Today in Patriots History
The 1972 Draft
After two super bowl championships and the birth date of Rob Ninkovich, these other Patriots February 1 events are a bit underwhelming.
February 1, 2020:
Stephon Gilmore is named 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Stephon Gilmore named Associated Press 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year - Patriots.com media release
Stephon Gilmore becomes the first New England Patriot to win DPOY, an accolade that has been awarded at the end of every season since 1971.
Gilmore tied for the NFL lead with a career-high six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns (Week 2 at Miami & Week 15 at Cincinnati) for a defense that finished No. 1 in the NFL in total defense (275.9 yards per game) and points allowed per game (14.1). He also tied for the NFL lead with 20 passes defensed, matching his single-season high from 2018. Gilmore joined Ty Law (27 in 1998 & 23 in 2003) as the only New England Patriots with multiple seasons of 20-plus passes defensed in franchise history. Gilmore also posted a career-high 53 tackles and recovered one fumble.
Gilmore locks down 2019 NFL DPOY - commentary by Mike Dussault, Patriots.com
Stephon Gilmore wins NFL’s 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award - commentary by Mark Daniels
February 1, 2024:
The New England Patriots announced today three new additions to Jerod Mayo's staff. DeMarcus Covington has been promoted to defensive coordinator, Jeremy Springer will serve as special teams coordinator and Alex Van Pelt will serve as offensive coordinator.
February 1, 2020:
DeMarcus Covington becomes the new defensive line coach.
He replaces Bret Bielema, who followed Joe Judge to work on the new Giants' head coach's staff.
February 1, 2019:
The Patriots promote
DeMarcus Covington to outside linebackers coach.
February 1, 2017:
DeMarcus Covington joins the Patriots as a coaching assistant.
This was his first job in the pros, after holding various college assistant coaching positions from 2012-2016.
February 1, 2016:
Brian Flores is promoted to linebackers coach. He began his coaching career in 2008 as a special teams assistant, and had most recently been the Pats safeties coach from 2012-2015.
February 1, 2005:
Pats sign free agent S Ike Charlton, who had played in 53 games for the Seahawks, Jaguars and Giants.
February 1, 2002:
Nick Caserio is re-assigned to be 'offensive coaching assistant', after having served as a 'personnel assistant' in 2001. He joined the Patriots in '01 after having previously worked as a grad assistant at Saginaw Valley State and Central Michigan.
February 1, 2001:
Romeo Crennel is hired as defensive coordinator.
He and
Bill Belichick worked together for the Giants from 1981-90, with the Pats in '96 and with the Jets from 1997-99.
In addition, free agent FB Larry Bowie is signed to a contract. He had previously played in 25 games for Washington.
February 1, 2000:
New head coach Bill Belichick begins assembling his staff.
Charlie Weis is hired to be the offensive coordinator, and
Eric Mangini will be a defensive assistant coach.
Two other coaches are re-signed:
Ivan Fears as wide receivers coach, and
Jeff Davidson as assistant offensive line coach.
February 1, 1999
Jim Murphy is released.
The Reading Mass native and Northeastern grad was a quarterback who spent two years in the Pats organization, but never got on the field for an NFL snap. Murphy was allocated to Barcelona in NFL Europe in 1998, and was head coach at Merrimack College from 2003 to 2007.
February 1, 1997:
Pete Carroll hires
Carl Smith to be an assistant head coach/QB coach.
February 1, 1994:
Maurice Carthon is hired as an assistant coach.
February 1, 1989:
Ernest Gibson, Teddy Garcia and Tom Benson become unconditional free agents.
February 1, 1986
John Hannah retires six days after the Pats SB20 loss to Chicago.
February 1, 1981:
Sam Adams, Ray Costict, Ray Hamilton, Don Hasselbeck, Horace Ivory, Steve King, Steve Owen and Rod Shoate become free agents.
February 1, 1972:
Day One of the 1972 NFL Draft is held at the Essex House in New York, consisting of rounds one through seven.
Buffalo selects Notre Dame defensive end Walt Patulski with the first pick.
As for what transpired with New England's draft picks, be warned - this ride has many strange twists and turns.
The Patriots had no first round draft pick thanks to trades involving a few bizarre chapters of early franchise history. In 1970 the Patriots signed QB
Joe Kapp as a free agent. Free agency then was not what it is now, with the signing team having to compensate the team that lost a player. In this case the Pats sent Minnesota their 1972 first round pick (which turned out to be 10th overall), plus safety
John Charles and cash. Not a good value at all, as Kapp lasted one 1-9 season while throwing
17 interceptions versus three touchdowns!
Similarly the Pats received compensation when due to a front office oversight DT
Phil Olsen (the team's fourth overall pick from the 1970 draft) signed with the Rams. The Patriots received LA's 1972 first round pick and more - then traded that pick to the Giants for a player that refused to report to the Pats,
Fred Dryer.
New England also traded away their second round pick in the deal that brought RB
Duane Thomas to Foxboro for a few strange days in 1971. The Pats were finally able to draft a player near the end of the second round, WR
Tom Reynolds; he lasted just one season for the Pats, with eight receptions and two touchdowns.
The Pats original third round pick was also lost in the Duane Thomas trade, but the club did have another third from Los Angeles via the Phil Olsen signing. New England used that selection on Colorado State defensive end
Jim White; he too lasted only one year with the Patriots.
New England had traded their own fourth round pick the previous year to Dallas for LB
Steve Kiner, and their fifth to Baltimore for PR
Ron Gardin. The former was a hit, the latter a miss.
The Pats had also picked up another fifth from Oakland in '71, and used it on
Ron Bolton; he would start at corner for the Pats through 1975.
The Patriots own sixth round pick went to the Giants as part of the Fred Dryer trade, and then they used their seventh on a tight end named
Clark Hoss who was traded to Cleveland at the start of training camp. The Pats had the very next pick via a trade with the Chargers for
Eddie Ray. (The running back never did anything while with the Patriots but then he proceeded to play for six more years in the NFL.) The Pats used that draft pick on RB
John Tarver, primarily a blocking back who scored eight touchdowns over the next three seasons for the Patriots.
Tarver is most well known for one incredibly forgettable play.
In a 1974 game at Oakland, John Tarver threw the ball behind him so that the bad men on the other team would leave him alone. It was the type of play one would see on front lawns back in the day, playing tackle football against older, bigger fellow elementary school students. He panicked and threw the ball over his head backwards into the end zone! You had to see it to believe it.
February 1, 1971:
DL
Karl Henke is traded to San Diego for G
Jim Schmedding
Schmedding had been a backup for the Chargers from 1968-70, but did not make the Pats roster.
February 1, 1970:
The AFL and NFL announce a merger, forming a combined league with 26 teams. Thirteen will compete in the American Football Conference and 13 in the National Football Conference.
The Patriots would play in the AFC East, which was similar to their AFL East. The AFL's Houston Oilers would no longer be in the East, but the Patriots, Bills, Jets and Dolphins would remain in the same division. Three teams from the NFL would move to the new AFC - including the Baltimore Colts, who would also play in the AFC East.
Happy 36th birthday to
Travaris Cadet
Born Feb 1, 1989 in Miami
Patriot RB, 2015; uniform #39
Signed as a free agent on March 17, 2015
Pats résumé: one game
Many Pats fans had high hopes for the former New Orleans Saint from Appalachian State, but he was waived on Sept 29, 2015. Cadet played in 73 NFL games from 2012-2018, with seven touchdowns.
In memory of
Alvin Richardson, who would have been 90 today
Born Feb 1, 1935 in New Orleans
Patriot DE, 1960; uniform #79
A 26th round draft pick by the Eagles in 1957, the Grambling State alum played in three games with two starts for the Patriots in their inaugural 1960 season.
Other pro football players born on this date with a New England connection:
Amara Darboh, 31 (1994)
A Patriot WR for all of four days in 2018; he was a third round pick by Seattle in 2017.
Tim Mazzetti, 69 (1956)
Born and raised in Old Greenwich CT
Penn kicker played for the Falcons for three seasons. He also scored the first points in USFL history for the Boston Breakers, where he was an All-USFL kicker.
Larry Swider, 70 (1955)
Born and raised in Limestone, Maine
Punter from 1977-82 was a Broncos draft pick from Pitt.
Dave Graham, 86 (1939)
Born in Bridgeport, raised in Fairfield CT
Left tackle played in 83 games for the Eagles in the sixties. Graham later became a grade school principal and then his town's
executive director of school administration in 2017.
Roger Ellis (1938-2008)
Native of Westwood, Massachusetts; University of Maine
After being drafted by the Giants in 1959 the middle linebacker would play for the Titans/Jets for four seasons in the AFL. He later became
a secret service agent for Spiro Agnew.
Johnny Miller (1934-2015)
Born and raised in Lowell; Keith Academy; Boston College
OT and DT for Washington and Green Bay, 1955-60. He was an All-American and enshrined to the BC Hall of Fame and later the Hall of Fame at
St. Mary’s High School in Lynn where he had coached football.
Lou Koplow (1904-1988)
Born in Malden; Boston English High School; Boston University
Had a cup of coffee as a tackle for the Providence Steam Roller in the twenties.
