Today in Patriots History
More February 18 Pats Trivia
Feb 18, 1972:
Pats sign three free agents:
Split end Brian Baima, guard Dan McClannahan and running back Henry Matthews.
Matthews was the only one to play in the NFL, appearing in three games for the Pats in 1972.
Brian Baima, Class: 1973 Induction: 2021 Sport(s): Football - One of the best wide receivers to ever suit up for The Citadel, Brian Baima became the first Bulldog
citadelsports.com
One of the best wide receivers to ever suit up for The Citadel, Brian Baima became the first Bulldog to be named the Southern Conference Athlete of the Year in 1972. In just two years as a Bulldog, Baima is tied for third in receiving touchdowns, fourth in receiving yards and 11th in receptions. He is also second on the school's all-time list with seven career 100-yard receiving games.
As a senior, Baima put together one of the best seasons for a Bulldog receiver as he caught 63 passes for 1,230 yards and 13 touchdowns. He led the country in receiving yards, and ranked second nationally in receptions and touchdowns on his way to being named a Third-Team All-American. He became the second Bulldog to be selected as the SoCon Player of the Year by the Media.
Daniel John McClannahan, 61, died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 14, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center from heart failure. He was born August 9, 1950, to Gene and Joyce McClannahan in Logan, Iowa. Daniel graduated from West Harrison High School in Mondamin, and earned his bachelor of science in…
www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com
Morningside University Athletics
msidemustangs.com
A key member of Morningside’s 1971 football team that recorded a 7-3 overall record, Dan McClannahan was also highly regarded in Iowa High School football coaching circles. The tight end formerly held a school record with four touchdown receptions in a single game versus Nebraska-Omaha (a 39-14 victory), and signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots. After a stint as an assistant coach at Morningside, he coached for many seasons at Cherokee and Humboldt High Schools, taking six teams into the state football playoffs. He also served as athletic director at Des Moines Hoover High School, was past president of the Iowa Football Coaches Association, and is a member of the IFCA Hall of Fame.
Checkout the latest stats for Henry Matthews. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.
www.pro-football-reference.com
Feb 18, 1981:
Babe Parilli is hired to be the QB coach on Ron Erhardt's staff, replacing John Polonchek.
Babe played 16 years of pro football, with his most success coming as the Pats QB from 1961-67. Parilli began his coaching career as the QB coach for Pittsburgh, from 1971-73. In '74 he was the head coach of the WFL's New York Stars, and was the HC/GM of the WFL's Chicago Wind the following year. After the WFL folded he signed on to Red Miller's Denver Broncos staff, working as their QB coach and going to the super bowl in his first season with Denver. Parilli then left the NFL to go into private business ventures in the Denver area in 1980 before the Patriots lured him back into coaching.
Vito “Babe” Parilli played quarterback for the Patriots from 1961-67 and threw for more than 20,000 yards during his career.
www.patriotshalloffame.com
Feb 18, 1993:
Pats sign OLB
Eddie Sutter, a second-year pro from Northwestern.
Sutter was released before the season began, but did proceed to play in 79 games for the Browns/Ravens and Falcons from 1993-97.
Feb 18, 1994:
Third year backup RFA Scott Zolak is tendered a qualifying offer, and four other players become unrestricted free agents:
DE Brent Williams, WR Greg McMurtry, Mike Pitts and WR Michael Timpson
McMurtry signed with the Rams, Timpson signed with Chicago, while Williams and Pitts re-signed with the Pats.
Feb 18, 1999:
The Patriots sign 38-year old
Lee Johnson to a three-year contract.
The veteran punter played for 2½ years with the Pats, replaced midway through the 2001 season by
Ken Walter.
Johnson played in 259 NFL games, including 37 with the Pats (with an average of 42.3 yards per punt).
Feb 18, 2000:
Rob Ryan is hired as the linebacker coach by new HC Bill Belichick.
The Patriots have completed their coaching staff after hiring Oklahoma State University defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who will now join New England as linebackers coach.
www.patsfans.com
Feb 18, 2002:
The Patriots lose safety
Matt Stevens to Houston in the expansion draft.
Stevens had played in 15 games with four starts for the Pats in the 2001 super bowl season, as well as one game in 2000.
Feb 18, 2009:
The New England Patriots today announced the signing of free agent linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and free agent tight end Brad Listorti.
www.patriots.com
Listorti, 24, was originally signed by the Atlanta Falcons as a rookie free agent from the University of Massachusetts on May 21, 2008. The 6-foot-4-inch, 255-pound tight end was waived by the Falcons on Aug. 11, 2008. During the 2008 season, Listorti had two stints on the New York Jets' practice squad - from Sept. 11-23 and from Oct. 22-Nov. 4.
The Patriots announce the signings of linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and Brad Listorti.
www.boston.com
Banta-Cain, 28, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round (239th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2-inch, 250-pound linebacker played for the Patriots for four seasons from 2003-06, playing in 54 games with five starts over that period. Banta-Cain was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an unrestricted free agent on March 3, 2007, and played for the 49ers for two seasons...
A closer look at the signings of Tully Banta-Cain and Brad Listorti and what they could mean for the Patriots.
www.boston.com
The Patriots are well stocked at outside linebacker, with Adalius Thomas, Mike Vrabel, Pierre Woods (restricted free agent), Shawn Crable, Vince Redd, Darrell Robertson and Angelo Craig on the roster. Banta-Cain adds more competition to the mix, as well as a potential pass-rushing and special teams presence. When Banta-Cain was at his best in New England (2003-2006), he was creating havoc rushing the passer on third down and obvious passing situations (5.5 sacks in his final season). He was not a full-time starter.
Should Banta-Cain emerge and land a roster spot, his presence could add more flexibility with other personnel, such as with Vrabel and/or Thomas moving inside at times in the 3-4 alignment.
TBC not only made the team, he ended up having a pretty good season, playing in all 16 games (10 starts) and registering ten sacks; Mike Wright and Derek Burgess were the next closest, with five sacks each.
Feb 18, 2017:
Tight ends coach
Brian Daboll officially resigns.
He had accepted an offer from Alabama head coach Nick Saban to become the Tide's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Feb 18, 2023:
The Patriots are bringing back McDermott after the veteran started the last six games for New England at right tackle last season.
www.patriots.com
New England started the season by flipping former first-rounder Isaiah Wynn to right tackle, and Wynn struggled with the transition. Then, the Pats brought back Marcus Cannon for a short stint, which also was unsuccessful, and 2019 third-round pick Yodny Cajuste made three starts. Those three struggled with injuries and performance and are now pending free agents, with Cajuste a restricted free agent this offseason.
The right tackle position was a significant weakness in the Patriots offensive line throughout the season. McDermott came in when the team was searching for bodies and proved worthy of a roster spot.
Conor McDermott started the final six games for the Patriots in 2022. Read more on Boston.com.
www.boston.com
McDermott gave the Patriots some decent results, at least relative to expectations. He didn’t give up a sack but allowed 11 pressures over six games. Pro Football Focus was more impressed by McDermott’s run-blocking ability, giving him a 78.9 run-blocking grade over the final six games of the regular season.
McDermott, 30, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After getting cut following the preseason that year, McDermott spent three seasons with the Bills before joining the Jets midway through the 2019 season.
The terms of McDermott’s contract are unknown (2 years, 3.6 million), but the Patriots bringing him back at least gives them another body at the important position. Trent Brown was the only other veteran offensive tackle under contract before Saturday’s news. Wynn’s set to become a free agent when free agency officially opens on March 15.
Many analysts see offensive tackle as arguably the Patriots’ biggest need this offseason. Brown’s inconsistent play at left tackle has left some wondering if he should switch back to right tackle, where he played in 2021, on a full-time basis. In addition to being a free agent, Wynn didn’t seem to take the move from left tackle to right tackle too well in 2022. After a tense exchange when asked how he felt about it, Wynn underperformed during the regular season, getting benched multiples times before suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 11. He was in the final year of his rookie deal.
