. Was also head coach at the University of North Carolina from 2001 to 2006.

- Steve Bartalo, 53 (7/15/64); born in Maine but raised in Colorado. RB was a 6th round pick by Tampa Bay in '87. He spent one season with the Bucs, one with SF and two in NFL Europe.

- **** Rauch (1893-1970); was an offensive lineman and head coach for five seasons in the early days of the NFL, including in 1929 when the Pottsville Maroons moved and became the Boston Bulldogs. Home games were played at Braves Field, later known as Nickerson Field - the same site the Patriots played their home games for the first three years of their existence.


Some other pro football player born today include:

- John Stallworth, 65 (7/15/52); Hall of Fame WR played on four Pittsburgh Steeler championship teams.

- Alex Karras (1935-2012); All Pro DT for the Lions from 1958 to 1970 was at the wrong end of the power of the NFL commissioner in 1963, when he was suspended for a year. Became known by another generation as an actor, as Mongo in Blazing Saddles, Sheriff Wallace in Porky's, Squash Bernstein in Victor Victoria, and George Papadopolis on Webster. Great uncle to Patriot OL Ted Karras.

- Carnell Lake, 50 (7/15/67); safety was named to the NFL's all-decade team for the 1990s, and has been Pittsburgh's defensive backs coach since 2011.

- Joe Phillips, 54 (7/15/63); DT from 1986-99; one of only 58 defensive lineman in the history of the NFL to play in at least 200 games.

- Sammy Winder, 58 (7/15/59); Pro Bowl RB for Denver in the eighties.

Happy Birthday, Tom Neville (8/12/43)

Happy Birthday, Devin McCourty (8/13/87)

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Notable NFL players born today:
- Kyle Boller, 36 (June 17, 1981); the Ravens were so desperate for a QB they traded their second round 2003 pick and 2004 first for the Pats first round (19th overall) pick of the 2003 draft, and used it on Boller. The Pats used the 2003 pick in a trade with Houston that allowed them to draft Eugene Wilson, and then selected Vince Wilfork with the Ravens' first rounder in 2004.

Happy Birthday, safety Eugene W. Wilson, II (born August 17, 1980)

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

nowhere near as noteworthy

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no...Nobody...Nobody...like I do..."

Happy Birthday, Adalius Donquail Thomas (/əˈdeɪləs/; born July 18, 1977) according to Wiki.

But, Pro Football Reference and BSPN.com say he was born August 18th.

The heck with how he played here, this guy gets to celebrate TWO birthdays a year? That's not fair. The late, great **** Albert (February 29, 1944 – August 4, 2017) only got to celebrate on Leap Year.

Well, this at least explains that he's spoiled.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Bob Lee (July 4, 1935 - March 4, 2017)
Patriot G, 1960
Uniform #60
Robert E Lee was 25 years old when he tried out for the newly founded Pats. Lee played in the first eight games of the 1960 season before being cut on November 9, ending his pro football career.

Well I certainly didn't know Robert E. Lee was an original Patriot, but it sure makes me proud!

Happy Birthday, Joseph Dominick Andruzzi (born August 23, 1975)

After graduating from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven,
Joe was picked up as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Green Bay Packers. He went on to play for the Scottish Claymores, and is on the seemingly endless list of guys who played in NFL Europe and then had success in the NFL, before it was terminated in one of the first of countless disastrously wrong decisions by Roger Goodell...soon to be followed that September ('07) by GoodellGate I. Yup, tenth anniversary coming up.

Joe is an unspectacular but important part of the first three titles this century.

I don't think any of us there will ever forget his image:

 

[supafly]

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no...Nobody...Nobody...like I do..."

Happy Birthday, Adalius Donquail Thomas (/əˈdeɪləs/; born July 18, 1977) according to Wiki.

But, Pro Football Reference and BSPN.com say he was born August 18th.

The heck with how he played here, this guy gets to celebrate TWO birthdays a year? That's not fair. The late, great **** Albert (February 29, 1944 – August 4, 2017) only got to celebrate on Leap Year.

Well, this at least explains that he's spoiled.

Contrary to popular belief, Adailus was a beast here for the first two seasons in '07 and '08. Statistically speaking, he was on pace in '08 to have another very good year and was creating havoc in multiple roles. Through 9 games, he had 5 sacks and continued to build upon his solid role in '07. Unfortunately, he broke his arm about halfway through the 2008 season and it seemed to throw everything out of whack.

He returned in '09 with a bad attitude about not wanting to play the SAM, and things came to a head with showing up late to practice in December after the snowstorm.

Pro football reference has his position changed to "ROLB" for 2009, but I don't believe that's correct--unless that's how he was initially listed for the beginning of the season. I distinctly remember him not wanting to play strong side LB and him wanting more opportunities to rush the passer.

I certainly agree that he was a big splash signing that ultimately failed, but I'm not sure that it was quite as bad as some people think. I always wonder how different things may have been without that broken arm. By the spring of 2010 when he was released, we were on the right side of seeing cap savings.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

A late evening

Happy Birthday, Carl L. Garrett (born August 31, 1947)

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

noteworthy

Happy Birthday, Bruce Charles Armstrong (born September 7, 1965)

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Williams

Happy Birthday, Edward Eugene Williams (born September 8, 1961)

Ed's #54...hey, I like that number!

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Patriot birthday

Happy Birthday, Marlin Oliver Briscoe (born September 10, 1945).

From Omaha, Nebraska, Briscoe played high school football at Omaha South High School and college football at Omaha University, now known as the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In October 1968, after being drafted by the Denver Broncos, he became the first starting black quarterback in the American Football League.

Before the 1969 season started, Briscoe still determined to play quarterback, discovered that head coach Lou Saban intended to use Pete Liske as the starter, so he asked to be released. He went to the AFL's Buffalo Bills where he was turned into a receiver, since the Bills already had superstar Jack Kemp, former Pro Bowler Tom Flores, and James Harris, another black quarterback with a more prototypical 6-foot-4 and 210-pound frame. Briscoe never played quarterback again, but he enjoyed a splendid career. He led Buffalo in touchdown catches in each of his three seasons there and in receptions twice. In 1970 he was in the top two in receptions and receiving yards and became an All-Pro.

After the AFL-NFL merger, he played in the National Football League from 1970 though 1976, mostly with American Football Conference teams. In 1971, the Bills traded Briscoe to the Miami Dolphins for a first-round draft pick Joe Delamielleure, who developed as a Hall of Fame guard. Briscoe went on to win a pair of Super Bowls, leading the undefeated 1972 team with four touchdown receptions and was the leading receiver on the Dolphins in 1973, catching more passes than future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Paul Warfield.

Briscoe made stops with the Chargers and Lions before ending his career in 1976 with the New England Patriots. He had 10 receptions for 136 yards and 1 TD in 14 regular season games for the New England Patriots in 1976. He caught a 16-yard TD pass from Steve Grogan in the Patriots 48-17 rout of the Oakland Raiders at Schaefer Stadium on 10-03-76. Early in his career, Briscoe was intercepted by Boston Patriots AFL All Star Defensive Back Leroy Mitchell in Denver's 35-14 rout of the Patriots at Fenway Park on November 3, 1968. He is the only player to have been intercepted by a Patriot player and later to have caught a TD as a Patriot receiver.

Marlin wore #86, and did not make it in the team photo, above.

Today, he works as the director of the Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach, California.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

playing pro ball

Happy Birthday, Daniel Koppen (born September 12, 1979)

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Patriot franchise history

Happy Birthday, Robert James Weathers (born September 13, 1960)

Can't ever forget his runs in the '86 AFCCG



Former Patriot friends all over the place here, in the broadcast booth and the Bills' sideline...couple of Bills rookies named Bruce Smith and Andre Reed starting in there...what a D we had...Robert is in there at 53:00, when Eason (typically) gets sacked.

This game is where Steve Grogan came in, and turned the whole season around, culminating in our first Super Bowl appearance...we'll always wonder what could have happened if he'd started Super Bowl XX as he should have, but I expect Robert and the rest would have had some success running the ball against the Bears, as Steve always kept the running game involved in his play-calling.

Some enlightening comments also on this You Tube video, posted in May.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Contrary to popular belief, Adailus was a beast here for the first two seasons in '07 and '08.

Watching '07 again, I completely agree. (As was Laurence Maroney.) Injuries are devastating in the NFL.

 

[supafly]

Watching '07 again, I completely agree. (As was Laurence Maroney.) Injuries are devastating in the NFL.

Even in 2008, he was on pace for what would likely have been his best statistical season ever, or at the very least, one of his top seasons.

After that broken arm halfway through, he was never the same.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

While he may not be an All-Pro

Happy Birthday, Paul Jay Fairchild (born September 14, 1961)

And, Happy 82nd Birthday to Edward Michel "Ed" Khayat (born September 14, 1935), a former thirty-five year National Football League veteran, ten years as a player (117 game total) and twenty-five as a coach. He was the starting defensive tackle for the victorious Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship Game. He has been inducted into six Halls of Fame. Currently he serves on the Former Players Board of Directors of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).

Ed played for the Pats in '66, and he was our defensive line coach here from '85-'89.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

birthdays

Happy Birthday, Gregory Earl Boyd (born September 15, 1952)

Far left, third row from top #65
Like Russ Francis, the ring he got with the Niners in '84 should have been his second, as he was on the 1976 Patriots.

And let's recognize Merlin Jay Olsen (September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010), who was selected to the Pro Bowl a record 14 straight times with the Rams.

Merlin worked a lot of big Patriots games, including Super Bowl XX, and we can only dream about what it would have been like had Steve Grogan started. McMahon was good that year, but the Bears came out tentative and nervous, and the longer that went on the tighter the game - and the greater the pressure - got too, and we would have had a clear, major advantage at the quarterback position. McMahon may well have choked on one of those stupid headbands he kept changing during the game.

Turns out Merlin and his younger brother Phil were teammates from '71-'74
In 1970, Phil was an offseason and/or practice squad member on...our Boston Patriots, of course.

 

[jmt57]

Turns out Merlin and his younger brother Phil were teammates from '71-'74
In 1970, Phil was an offseason and/or practice squad member on...our Boston Patriots, of course.

Back on page two of this thread (April 26), there is a mini-bio on Phil Olsen.

Phil Olsen, 69 (4/26/1948)
Patriots 1st round 1970 draft pick (4th overall)
Never as good as older brother Merlin, Phil refused to play for the Patriots. In some ways I can't blame him, but who the hell was he to think that way? After the draft Olsen suffered a knee injury getting ready for the College All-Star Game. After he sat out his rookie season due to the injury, his contract became void because of a loophole in his contract regarding an option clause. He was picked up by the Rams, who gave the Patriots their first-round pick the following year.​

The best and worst draft picks in franchise history for the New England Patriots

Worst draft picks from 1970-79​

1. DT Phil Olsen (1.4, ’70)
Just because your brother was a good football player, that is no reason to be drafted this early.

​

One interesting bit of Patriots trivia: the Patriots traded Phil Olsen to the rams for a first round pick... which they then traded to the Giants for Fred Dryer - who also never played for the Pats, refusing to play for the team!

The Ten Biggest Draft Busts In Patriots History

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Back on page two of this thread (April 26), there is a mini-bio on Phil Olsen.

Phil Olsen, 69 (4/26/1948)
Patriots 1st round 1970 draft pick (4th overall)
Never as good as older brother Merlin, Phil refused to play for the Patriots. In some ways I can't blame him, but who the hell was he to think that way? After the draft Olsen suffered a knee injury getting ready for the College All-Star Game. After he sat out his rookie season due to the injury, his contract became void because of a loophole in his contract regarding an option clause. He was picked up by the Rams, who gave the Patriots their first-round pick the following year.​

The best and worst draft picks in franchise history for the New England Patriots

Worst draft picks from 1970-79​

1. DT Phil Olsen (1.4, ’70)
Just because your brother was a good football player, that is no reason to be drafted this early.

​

One interesting bit of Patriots trivia: the Patriots traded Phil Olsen to the rams for a first round pick... which they then traded to the Giants for Fred Dryer - who also never played for the Pats, refusing to play for the team!

The Ten Biggest Draft Busts In Patriots History

Damn, both guys first-rounders going to the Rams...I certainly would never want a guy who didn't want to play here...including someone like Elway, for example...more evidence of the bias which was clearly inherited in its entirety by the Patriots, previously directed at the AFL.

 

[jmt57]

Damn, both guys first-rounders going to the Rams...I certainly would never want a guy who didn't want to play here...including someone like Elway, for example...more evidence of the bias which was clearly inheritied in its entirety by the Patriots, previously directed at the AFL.

The time period that comprised the combination of the Sullivans with Clive Rush and John Mazur, and the Pats attempting to assimilate into the merged NFL was a major dysfunction. As we saw a few years later with contract malfunctions during the Chuck Fairbanks era, I can't really blame a player back then for not wanting to play for the Patriots. Who knows what advice Olsen was getting while he was still under contract with the Patriots. Dryer wanted to be near Hollywood for his post-NFL career.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

the Patriots

Happy Birthday, Brandon McGowan (born September 16, 1983 in Jersey City, New Jersey)

Brandon played for the Maine Black Bears, then spent four years with the Chicago Bears, before joining the Boston Bears, I mean Bruins, okay I mean Patriots in '09.

He's handsome, but you can't expect him to compete with Rose

Hey Goodell, got something for ya