Today in Patriots History

Mike the Brit · May 18, 2019

What IPP said! THANK YOU!

I'm amazed at the breadth and depth. Many of these guys were way before my time, of course, but I'm struck by the ones you have dug up who were Patriots when I WAS already following the team of whom I don't have any recollection (Don Jones?)

I remember Andrew Walter, though. I remember thinking when I watched him play for the Raiders that I couldn't remember seeing a more inept NFL quarterback. Then the Patriots signed him, so I assumed, of course, that I must have been wrong. Three weeks later, he was on his way ...

patfanken · May 18, 2019

Mike the Brit said:
What IPP said! THANK YOU!

I'm amazed at the breadth and depth. Many of these guys were way before my time, of course, but I'm struck by the ones you have dug up who were Patriots when I WAS already following the team of whom I don't have any recollection (Don Jones?)

I remember Andrew Walter, though. I remember thinking when I watched him play for the Raiders that I couldn't remember seeing a more inept NFL quarterback. Then the Patriots signed him, so I assumed, of course, that I must have been wrong. Three weeks later, he was on his way ...

And ditto from me.

2 short asides - Butch Songin was so into football that he actually played a few games for the Quincy Giants in 1969. I played defense so I never interacted with him except at practice. He was in his early 40's then.

Bob Dee I knew better. He was a defensive coach and sometimes worked with the LB's

Football was a lot different then. Even in the NFL and AFL, for most players it was more like a part time job. As you noted Dee left football because he had a better business opportunity. Not like now where you can be a 3rd round pick and get a 4 year $10MM contract, and if you fill it, you've set your family up for life. Back then the minimum contracts were in the $14K/yr range for the bottom third of the roster.

BTW- Tommy Heinsohn made MUCH more money in the insurance business than he ever did playing basketball and he was a star. Like I said, different times

Mike the Brit · May 18, 2019

Mike the Brit said:
I'm struck by the ones you have dug up who were Patriots when I WAS already following the team of whom I don't have any recollection (Don Jones?)

Just observed Mr Jones being penalized on Special Teams against the Bengals in 2014 ...

jmt57 · May 19, 2019

Today in Patriots History
He can tell his grandkids about the time
he was above TB12 on the depth chart

Happy 52nd birthday to John Friesz
Born May 19, 1967 in Missoula, Montana
Patriot QB, 1999-2000; uniform #17

Friesz was 32 when he arrived in New England; a career backup with the exception of going 4-12 as the starter for the 1991 Chargers. He got playing time in one 2000 game after Drew Bledsoe jammed his thumb; it didn't go well. An interception on the one-yard line of a 16-13 overtime loss to Buffalo in 2000 brought out the boo-birds, and chants for Michael Bishop. Friesz was 11-21 for 66 yards, no touchdowns and that one pick in what would be his only game with stats for the Patriots. He finished his NFL career with 8,699 passing yards, 45 TD and 42 INT. He was released in February of 2001, desite erroneous reports that claim Tom Brady's ascent up the depth chart was aided by Friesz retiring.

Pretty good column on John Friesz below:
10/31/2010 - Storytelling with John Friesz | The Coeur d'Alene Press

Clad in his New England Patriots uniform at a Monday night football game in 2000, John Friesz' thoughts traveled back home to Coeur d'Alene.

"When I was at the end of my professional career, that's all I could think about was comin' back here to elk hunt in October or deer hunt in November. And here I was playin' football. I'll never forget, it was a Monday night game at the New York Jets. Tom Brady was the fourth-string quarterback and I was the back-up quarterback... It's incredible, the atmosphere. John Madden is there. It's just a huge game... The stadium, literally, you could feel it shaking. And I said to Brady, 'I don't even want to be here. The deer are runnin' back there. They're chasin' the does and that's where I wanna be.' I always knew I was comin' back (to Coeur d'Alene) for sure. And I couldn't wait to do that."

Friesz began his 11-year professional quarterback career with four teams when The San Diego Chargers chose him in the sixth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Prior to the pros, Friesz gained national recognition for his quarterbacking excellence at the University of Idaho. Amongst many accomplishments as a Vandal, Friesz is the university's first inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.

But before the spotlight shone on Friesz as a football star, he was an easy-going North Idaho kid who loved our outdoor paradise and playing sports. Baseball was his first and favorite one.

John Friesz (17), Michael Bishop (7) and Drew Bledsoe (11)

John Friesz (2007) -Hall of Fame - University of Idaho Athletics

Friesz won the 1989 Walter Payton Award as the national player of the year at the NCAA I-AA level, and a three-time All-American, including a first-team honoree each of his final two seasons. Friesz was also a three-time Big Sky Player of the Year. He led the nation in passing yards as a junior and again as a senior and still holds the NCAA I-AA record for consecutive 300-yard passing games (10). Friesz finished his career with 10,697 career passing yards, and when his career was over he ranked third in DI-AA history for career passing yards per game at 305.6. He became a part of Idaho and NCAA history in 2006, when his number 17 was retired at Idaho and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

4/24/1990 - Chargers 'Steal' a Quarterback: NFL draft: They didn't draft John Friesz of Idaho until the sixth-round, but the team's management believes it has made the biggest theft in the 1990 college player market.

"I heard I was high on a lot of draft boards and when I didn't go until the sixth round, it confused me," Friesz said. "It got to the point I didn't know what the rumor was about me or if there was one.

"Several other teams said that they would take me with their second pick, but they didn't think I would still be there. After they didn't pick me on their fifth pick, I got a little confused. Tampa Bay and Seattle called to ask if I was injured or if there was some other problem they didn't know about. I told them, 'Nothing new with me; I'm just waiting.' "

The Chargers were waiting, too, hoping Friesz would fall far enough so that they could draft him. With no choices in the fourth or fifth rounds, they had to sit and hope teams would keep passing him by.

Nine quarterbacks went before Friesz, including Craig Kupp of Pacific Lutheran--who GM Bobby Beathard said he had never even heard of

4/23/1999 - Patriots sign Friesz, send Shaw to Browns | Hartford Courant

The Patriots finally made it official Thursday, announcing quarterback John Friesz had signed a two-year, $1.5 million contract.

The Patriots also announced they had traded running back Sedrick Shaw to the Cleveland Browns for past considerations.

The signing of Friesz (6 feet 4, 223 pounds) signals the end of Scott Zolak's eight-year career with the Patriots. Friesz will back up Drew Bledsoe.

"We wanted to find somebody that had some background in the system," coach Pete Carroll said. "John had that with Washington. We felt we could make a good fit with this."

Friesz, 31, has played 66 games, starting 38, in nine seasons with the Redskins, Chargers and Seahawks. He has 8,633 career yards and a .547 completion percentage, with 45 touchdowns and 41 interceptions.

In 1998, Friesz played five games with Seattle. In his only start, he completed 14 of 21 passes for 234 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown, in a 27-20 victory over San Diego.

"We liked the way he came off the bench last year in a couple of games," Carroll said. "I would think he can give us an upgrade at the spot."

Michael Bishop, a seventh-round draft pick from Kansas State, is expected to be the other quarterback on next season's roster.

2/22/2001 - Friesz, two others released | Patriots.com

The New England Patriots released backup quarterback John Friesz and linebackers Olrick Johnson and Marc Megna Thursday.

Last season Friesz played in the Patriots 16-13 loss to Buffalo in Week 10 when Bledsoe left the game with a thumb injury. Friesz completed 11-of-21 passes for 61 yards, threw one interception and was sacked three times. In his only other appearance, which came in Week Eight of 1999, he played the final 5:25 of New England 27-3 win over Arizona, but he did not attempt a pass.

One other pro football player born today with a New England connection:

Norm Harvey (5/19/1899 - 12/24/1941)
LT/E/C/G for the 1928-29 Providence Steamroller.

jmt57 · May 20, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Jim Whalen

Happy birthday to Jim Whalen
Born May 20, 1943 in Cambridge, MA
Died December 18, 2012 at the age of 69
Patriot TE, 1965-1969; uniform #82
Pats third round (23rd overall) selection of the 1965 draft, from Boston College

Whalen was a local guy, a graduate of Cambridge Latin and Boston College. At the time he was the number one pass receiver in BC history with 73 career receptions, and while there he also lettered in both hockey and baseball.

July 18, 1969: Pats receivers Jim Whalen, Art Graham, and Barry Gallup all hailed from BC

During his five years with the Pats he led the team in receptions (153) and receiving yards (2,487). In 1968 Whalen was the team's MVP, a consensus all-league selection and led the Patriots in receptions (47), receiving yards (718) and touchdowns (7). That marked the first time a Patriot was a first team All-Pro, sharing the position with Baltimore legend John Mackey. Jim Whalen is a member of the Patriots All-Decade Team for the 1960s, and as a bit of trivia he is the only person to catch three touchdowns in a game at Alumni Stadium at both the college level and pro level.

Jim Whalen:

Despite playing his entire career during the shorter 14-game season and largely for teams that ranked at or near the bottom in passing, Whalen's accomplishments still compare favorably in today's offense-oriented game. He is one of only four Patriot tight ends (Russ Francis, Ben Coates and Rob Gronkowski) to string together three consecutive seasons of 500+ yards receiving (he had another with the Denver Broncos), and one of only three (Coates, Gronkowski) to record 650+ yards in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, Whalen's Patriot career yards per reception average of 16.3 ranks first among all Patriot tight ends and sixth all-time among all Patriot receivers, wide outs included (minimum of 150 career receptions).

His career average of 16.0 per catch (inclusive of his time with the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles) as a tight end is outstanding and ranks in the top ten in the history of professional football (minimum of 150 receptions). Five of Whalen's 20 career touchdowns were for 40 or more yards. Whalen still also holds the Patriots tight end records for longest reception (87 yards), longest touchdown reception (87 yards) and most touchdown receptions in a single game (3, tied with Gronk).

Furthermore, Whalen protected the ball exceptionally well, fumbling just twice in his career. Through the end of the 2010 season, only one tight end in history (Andrew Glover) had fewer career fumbles than Whalen while catching as many passes.

Had a career game high of 134 yards receiving (against the Miami Dolphins in 1967), and is one of only five Patriot tight ends (Coates, Hasselbeck, Gronkowski and Hernandez) to record at least four career 100 yard receiving games.

Whalen's accomplishments also compare favorably to those of his peers during his time in professional football. The All AFL Hall-Of-Fame, First Team All-1960's Team tight end is Fred Arbanas. Catching passes from Hall-Of-Fame quarterback Len Dawson, Arbanas caught 198 balls for 3,101 yards, a career 15.7 yards per catch average, 34 touchdowns while fumbling 4 times in 118 games. Whalen's career line is 197 catches for 3,155 yards, a career 16.0 yards per catch average, 20 touchdowns while fumbling twice in 89 games. By comparison, during his career Whalen caught touchdown passes from Babe Parilli, Don Trull, Mike Taliaferro, Tom Sherman and Pete Liske. He also lined up with Steve Tensi, Alan Pastrana, Steve Ramsey and Don Horn in the quarterback position.

Jim Whalen, 69: tight end for Boston College and Boston Patriots

When Jim Whalen was a three-sport athlete at what was then Cambridge High and Latin School, he liked to talk with John “Snooks” Kelley, a social studies teacher who also was Boston College’s hockey coach. He visited the campus with Kelley and was awarded a partial athletic scholarship.

Mr. Whalen never caught a pass while playing high school football, but once he was moved to tight end the first day of practice at BC in 1961, his college career took off.

A two-time All-East selection, Mr. Whalen was chosen for the 1965 Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game, and he went on to play professionally for seven seasons, the first five with the Boston Patriots.

Happy 76th birthday to John Huarte
Born May 20, 1943 in Anaheim, CA
Patriot QB, 1966-1967; uniform #7

Huarte won the Heisman Trophy in 1964 while at Notre Dame. He was a 2nd round pick by the Jets in '65 and a career backup in the pros. In two seasons backing up Babe Parilli, Huarte completed 8 out of 20 passes with no TDs and two picks.

d2034807c1ff186e7e7de75324fce15f--stone-tiles-glass-tiles.jpg

Actual Pats Fan · May 20, 2019

jmt57 said:
Five of Whalen's 20 career touchdowns were for 40 or more yards.

Jim knew what to do once he caught the ball, and he took it the distance as well as any of the many great tight ends we've been blessed to have.

And, lest Who-Said-So lovers (as usual) be hypocritical, Whalen indeed had the least heralded or at least the least prolific quarterbacks passing the ball to him.

Perhaps the last of the old Boston Patriots who should be, but isn't in the team Hall.

jmt57 · May 21, 2019

Today in Patriots History
A couple of draft busts

Happy 42nd birthday to Adrian Klemm
Born May 21, 1977 in Inglewood, CA
Patriot OL, 2000-2004; uniform #70
Pats 2nd round (46th overall) selection of the 2000 draft, from Hawaii

Q: Who was the first player drafted by GM/HC Bill Belichick?
A: Adrian Klemm

Klemm began his rookie season on PUP, then was able to play five games (with four starts). After spending the entire 2001 season on IR, he did play in every 2002 game - as a backup, with three starts. In 2003 Klemm played in three games, then two in '04 before going on IR. Four seasons, 26 games with ten starts. After that it was one season with the Packers, and his pro football career was over.

The collection of three super bowl rings was put to good use though. Klemm used that as a talking point after being hired by June Jones as a coach at SMU, and he became one of the nation's top college recruiters. Klemm moved on to UCLA with similar recruiting success, though it should be pointed out that his tactics resulted in an NCAA infraction - and his offensive line that was one of the team's biggest weaknesses.

Klemm has recently been hired as an offensive line coach for the Steelers. It is interesting to note how the Pittsburgh papers portray Klemm as being a player that who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots - even though he never dressed for a single playoff game.

Klemm said, “The Super Bowl rings definitely open some doors. The kids don’t always know, but the coaches who follow football know my background. It shouldn’t be like this, but what I say carries more weight. They perceive me to know a little more. It’s an advantage when I recruit.”

Happy 37th birthday to Guss Scott
Born May 21, 1982 in Jacksonville, FL
Patriot safety, 2004-2006; uniform #29
Pats 3rd round (95th overall) selection of the 2004 draft, from Florida

Scott suffered a knee injury as a rookie in a 2004 preseason game against the Bengals. Perhaps that was the root cause of what was a very inauspicious pro football career. After spending all of of '04 on IR, the former Gator was on the field for just five games with two starts in '05, after Rodney Harrison went on IR.

The Patriots released Scott as part of final roster cuts on September 2, 2006. That season Scott played in five games with the Texans, and also spent time on the practice squads of the Jets and Dolphins. The Pats re-signed Scott to their own practice squad on December 12, then released him again a week later. He played in 11 NFL games (six with the Patriots, and collected a ring from Super Bowl 39.

3/29/2006 - Patriots Re-sign S Guss Scott | Patriots.com

Scott, 23, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round (95th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft after earning all-conference honors as a senior at Florida. The 5-foot-10-inch, 205-pound defender sustained a knee injury during the preseason his rookie year and was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 30, 2004. He appeared in the first five games of the 2005 season for the Patriots, his last two as a starter, before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the 2005 season.

In his final appearance, he started at safety in Atlanta and finished the game tied with a team-leading seven solo tackles, including a drive stopping hit on Alge Crumpler on a third-and-two play in the third quarter of a Patriots 31-28 victory. He was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 19, 2005 after totaling 19 tackles, including 16 solos, and five special teams stops in five games.

12/12/2006 - Patriots release WR Doug Gabriel; Sign DB Justin Phinisee and S Guss Scott to practice squad | Patriots.com

Scott, 24, was drafted by the Patriots in the third round (95th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-10-inch, 205-pound safety has played in 10 career games with two starts and has recorded 30 career tackles (23 solo). As a rookie in 2004, Scott missed the entire season due to a knee injury. Last season, the Florida product played in five games with two starts for the Patriots, recording 19 tackles (16 solo) before being placed on injured reserve on Oct. 19, 2005.

Scott was with New England for its 2006 training camp, but was released on Sept. 2, 2006 and signed with the Houston Texans the following day. He played in five of the first 10 games of the 2006 season for Houston, recording 11 tackles (7 solo), before being released on Nov. 21. He was signed by the New York Jets on Nov. 23, but was released on Nov. 29 and did not appear in a game for New York.

Scott now the Senior Vice President of Pro Impact Sports, "a Jax, FL non-profit organization aimed at assisting the local H.S. talent achieve their dreams of playing football at the next level."

One other pro football player born today with a New England connection:
- Randal Williams (5/21/1978) went to Deerfield Academy and UNH.

He was a special teamer who played a bit at WR, TE and FS. Thanks to a slow scoreboard clock operator, Williams is credited with the fastest touchdown in league history: an onside kick recovery for a touchdown that officially took only three seconds.

Announcer's nightmare:
- Happy birthday to **** Folk (May 21, 1915), a fullback from the late thirties.
Apologies for not googling his name, I don't want to know where the links that may follow would lead.

jmt57 · May 22, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Julian Edelman

Congratulations on the daily double: a birthday and a two-year contract extension.

Happy 33rd birthday to Julian Edelman
Born May 22, 1986 in Redwood City, California
Patriot WR/PR/DB, 2009-present; uniform #11
Pats 7th round (232nd overall) selection of the 2009 draft, from Kent State

- Caught the winning touchdown in Super Bowl 49 with 2:06 to play.
- Holds the career postseason franchise record for receptions with 115, which ranks second-most in NFL history behind only Jerry Rice.
- Holds the career postseason franchise record for most games with 100+ yards receiving with six.
- Holds the franchise record for longest punt return (94 yards).
- Holds the career franchise record with four punt return touchdowns.
- Holds the career franchise record in punt return average (minimum 75) at 11.2 yards per return.
- Holds the career franchise record for most rushing attempts by a WR with 48.
- Holds the career franchise record for most rushing yards by a WR with 364.
- Holds the franchise record for longest rush by a WR (47 yards vs Colts in 2012).
- Is one of only three players in club history with 100 catches in a single season.
- Is one of only three players in club history with consecutive seasons with 90+ receptions.
- Is one of only six players in club history with multiple seasons with 1,000+ yards receiving.
- Three-time Superbowl champion has been in 18 playoff games (13-5 record).
- Ranks fifth in team history with 499 receptions.
- Ranks 7th in team history with 5,390 receiving yards.
- Ranks 10th in team history with 30 receiving touchdowns.
- Ranks third in team history with 177 punt returns.
- Ranks third in team history with 1,986 punt return yards.
- Holds NFL postseason record for longest pass completion by a non-QB (51 yard TD to Danny Amendola vs Baltimore in AFC Divisional game, 1/10/2015).
- Ranks second in NFL history with 1,412 career postseason yards receiving.

jmt57 · May 22, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Sergio 'thrown out of the club' Brown,
and other May 22 birthdays

Happy 80th birthday to Don 'Spider' Webb
Born May 22, 1939 in Jefferson City, Missouri
Patriot CB/S, 1961-1971; uniform #48 ('61) and #42 ('62-'71)
Pats 24th round (186th overall) selection of the 1961 draft, from Iowa State

bd9f59d6285cd0737ff74b34ede39939--football-cards-patriots.jpg

Don Webb intercepted five passes as a rookie, and in a 41-0 shutout over the Chargers he scored two touchdowns: one on a blocked punt return and another on a 31-yard pick-six. Webb then unfortunately missed the entire 1963 campaign due to a knee injury that occurred just prior to the start of the season. In '67 he moved from starting left corner to safety, and was an All-Star in 1969. Overall Don Webb played in 134 games for the Patriots, with 21 interceptions. He is a member of the Patriots All-Decade Team for the 1960s at safety.

Jefferson City man reminisces on pro-football career

Going into the 2016 season, Webb still ranked 11th in team history with 21 interceptions, according to Patriots records.

Webb remembers many of the players on those teams, including Nick Buoniconti, an all-league linebacker who has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

"They were tough guys," he said. "My foot speed was probably the secret to my longevity. I was the fastest guy on the team."

Webb used the money he earned as a player to help his family back in Jefferson City. ...

Happy 48th birthday to Corey Croom
Born May 22, 1971 in Sandusky, Ohio
Patriot RB, 1993-1995; uniform #26

The Patriots signed Croom as an undrafted rookie in 1993 out of Ball State. He was initially cut at the end of training camp and signed to the practice squad, then signed to the regular roster on September 19. Croom was primarily a special teamer, also gaining 293 yards from scrimmage with one TD as a backup to Leonard Russell.

In '94 Croom led the Pats in rushing (33 carries, 159 yards, 4.8 ypc) in the preseason, but he did not get a single touch that year - despite the mediocre production at RB from Marion Butts and Leroy Thompson. Croom did play in every game on special teams in '94, and in '95 he appeared in 13 games, getting his hands on the ball in three of those games as a backup to Curtis Martin. Croom finished with 352 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown over three seasons with the Pats. He later signed with Philly but did not make their roster.

1/31/2015: Once a Patriot, always a Patriot | Sandusky Register

“I think of the turnaround,” said Croom. “Before we got there, they weren’t one of the better teams in the league. I came there with coach (Bill) Parcells and he really started the turnaround with quality players and quality coaches.”

Croom signed as an undrafted free agent in 1993 after rushing for 3,500 yards in three season at Sandusky and a record-setting career at Ball State University. ....

Croom, who has been coaching Sandusky football players since 1999, now watches the game with a vantage point the average fan never sees.

“I really watch and put myself in certain situations as a player and as a coach,” he said. “I think of the different ways to execute plays and I applaud the players when they do certain things to take advantage of a defense.

“For instance, a couple of weeks ago, the Patriots played Baltimore and they were doing things with different formations. It was smart because they were having problems getting off the ball and with their spacing, but they found a wrinkle they could use and it was highly successful.”

Croom now watches the Patriots now as a fan and will be rooting for them in Super Bowl XLIX.

“I’m still a fan and take price in being part of that organization,” he said. “I attribute a lot of their success to being coached extremely well and getting the right players into the system. A lot of them aren’t superstars or big money guys, but they know how to get in and work the system and they know how to execute.”

Happy 31st birthday to Sergio Brown
Born May 22, 1988 in Maywood, Illinois
Patriot safety, 2010-2011; uniform #38 (2010) and #31 (2011)

The Pats signed Brown as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame in 2010. He was signed to the practice squad after being waived during final cuts. Six weeks later Brown was promoted to the active roster and forced to fill in due to the release of both Brandon Meriweather and James Sanders at safety. Not surprisingly he was in over his head, thrust into that position too soon. Brown was let go during final roster cuts prior to the start of the 2012 season. He is perhaps most well known for being thrown out of the club by Gronk after he became an Indianapolis Colt.

Happy 37th birthday to Alex Smith
Born May 22, 1982 in Denver
Patriot TE, 2009 (offseason); uniform #80

A third round pick by Tampa Bay in 2005, the Pats acquired Smith from the Bucs in exchange for a 2010 fifth round draft pick a few days after the 2009 draft. Smith was one of two would-be pass catchers acquired in exchange for a draft pick (WR Greg Lewis from Philadelphia being the other) that did not survive final roster cuts. That was the same year several veterans were signed as free agents with very mixed results (Joey Galloway, Fred Taylor, Shawn Springs, Chris Baker, Leigh Bodden, Paris Lenon, Brandon McGowan, Tully Banta-Cain).

4/30/2009 - Patriots acquire TE Alex Smith from Tampa Bay | Patriots.com

Despite being cut by the Pats, Smith spent seven more seasons in the NFL, mostly with Cleveland. He has been working as a pro scout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since retiring from pro football.

Patriots training camp: Day 11 - Patriots tight end Alex Smith fends off linebacker Adalius Thomas during Sunday's lone practice at Gillette Stadium.

Other pro football players with New England area connections:
- Tony Holm (5/22/1908); FB for the 1930 Providence Steamroller.
- George Sergienko (5/22/1918); western Mass native went to Chicopee High School and AIC; he was the LT for the 1945 Boston Yanks.
- Frank Santora (5/22/1926); QB for the 1944 Boston Yanks.
- Marcus Dupree (5/22/1964); RB for the USFL Boston Breakers.

Marcus Dupree, the best that never was, is happy and hustling

jmt57 · May 23, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Larry Garron

Happy 82nd birthday to Larry Garron
Born May 23, 1937 in Marks, Mississippi
Patriot RB/KR, 1960-1968; uniform #40

Larry Garron went to Western Illinois, leading the Leathernecks to three consecutive NAIA Conference championships. He intended to go to medical school, but his college coach - Lou Saban - invited Garron to tryout for his new team in the inaugural American Football League season. After battling tonsillitis and injuries Garron did not initially make the roster, but did proceed to get in on four games in the 1960 season.

Alumni Spotlight: Larry Garron | Patriots.com

“We were the last team in the league to develop,” said Garron. “[The other teams] said we were a rag-a-muffin team, not knowing that in our minds we wanted to be as good as anyone out there.”

Another of the original AFL teams was the Buffalo Bills, and the Patriots-Bills rivalry was born immediately.

“It was always rough,” said Garron, recalling the early AFL matchups between the two teams. “Not only on the field but off the field. I remember the locker room; we always got nervous when we went there, because kids would break into the locker room and take things.”

The fans in the stands weren’t any warmer to the upstart Patriots, who beat the Bills in Buffalo in the first-ever AFL preseason exhibition.

“Sitting on the bench on the field, the spectators were right behind you,” said Garron. “Lou Saban told us to keep our helmets on, but we didn’t know why.”

“All of the sudden we had beer bottles flying out of the stands at us, and we were going ‘Ok. Now we know what he was talking about.’”

Garron added weight to his frame in the offseason and it paid dividends. In 1961 Garron shared rushing duties with Billy Lott and Ron Burton, averaged 5.6 yards per carry, scored five touchdowns and was named to his first All-Star team.

In the Patriots 1961 home meeting with the Bills, Garron raced 85 yards for a touchdown on a draw play. That dash remains the longest rushing play in Patriots history. He totaled 116 yards on 10 carries in that game, forging an 11.6-yard rushing average that was a Patriots single-game record when he retired. And that average didn’t even include his 80-plus-yard kickoff return that day.

For an encore Garron averaged 5.9 yards per carry in 1962, and scored the second touchdown of his career on a kickoff return. His all-purpose yardage increased from 1,168 yards to 1,314, despite missing three games due to injury.

In 1963 Garron's workload increased. He averaged 16.1 yards on 26 receptions with two touchdowns, while also more than doubling his amount of carries. Garron had a career-high 1,168 yards from scrimmage, and led the AFL with 1,884 all-purpose yards. He was a major factor in the AFL East title game. Twice his receptions (59 yards and 17 yards) set up field goals, as the Patriots won their first playoff game in team history, 26-8 at Buffalo.

In 99 games with the Patriots, Garron scored 42 touchdowns (8th most in team history) and totaled 5,483 yards from scrimmage (10th most in team history). After all these years Garron still ranks ninth all-time in team history with 2,981 yards rushing. When he retired he held the team record for yards per rush in a single game (11.6), which occured on the same day he ran a kickoff back 80 yards. Larry Garron still holds the Patriot record for longest rush (85 yards).

Larry Garron was a four-time AFL All-Star, the team MVP in 1963, member of the Patriots All-AFL, All-Decade Team of the 1960s, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame. His 5.9 yards per carry in '62 is still a franchise record. Garron ranks third among all-time AFL players in career all-purpose yards gained (7,805), third on average kickoff return yardage (25.8), and second for career kickoff return touchdowns.

For more, please check out these articles:

Two former Patriots recall the team's first season | The Boston Globe

Former Patriot player tells Clinton students of mid-'60s boycott over racism | Worcester Telegram

Larry Garron: From offense to self-defense | boston.com

Larry Garron: Patriots Alumni

Happy 45th birthday to Duane Starks
Born May 23, 1974 in Miami
Patriot CB, 2005; uniform #23

After losing Ty Law in free agency, the Patriots traded a third round pick for Starks, who had been the tenth overall pick in the 1998 draft. After seven very underwhelming games he was placed on IR with a shoulder injury, and released the following February.

Happy 53rd birthday to Jeff Carlson
Born May 23, 1966 in Long Beach, CA
Patriot QB, 1992; uniform #17

Carlson was one of four (Hugh Millen, Tommy Hodson, Scott Zolak) players to start at quarterback during **** MacPherson's second year as head coach in Foxboro. The former Weber State Wildcat started the final two games (both losses), completing 37% of his passes with one touchdown and three picks.

In the final game of the season against Miami, Carlson took a bad sack that took the Patriots out of range for what could have been a game-winning field goal. It was just as well though, because that loss gave the Pats the tiebreaker over Seattle for the first pick in the 1993 draft, and New England ended up with Drew Bledsoe rather than Rick Mirer. On a side note, both wins that season came when MacPherson was hospitalized, and Dante Scarnecchia took over head coaching duties.

Happy 57th birthday to Tom Toth
Born May 23, 1962 in Blue Island, Illinois
Patriot guard, 1985
Pats 4th round (102nd overall) selection of the 1985 draft, from Western Michigan

Toth never made it with the Pats, but he did play for five seasons with the Dolphins.

Other pro football players with New England area connections born today:
Bruce Laird, 69 (May 23, 1950)
Went to Scituate High School and AIC in Springfield.
Laird was named to the Pro Bowl his rookie season when he led the NFL with 303 punt return yards. He played in 164 games with 127 starts at strong safety over twelve seasons, mostly with the Baltimore Colts, accumulating 19 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries.

Donnie Fletcher, 29 (May 23, 1990)
The CB went to Boston College, and was with the Jets for a while in 2012. He later spent a couple seasons in the arena league.

Reggie Rust (May 23, 1909)
Tailback for the 1932 Boston Braves.

Best Football Name Born Today:
Peaches Nadolney (May 23, 1899); a guard for the Packers and Milwaukee Badgers in the '20s.

Also, posthumous happy birthday wishes to my father, who was born on May 23, 1922.

jmt57 · May 24, 2019

Today in Patriots History

I could not find much of anything notable for May 24, other than being an excuse to re-watch the Patriots come back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat the Broncos.

Happy 33rd birthday to Tony Carter
Born May 24, 1986 in Tallahassee, FL
Patriot CB, 2010; uniform #29

After being waived-injured by Denver, the Pats signed Carter to their practice squad in early September of 2010. When Jonathan Wilhite was placed on IR with a hip injury, Carter was promoted to the 53-man roster in mid-December. The former Florida State Seminole appeared in two of those three final regular season games, with a final stat line consisting of one tackle.

The Pats released Carter just prior to the start of the 2011 training camp. He later re-signed with Denver and is most well known for an unfortunate gaffe in November of 2013. The Patriots rallied from a 24-0 deficit in week 12 against the Broncos to force overtime, and then the Pats were forced to punt. Wes Welker - at this point a Denver Bronco - was the return man. Carter was also on Denver's return unit, and Welker made a very late call that he would not catch the punt, alerting the return team to clear away from the ball. By that time Carter was too close, the ball bounced and hit him, and Nate Ebner recovered. The play set up a 34-31 game-winning field goal by Stephen Gostkowski to cap the comeback.

Classic Manning face at 4:02 and 4:48

Tony Carter played in 45 NFL games from 2009 to 2015. He scored three touchdowns, two on fumble returns and one on an interception.

Happy 48th birthday to Troy Barnett
Born May 24, 1971 in Jacksonville, NC
Patriot DE, 1994-1996; uniform #98

Barnett was a walk-on at UNC and also made an NFL (Pats) roster as an undrafted rookie. He was the Pats starting DE in '95 and overall appeared in 31 games for New England, with 15 starts. Bill Parcells called him 'technology' for his prowess in that area, which served him well in his post-NFL career.

Troy Barnett: Gladiator, Fixer, Computer Geek

Barnett was one of the first active players to take advantage of the NFL’s Career Internship at Reebok International for two off seasons. Without any formal education or training in Information Technology (IT), Barnett developed a passion for working with computers during his internship experience.

Determination and work ethic–two skills developed through playing football–helped Barnett transform into a competent IT professional. Legendary coach Bill Parcells admired Barnett’ s commitment and nicknamed him “laptop.” Barnett’s willingness to work as an intern during the NFL offseason paid off as evidenced by Reebok offering him a full-time job in IT immediately following his retirement from football. From 1998 to 2006 Barnett climbed the ladder in various roles at Reebok.

He moved to rival company Under Armour in 2007 and currently serves as the Senior Director of Corporate Services/Business Relationship Management (BRM) Lead. Barnett supports 5 corporate service functional areas and is blazing a trail as a “fixer” in IT.

Expert contribution | Troy Barnett | CIO Review

Other pro football players born May 24 with New England area connections:

Zak DeOssie, 35 (5/24/84)
Zak was born in North Andover, went to Phillips Andover Academy and then Brown University. This DeOssie was a player many New England fans thought would end up being a Patriot, like his father Steve.

Tom Lynch, 62 (5/24/55)
Lynch grew up on the south shore, attending Whitman-Hanson High School and Boston College. He was a 2nd round pick by Seattle in '77 and played guard for the Seahawks and Bills from 1977-84.
Tom Lynch | Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame
Tom Lynch | Certified Financial Planner

Al Cannava, 93 (5/24/24)
Al grew up in Medford and went to Boston College. The HB/DB got in to one game for the Packers in 1950.

Swede Youngstrom (5/24/1897)
Swede grew up in Waltham and went to Dartmouth College. He was an offensive lineman for several teams in the twenties, playing in 96 games.

May 24 is also the birth date of Derrick Gaffney, Jabbar's father.

jmt57 · May 25, 2019

Today in Patriots History
KOC and other 5/25 birthdays

Happy 34th birthday to Kevin O'Connell
Born May 25, 1985 in Knoxville, Tennessee
Patriot QB, 2008; uniform #5
Pats third round (94th overall) selection of the 2008 draft, from San Diego State

KOC was drafted as a likely successor in the backup QB role to Matt Cassel, who would become a free agent in 2009. O'Connell appeared in two 2008 games, going 4/6 for 23 yards, but did not make it out of training camp in 2009. In a preseason week three loss to Washington, Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a pair of touchdown passes before leaving with a shoulder injury on a hit by Albert Haynesworth. O'Connell came in and proceeded to complete five of his ten passes: three to fellow Patriots, and two to players on the opposing defense. Undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer and veteran free agent Andrew Walter both outperformed O'Connell in training camp and preseason games, and KOC was KO'd, unceremoniously released without a final chance of redemption prior to the fourth preseason game.

Kevin+O+connell+Baltimore+Ravens+v+New+England+6LKUOs07a63l.jpg

Over the next four years O'Connell spent time with the Lions, Jets, Dolphins, Jets again, and Chargers. Other than being named captain for a game against the Patriots (a typical Rex Ryan failure in psychology), O'Connell never appeared on the field in another NFL game. He is now in his third year of coaching in the NFL: he was the quarterbacks coach for the Browns in 2015, a SF coaching assistant in 2016, and since then has been with the Redskins. KOC was Washington's quarterbacks coach in 2017, passing game coordinator and QB coach in 2018, and has been promoted to their Offensive Coordinator for the 2019 season. Ironically he replaces another former Patriot QB, Matt Cavanaugh, as Washington's OC. Cavanaugh was demoted to senior offensive assistant.

Redskins promote Kevin O'Connell to offensive coordinator, keeping a rising star on their staff

Happy 59th birthday to Sean Farrell
Born May 25, 1960 in Southampton, NY
Patriot LG, 1987-1989; uniform #62

Farrell was an accidental first round pick by Tampa Bay in 1982, and started at right guard for the Buccaneers for five seasons. Tired of losing for miserly Hugh Culverhouse, Farrell's request to get out of Tampa was granted as the Pats traded draft picks for his rights. He started 43 games at right guard for the Pats before shoulder surgery kept him on the injured reserve list for most of 1990. The Patriots attempted to reactivate him but in doing so exposed him to waivers, and Denver claimed him.

Sean Farrell played in 123 NFL games with 106 starts from 1982 to 1992, plus three playoff games.

A Helping Hand Is Offered to Battered NFL Veterans

Sean Farrell Joins Advest as Divisional Manager; Former New England Patriot Will Lead Newly Created Eastern Seaboard Division

June 14, 2004--Advest, Inc., a member of The MONY Group Inc. (NYSE:MNY), has announced that Sean Farrell has been named Divisional Manager for the firm's new Eastern Seaboard Division. He joins Advest from Prudential/Wachovia Securities, where he served most recently as vice president and complex manager. Before entering the securities industry in 1993, Mr. Farrell enjoyed a distinguished professional football career, including a stint with the New England Patriots.

Happy 70th birthday to Donnell Smith
Born May 25, 1949 in Lakeland, Florida
Patriot DE, 1973-1974; uniform #65

Smith appeared in 21 games for the Pats in a backup and special teams role for Chuck Fairbanks. After his time with the Patriots he played for the Southern California Sun in the World Football League. Smith was originally a 5th round draft pick from Southern University by the Packers in 1971.

Southern football's unique 1969 team produced some of the school's greatest players

A total of 10 future NFL players played on the 1969 Southern team, and 45 years later, that list as just as impressive as it was then: Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount, six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Isiah Robertson, four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Harold Carmichael, two-time Pro Bowl defensive back Ken Ellis, defensive back Ray Jones, defensive tackle Jim Osborne, wide receiver Lew Porter, defensive lineman Alden Roche, defensive end Donnell Smith and wide receiver Jubilee Dunbar.

Happy 74th birthday to Tom Fussell
Born May 25, 1945 in Cleveland
Patriot DE, 1967; uniform #83
Pats 8th round (206th overall) selection of the 1967 draft, from LSU

Fussell played in 12 games with four starts while with the Patriots. He grew up in Baton Rouge and represented LSU in the 1966 East-West Shrine Game.

Happy birthday to Kent Carter
Born May 25, 1950 in Los Angeles
Died December 12, 2010 at the age of 60
Patriot LB, 1974; uniform #51

Carter was a late (422nd overall) draft pick by the Cardinals in 1972 out of USC. He played in two games for the Pats in '74. Carter later became an officer in the LAPD, and died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 60.

Happy 51st birthday to Shawn Bouwens
Born May 25, 1968 in Lincoln, Nebraska
Patriot guard, 1990 (offseason)
Pats 9th round (226th overall) selection out of Nebraska Wesleyan in the 1990 draft

The Division 3 prospect never made it with the Pats, but did play for five years in the NFL with Detroit and Jacksonville, getting into 73 games with 42 starts.

Other pro football players born May 25 with New England area connections:

Jerome Cunningham, 28 (May 25, 1991)
Cunningham was born and raised in Waterbury CT, attending Crosby High School.
The tight end has been with the Giants, Titans and Lions.

Frank Morris (5/25/1918 - 10/16/1988)
Born in Newton, Morris went to high school at Our Lady's (Newton Catholic), and then Boston University.
Fullback for the Chicago Bears in 1942.

Bob Haas (5/25/1906)
Haas is the one and only Worcester State University alum to play in the NFL.
He was a single wing back for the 1929 Dayton Triangles.

Archie Golembeski (5/25/1900 - 3/9/1976)
Golembeski went to Worcester Classical High School and was an All-East All-Star at Holy Cross.
He played guard, end and center for the Providence Steam Roller in the twenties, then was the Steam Rollers head coach in 1925. Archie was also the first basketball coach at Providence College.

Since today is also Brian Urlacher's birthday it is appropriate to finish with this video:

jmt57 · May 26, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Slow Offseason

It's a slow offseason this time of year, and a slow day for birthdays too.

Happy 36th birthday to Mark Anderson
Born May 26, 1983 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Patriot DE, 2011; uniform #95

Anderson had twelve sacks as a rookie for the Bears in 2006, but was unable to repeat that productivity over the next four seasons. The Patriots took a flyer and signed him as a veteran free agent. Anderson far exceeded the low expectations fans had for him.

In 2011 Anderson had ten sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, and played in every game. In Super Bowl 46 he had five tackles and one and a half sacks.

A few weeks later the Bills signed Anderson early in free agency to a four-year $20 million contract; he played only five games for Buffalo, landing on IR and then being released the following off season. He never played another down in the NFL after that.

Mark Anderson finished his NFL career with 98 games played over seven seasons, with 25 starts. he had 36½ sacks, 175 tackles (132 solo), 58 QB hits, 41 tackles for a loss, 7 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 10 pass deflections. He played in six playoff games with his teams going 4-2, with 15 tackles and seven quarterback hits.

Over the course of his eight-season NFL career Anderson made $13,380,550. More than half of that amount, $8,000,000, was paid in that final season in Buffalo.

7/23/2013 Buffalo Bills admit they made a mistake in signing Mark Anderson | espn

Happy 41st birthday to Maugaula 'Ula' Tuitele
Born May 26, 1978 in Torrance, California
Patriot LB, 2000-2002
Uniform #96 ('00), #47 ('01), #59 ('02)

The Colorado State special teamer was the original Ventrone during his tenure with the Patriots. When he wasn't being cut or re-signed, Tuitele did manage to get in to five games over three seasons with the Pats. Tuitele also played for the Rhein Fire for one season, making the All-NFL Europe Team.

9/1/2002 Tuitele Sweats It Out On Cut Down Day | Hartford Courant

"Every day I come to work, I worry," Tuitele said. "I'm nervous."

It's either be nervous or numb. The Patriots cut Tuitele like Martha Stewart cuts greens for her salad. NFL rules mandate teams cut their rosters to 53 by today, and if it happens to Tuitele, it won't be a unique experience.

"I don't know if I've got enough fingers and toes," Tuitele said when asked how many times he has received the dreaded tap on the shoulder. The Patriots media guide lists 16 times the former Colorado State star has been signed or released, including one brief appearance the last week of the 2001 season on the Buccaneers practice squad. In two seasons, he has appeared in two regular season games and made one tackle.

Why did he return to the Patriots this summer?

"They were the only ones who called me," he said.

...

And when starting middle linebacker Tedy Bruschi sustained a knee injury Aug. 23 early in an exhibition victory over Carolina, Tuitele got a lot of playing time and responded with a team-high 11 tackles. Against the Redskins, he had an interception. Bruschi says Tuitele, 6 feet 1, 253 pounds, has been the Patriots' best linebacker in training camp.

One other pro football player born today with a New England connection:

John McCormick (born May 26, 1937)
The Belmont native went to Boston College and then UMass. McCormick was the Vikings punter in 1962 and a backup QB with Denver from 1963-68. In his first start the Broncos scored 50 points, a team record that would stand for 51 years.

italian pat patriot · May 27, 2019

jmt57 said:
Today in Patriots History
Larry Garron

Happy 82nd birthday to Larry Garron
Born May 23, 1937 in Marks, Mississippi
Patriot RB/KR, 1960-1968; uniform #40

Larry Garron went to Western Illinois, leading the Leathernecks to three consecutive NAIA Conference championships. He intended to go to medical school, but his college coach - Lou Saban - invited Garron to tryout for his new team in the inaugural American Football League season. After battling tonsillitis and injuries Garron did not initially make the roster, but did proceed to get in on four games in the 1960 season.

Alumni Spotlight: Larry Garron | Patriots.com

“We were the last team in the league to develop,” said Garron. “[The other teams] said we were a rag-a-muffin team, not knowing that in our minds we wanted to be as good as anyone out there.”

Another of the original AFL teams was the Buffalo Bills, and the Patriots-Bills rivalry was born immediately.

“It was always rough,” said Garron, recalling the early AFL matchups between the two teams. “Not only on the field but off the field. I remember the locker room; we always got nervous when we went there, because kids would break into the locker room and take things.”

The fans in the stands weren’t any warmer to the upstart Patriots, who beat the Bills in Buffalo in the first-ever AFL preseason exhibition.

“Sitting on the bench on the field, the spectators were right behind you,” said Garron. “Lou Saban told us to keep our helmets on, but we didn’t know why.”

“All of the sudden we had beer bottles flying out of the stands at us, and we were going ‘Ok. Now we know what he was talking about.

Awesome memories...

jmt57 · May 27, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Tony Collins

Happy 60th birthday to Tony Collins
Born May 27, 1959 in Sanford, Florida
Patriot RB/KR, 1981-1987; uniform #33
Pats second round (47th overall) selection of the 1981 draft, from East Carolina

Tony Collins rushed for 4,647 yards with New England (third most in franchise history) and 32 touchdowns, which is tied with Curtis Martin for sixth most. Collins also had 1,520 touches (third most), 7,003 yards from scrimmage (fifth) and 8,353 all-purpose yardage (sixth) with the Patriots. His 83 games started is tied with Babe Parilli and Russ Francis as seventh most in team history, and Collins' 44 touchdowns ranks seventh on the career leader board. Collins was named to the '83 and '84 Pro Bowls, and is a member of the New England Patriots All-Decade Team for the 1980s.

Former Pats player tells Foxboro kids about drug abuse | 12/13/2012

In high school and college, he strove to spend more time in the weight room than anyone else, to be first on the field and last off it. Holder of multiple records at East Carolina University, he was drafted in the second round by the Patriots in 1981 and became an instant starter.

But while success seemed to come easily to the young man from ECU, injuries began to take their toll. Collins began taking pain killers for his neck, but found they nauseated him. A friend recommended marijuana, which seemed to relieve his discomfort. But it wasn’t enough.

“Then the marijuana turned into cocaine, and that took away everything I loved,” he said.

The public learned of Collins’s drug abuse almost immediately after the team lost its first Super Bowl to the Chicago Bears in 1986, when the Boston Globe carried the news that six members of the AFC Champion Patriots team had tested positive for drugs.

Collins was banned from the league for a year after testing positive a third time for marijuana and cocaine. He was later reinstated, but a move to the Dolphins didn’t work out because of Collins’s damaged knees.

Collins said pride and his self-image as a football star probably interfered with him getting help in fighting drug use.

“I thought, ‘hey, I’m Tony Collins. I can handle my problems. I’ve got this,’ ” he said. “Well, I didn’t have it. It had me.”

The former star running back said he began to master his addiction and turn his life around seven years ago, when he met his current wife. He said she had a “different way of thinking about life” that made sense to him.

Collins speaks to Toll Gate students about making right choices | 10/29/2015

His work wasn’t done yet. He entered training camp third on the depth chart behind Vagas Ferguson and Horace Ivory, but he said, in his mind, he was always the No. 1 running back.

In the second week of training camp, Ivory got injured. Collins continued to work harder, being the first out on the field and last off of it.

“Felt bad for Horace, felt real good for Tony,” Collins said to laughs from the audience.

Ferguson suffered an ankle injury himself two weeks later, earning Collins the top running back spot on the team. Collins would go on to play in all 16 games, tallying 873 rushing and 232 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Collins had the best year of his career in 1983. He made the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns while picking up 257 yards through the air as well.

Then, in 1984, Collins had to make a difficult choice. He had suffered cracked ribs early in the season, and either had to sit down like Ivory and Ferguson before him and have his job taken away, or go on painkillers. He chose the latter, opting to receive cortisone shots before and during games as well to numb the agony.

“When the medicine wears off, wears down, I’m in so much pain that I can’t even go to sleep, that I cannot even breathe,” Collins said. “So I have to take all these painkillers just to go to sleep. And I’m taking painkillers all through practice and all through the year, and the painkillers were tearing up my stomach.”

As he became addicted to painkillers, he also began smoking marijuana to relieve nausea. He ended up being randomly tested by the NFL, failing two drug tests and getting cut by New England after the second infraction in 1988.

He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts the next day and promised himself that he would stay clean after receiving a second chance. If he failed another drug test, he would have been suspended an entire season, so he stayed away from marijuana. However, he chose to attend a party four weeks into training camp and, despite not actually smoking any marijuana, the secondhand smoke around him was enough to result in a third failed drug test.

He played one more season in 1990 for the Miami Dolphins before retiring, he said, as a “failure.”

Super Bowl nightmare was only part of Tony Collins' life of drugs | Boston Herald

Happy 49th birthday to Todd Collins
Born May 27, 1970 in New Market, Tennessee
Patriot LB, 1992-1998; uniform #54 ('92-'94); #59 ('96-'98)
Pats 3rd round (64th overall) selection of the 1992 draft, from Carson-Newman

Todd Collins had a scholarship to Georgia, but after an injury he transferred to Tennessee for one semester, and then Division II Carson-Newman. While there the Eagles (enrollment: 2,500) won the 1989 NAIA championship.

Collins played in 76 games with 53 starts over six seasons in New England. He had 92 tackles in 1993 and 99 in 1997, before taking a leave of absence for the entire 1995 season at the age of 25. Collins played in two Superbowls: for the Patriots in their loss to Green Bay, and after he signed as a free agent for St Louis in 1999, in their win over Tennessee.

His departure from the Patriots was inadvertently Collins' greatest contribution to the franchise, as the number of free agent losses versus free agent signings resulted in the Pats receiving a compensatory draft pick: number 199 in the 2000 draft.

And just in case anybody was wondering, this Todd Collins is not related to RB Tony Collins, nor backup QB Todd Collins from Walpole.

Happy 63rd birthday to Bo Robinson
Born May 27, 1956 in Lamesa, Texas
Patriot FB, 1984; uniform #41

Melvin Dell 'Bo' Robinson was a special teamer from West Texas A&M, appearing in all 16 games with one start in '84. His 3rd quarter touchdown reception gave the Pats a lead they would not relinquish in week 5 at the Jets. 1984 was the last of his six seasons in the NFL. Over his career he appeared in 80 games with 22 starts, primarily with the Lions and Falcons.

Happy 63rd birthday to Nick Lowery
Born May 27, 1956 in Munich, Germany
Patriot K, 1978; uniform #7

Undrafted out of Dartmouth, Lowery appeared in two games for the Pats in '78, filling in while John Smith had a thigh injury. He was cut 11 times by eight teams before replacing Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud in Kansas City.

Lowery then proceeded to make a mockery of those eight previous assessments. Over the course of an 18-year NFL career Lowery kicked 383 field goals, which at that time was an NFL record. He also scored a total of 1,711 points (which ranked second in NFL history at that point in time), and had the best field goal percentage in league history when he retired.

Happy 58th birthday to Frank Bianchini
May 27, 1961 in East Islip, New York
Patriot RB, 1987; uniform #30

Bianchini played in the final strike-replacement game in '87 with no stats. In 1988 he joined the New England Steamrollers of the Arena Football League as a defensive back, his first of five seasons playing arena ball.

May 27, 2007: Marquise Hill goes missing after falling off a jet ski in Louisiana; his body was found the following afternoon.

Other pro football players born today with New England connections:

Jackie Slater, 65 (May 27, 1954)
Better known by some as Matt Slater's dad, the elder Slater was named to seven Pro Bowls at tackle for the Rams, playing in 259 games before being inducted to the Hall of Fame.

Sean McHugh, 37 (5/27/82); born in Springfield MA.
FB/TE played in 40 games with Green Bay, Detroit and Pittsburgh from 2004-08. A 7th round pick by Tennessee in '04, he played in all 3 playoff games en route to winning a ring with the Steelers following the '08 season.

Tom Budrewicz, 81 (5/27/38); grew up in Greenfield MA and went to Brown.
Guard got in to a couple of games for the 1961 New York Titans.

Larry Ellis (5/27/22); grew up in York, Maine and also went to Cheshire Academy in CT.
All-American LB played at Syracuse played in four games for the Lions in 1948 before blowing out his knee.

Dimp Halloran (5/27/1896); Framingham native and early Boston College star.
Tailback for the Hartford Blues in 1926, the only year Connecticut had an NFL team.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- Tom Dean (5/27/1923); LT for the 1946-47 Boston Yanks.
- Dale Waters (5/27/1909); RT for the 1932-33 Boston Braves.
- Lloyd Young (5/27/1903); G/E for the 1925-27 Providence Steamroller.

jmt57 · May 28, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Trivial and obscure Patriot birthdays

Happy 74th birthday to Doug Satcher
Born May 28, 1945 in Sandersville, Mississippi
Patriot LB, 1966-1968; uniform #58
Pats 9th round (75th overall) selection in the 1966 AFL draft, from Southern Miss

Satcher played in all 42 games during his three years with the Patriots, and was the starting RLB in '68. He was the lone bright spot in what was the worst draft class in franchise history.

Doug Satcher | Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame

Doug Satcher
Football: 1963-1965
Baseball: 1964-1965
Inducted: April 30, 1983

Doug Satcher will be best remembered as one of the school's all-time great linebackers. Few people in the history of Southern Miss football could dominate the way Satcher could.

Not only did Satcher possess the physical tools to get the job done, he also possessed the intelligence to go along with it.

Happy birthday to Bill Striegel
Born May 28, 1936 in Easton, Kansas
Died July 23, 1992 at the age of 56
Patriot LB/G, 1960; uniform #72

Bill Striegel was an 8th round draft pick out of Pacific by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. Striegel played in five games for the Pats in their inaugural season, with one start. He also played briefly for the Raiders.

Happy 57th birthday to Eric Schubert
Born May 28, 1962 in Abington, Pennsylvania
Patriot K, 1987; uniform #1

In 1985 Bill Parcells was head coach of the Giants and in a bind. His starting kicker was injured, so he signed an interim kicker. In anticipation of his starting kicker being ready to play again after the injury, he waived the interim kicker. Problem was the starter wasn't yet ready to play.

Schubert had been with the G-men in training camp, so Parcells re-signed him, taking Schubert away from a nearby high school where he had been coaching football. Schubert delivered, booting five field goals in a 22-20 win. That performance turned the temporary assignment into a year-long deal.

Unfortunately the rest of his NFL career was not that great. The next year he signed with the Cardinals and connected on just three of 11 field goal attempts. The Pats signed him as a replacement player but he played only one game: Tony Franklin crossed the line in the second week of the strike, and Schubert's NFL career was over. Schubert's one-game/Patriot career stat line reads 1-2 on field goal attempts (connecting on a 23-yarder that temporarily gave the Pats the lead) and 1-1 on extra points, for a total of four points scored. Schubert now works as sales and marketing manager for Pride and Service Elevator in northern New Jersey.

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The body of Marquise Hill was found mid afternoon on May 28, 1970. The 24 year old defensive end was a second round pick of the 2004 draft from LSU.

Patriots' Hill mourned as 'a hero until the end' | espn

Aiding others came naturally to him, and distraught relatives on Monday said Hill died a hero after the former LSU star helped save the life of a former high school classmate who could not swim.

While the woman survived by grabbing a piling and holding onto it until she was rescued, the 24-year-old Hill, who friends described as a good swimmer, drifted away and disappeared until searchers pulled his body from the water on Monday afternoon, about 17 hours after the accident.

"He was a hero until the end," his cousin, Elaine Hill Blackshire of Alabama, told the Boston Herald for Tuesday's editions. "He made sure he got her to safety. I'm just so sad that he lost his life, but he wouldn't have had it any other way. If he had saved himself, and knowing she couldn't swim, he couldn't have lived with himself.

"He thought of others first. He was just that kind of person."

"I lost a brother, man," said Patriots defensive lineman Jarvis Green, a fellow Louisiana native and former LSU player. "He was a funny guy. ... He'd just sit there and talk to you, say some funny things off his head that'd make you laugh. He was good to be around."

Hill's agent, Albert Elias, said he spoke with Hill's friend and said she either couldn't swim or was having difficulty doing so.

"Marquise knew this, and being a strong swimmer, he was instructing her as he drifted away in a different direction to stay calm and don't fight the water. He found a buoy or piling behind her and told her to let the current take her to that. She listened to him and it pretty much saved her life," Elias said.

The woman was sent to Tulane Medical Center, where she told authorities that Hill had tried to keep her calm as the two were drifting away from each other.

"It's so important to have a life jacket and a signaling device," Atkeson said. "One keeps you afloat and the other helps us find you."

Elias said the player spent much of his time since Hurricane Katrina helping rebuild the homes of family members including his mother and the mother of his son.

The Patriots wore number 91 on their helmet in memory of Hill for the full 2007 season.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Other pro football players with New England connections born today:

Bruce Taylor, 69 (May 28, 1948)
Boston University, class of 1970
Taylor was the greatest football player in BU history and MVP of the 1969 Terrier football team that finished 9-1. He was a first round (17th overall) selection by San Francisco in the 1970 draft, and was a starting corner for the Niners through most of the '70s. Taylor led the NFL in punt return yardage his rookie season, and made the Pro Bowl the following year. He played in 114 games (including five post season games), with 18 interceptions and ten fumble recoveries.

Eugene Robinson, 54 (May 28, 1963)
Weaver High School, Hartford CT, class of 1981
Robinson was a three-time Pro Bowl FS for Seattle, Green Bay, Atlanta and Carolina from 1985-2000, and won a ring with the Packers in SB31 versus the Patriots. Two years later with Atlanta he made a game-saving play in the NFCCG, breaking up a sure TD pass intended for Randy Moss. Two weeks after that game he became famous - or infamous - for being arrested for attempting to hire an undercover cop posing as a prostitute on the night before the Superbowl. Eugene Robinson played in 252 NFL games (plus 11 playoff games). His 57 career interceptions ranks 13th in NFL history.

David Shula, 58 (May 28, 1959)
Dartmouth College, class of 1981
Don's son spent one season with the Colts as a PR/WR. He then worked with his dad in Miami as a WR coach and QB coach, and was hired as Cincinnati's head coach in 1992. While there the younger Shula set three NFL records. First, he was the youngest (32) HC in the modern era. Second, he was one half of the first and only game coached by a father on one side and son on the other.

More ignominious was a record in futility that may never be broken. The younger Shula lost 50 games faster (69 games) than any other head coach in the history of the National Football League. He was mercifully fired in 1996, finishing with a career record of 19-52 (.268).

After that Shula stayed out of football, working as an executive for Shula's Steak House. In 2018, after a 22-year absence from football, Shula returned to his alma mater to become the wide receivers coach at Dartmouth.

A few more old timers that played pro football in Boston born on May 28:

- Frank Nelson (5/28/23); single wing back for the 1948 Boston Yanks.
- Bill Paschal (5/28/21); FB/KR for the 1947-1948 Boston Yanks.
- Dave Smukler (5/28/14); FB/LB for the 1944 Boston Yanks.

Also born on May 28:
- Jim Thorpe (5/28/1888); All-American, College Football Hall of Famer, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist, pro baseball player, and perhaps the greatest athlete ever.
- Percy Harvin (5/28/1988); as a Florida Gator, Harvin accomplished the rare feat of having over 1500 yards receiving and also over 1500 yards rushing.

jmt57 · May 29, 2019

Today in Patriots History
May 29 Birthdays

Happy 42nd birthday to Antwan Harris
Born May 29, 1977 in Raleigh, North Carolina
Patriot safety, 2000-2004; uniform #23
Pats 6th round (187th overall) selection of the 2000 draft, from Virginia

Harris played in 52 games for the Pats, plus all three playoff games in 2001. He is most well known for two plays, both in that 2001 postseason.

In the AFCCG against Pittsburgh he took the lateral from Troy Brown following a blocked field goal attempt 49 yards for a touchdown, which put the Patriots up 21-3 midway through the third quarter. Then in Super Bowl 36 Harris hit Ricky Proehl to force a fumble that was recovered by Terrell Buckley, and returned to the 25 yard line. Five plays later Tom Brady hit David Patten for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining in the first half, to give the Patriots a 14-3 lead.

Antwan Harris talks Super Bowl :: WRALSportsFan.com

A visit to Raleigh and Antwan Harris

Happy 52nd birthday to Sean Smith
Born May 29, 1967 in Cincinnati
Patriot DE, 1990-1991; uniform #97
Pats 11th round (280th overall) selection of the 1990 draft, from Georgia Tech

The big man (6'7") played in 17 games with one start in a backup role for the Pats over two seasons.

Happy 64th birthday to Dave Preston
Born May 29, 1955 in Dayton, Ohio
Patriot RB, 1977
Pats 12th round (333rd overall) selection of the 1977 draft, from Bowling Green

Preston spent '77 on the taxi squad, and then signed with the Broncos. He spent six years in Denver, accumulating 1,147 yards from scrimmage in 1981. Since 2012 he has worked as a Senior Project Manager for Servpro Industries in Boulder, Colorado.

Dave Preston | Bowling Green State University Athletics Hall of Fame

As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,414 yards and scored 19 touchdowns, finishing fifth in the nation in both rushing and scoring. He was a first team All-MAC selection and received honorable mention All-American honors. Preston missed three games as a junior with injuries, yet still rushed for 875 yards and scored 14 touchdowns to earn second team All-MAC honors. He was again a second team All-MAC pick as a senior when he rushed for 989 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He was also named second team Academic All-American as a senior.

Preston, who ended his career with 10 MAC career records, was drafted in the 12th round by the New England Patriots. He spent the 1977 season on he Patriots' taxi squad before joining the Broncos in 1978.

Dave Preston Broncos Keynote Speaker

Dave Preston (“Sarge”) has a history of success, stemming back to his college days, where he earned both academic and athletic All-American honors at Bowling Green State University. Preston graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and was awarded a Post-Graduate Scholarship by the NCAA. He was also selected by the New England Patriots in the NFL Draft that year and elected to forgo an MBA program to pursue a career in professional football.

Happy 83rd birthday to Jim Fraser
Born May 29, 1936 in Philadelphia
Patriot punter and linebacker, 1966; uniform #51

Fraser appeared in all 14 games in '66, with 55 punts at an average of 37.2 yards. On defense he also had one interception. Prior to joining the Patriots Fraser was a linebacker and punter with the Denver Broncos, twice leading the league in punting, and was a three-time AFL all-star. Jim Fraser later became the athletic director at Middlesex School in Concord.

jmt57 · May 30, 2019

Today in Patriots History
Bucko Kilroy

Happy birthday to Bucko Kilroy
Born May 30, 1921 in Philadelphia
Died July 10, 2007 at the age of 86
Patriot executive from 1971 to 2007

Kilroy played guard on offense, and middle guard and tackle on defense with the Eagles for 13 seasons, winning two NFL championships and being named to three Pro Bowls; he was named to the NFL's all-decade team for the 1940's. Kilroy had a reputation for being a tough player, and won a $25,000 lawsuit (more than three times his annual salary) when Look magazine wrote an article implying he was a dirty player. He worked as a scout for the Eagles, Washington and Dallas from 1960-70 before joining the Patriots as their Director of Player Personnel in 1971.

He sued Life and a jury awarded him $25,000. He was pleased, because his highest salary as a player would be $8,000 and he had yet to reach it.

“That was all a bunch of garbage,” he later said of the incident. “I was just a heavy hitter. We were hard people back then, and some guys are just naturally heavy hitters. It was a different time. None of this baby-boomer stuff. We were brash people.”

Al DeRogatis, a former Giants’ lineman, found out the hard way. When he once accused Kilroy of biting his nose, Kilroy denied it.

“I didn’t bite his nose,” Kilroy said. “I bit his ear.”

In 1979 Kilroy became New England's general manager, and then vice president from 1983-93. Kilroy then worked as a scouting consultant for the next thirteen years until his death. John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Russ Francis, Steve Grogan and Sam Cunningham were among the players drafted when he was New England's player personnel director.

Kilroy is also the founder of the NFL Scouting Combine, and credited with the driving force behind both the modern day NFL draft and the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick said Kilroy was "one of the pillars of our league... a pure football man who did practically everything one person could do in the game, blazing trails every step of the way".

Francis 'Bucko' Kilroy Obituary | Patriots.com

Bucko began his playing career in 1943 with the wartime combined team of the Eagles and Steelers. He was a six time All-Pro guard for the Philadelphia Eagles during a 13 season playing career during the 1940s and 50s.

After his playing career he worked in player personnel and scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. He was also one of the founders of the National Football Scouting Combine. He was the Patriots general manager from 1979 to 1982 and vice-president from 1983 to 1993. He has been a scouting consultant for New England for the past 13 years.

Bucko Kilroy, legendary NFL player and executive, dies at 86 | Patriots.com

Kilroy was a member of the New England Patriots organization for the past 36 years, serving as personnel director (1971-78), general manager (1979-82), vice president (1983-93) and scouting consultant (1994-2007). He was a contributor to 14 of the club’s 15 playoff seasons, including all five of the franchise’s trips to the Super Bowl.

In 1948 and 1949, his Eagles team became the only squad in history to post back-to-back shutouts in championship games. He once played in 146 consecutive games, then a league record, and was named to the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1940s. During his final three seasons with the Eagles, Kilroy was as a player/coach before serving as a full-time line coach for six seasons. He also served as the Eagles’ player personnel director during that time, becoming one of the five original talent scouts in the league. In 1962, he was named director of player personnel for the Washington Redskins and later served as a “super scout” for the Dallas Cowboys from 1966-1970 before joining the Patriots.

Kilroy was revered in NFL scouting circles, having started many of the scouting services that became fixtures in the NFL. He was also one of the founders of the National Football Scouting Combine, one of the most important personnel events on the NFL’s current offseason calendar. While he was with the Cowboys’ personnel department, the team won five straight division championships. As personnel director of the Patriots, Kilroy was responsible for selecting the team’s two Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, John Hannah (1973) and Mike Haynes (1976). He is credited with building some of the best teams in Patriots’ history, drafting Julius Adam, Hannah, Sam Cunningham, Steve Nelson, Russ Francis and Steve Grogan during his first five years as personnel director (1971-75). Over the next three years (1976-78), the Patriots compiled a 31-13 record (.705), including two playoff appearances. Over his 64-year career, Kilroy tutored numerous personnel analysts who went on to head NFL scouting departments.

Bucko Kilroy, 86, N.F.L. Star and Executive, Dies | The New York Times

He helped the Eagles win N.F.L. championships in 1948 and 1949. The Eagles rewarded each player on those teams with a $500 bonus and a cigarette lighter.

“We got rings, too,” Kilroy recalled. “We bought them for $65.”

He was a founder of the National Football Scouting Combine. In 1982, The Boston Globe called him “the man who helped create the science of pro scouting.” It added, “In a football sense, he is a genius.”

The late **** Steinberg, a Kilroy protégé who became general manager of the Jets, said in 1992: “He knows as much about pro football as anyone in history. He’s never been wrong in his life. He’s not what a lot of people think. He’s shrewd and organized.”

He was a bear of a man, described this way by The Globe in 1992: “He looks, quite frankly, like an unmade bed. He is a big man in the way some bears seem big, barrel-chested, heavy-legged, white shirt popping out of his suit pants. He is solid in the sense of a piano, a man who does not tread lightly through a room.”

Happy 46th birthday to Je'Rod Cherry
Born May 30, 1973 in Charlotte, NC
Patriot safety, 2001-2004; uniform #30

The special teams standout signed with the Pats as a veteran free agent after having been with New Orleans for four seasons, Philly for one year, and Oakland briefly in the offseason. He had 50 regular season special teams tackles for the Pats in four seasons, and earned three rings in his nine playoff games with the Pats. Since retiring Cherry has worked as a pregame host and NFL analyst for a radio station in Cleveland.

Cal grad Je'rod Cherry's Super Bowl ring is helping to raise 24 orphans in Thailand

Je'Rod Cherry - A former Patriot with a true heart of gold

Happy 30th birthday to Kamar Aiken
Born May 30, 1989 in Hollywood, Florida
Patriot WR, 2012-2013; uniform #16

The Pats signed Aiken to their practice squad in mid-November of 2012. He was promoted to the 53-man roster on December 22 and was at that time most well known for being waived two days later, on Christmas Eve. He was brought back to the active roster on December 29 and finished the year with one game to his credit, with no stats. Aiken was part of roster cuts at the end of the 2013 training camp. He caught on with Baltimore, appearing in 48 games with 20 starts over the next three seasons.

After spending 2017 and 2018 with Philly, Aiken is currently a free agent. His best season was with Baltimore in 2015 when he had 75 receptions for 944 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 12.6 yards per catch.

Happy 32nd birthday to Jason Vega
Born May 30, 1987 in Brockton
Patriot DE, 2013; uniform #68

The 6'4, 255 pound defensive lineman was one of the last players from Northeastern to make it to the NFL. The Patriots signed Vega after two seasons in the CFL, but he was cut in mid-August of 2013. He got into two games for the Cowboys later that season, then returned to Canada for four more seasons in the CFL before retiring from pro football.

Happy 55th birthday to Wayne Coffey
Born May 30, 1964 in Rantoul, Illinois
Patriot WR, 1987; uniform #83

Coffey was a strike-replacement player, catching three passes for 66 yards in those three games. He later spent several seasons playing arena football.

Happy 62nd birthday to Eddie Hare
Born May 30, 1957 in Ulysses, Kansas
Patriot punter, 1979; uniform #8
Pats 4th round (106th overall) selection of the 1979 draft, from Tulsa

Kilroy and Chuck Fairbanks must have watched Tulsa upset Arkansas and really liked this punter. Unfortunately he averaged only 36.6 yards per punt in his one and only NFL season, and was waived-injured early in 1980.

Other pro football players with New England area connections:
- **** Farley, 73 (May 30, 1946); DB for Chargers, 1968-69.
Born in Danvers, Farley went to St John's Prep and Boston University. After his two NFL seasons Farley went on to have a long career at Williams as both football and track coach, and was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
- Bob Laraba (5/30/33 - 2/16/62); LB/P/QB for Chargers, 1960-61.
Born in Sheldon Vermont, Laraba was an 8th round (95th overall) pick by Green Bay in 1959. He was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 28 shortly after the end of the '61 season.
- Ralph Pasquariello (5/30/26 - 1/5/99); FB for Rams and Cardinals, 1950-52.
Born in Boston and raised in Everett, he was the 9th overall pick in the 1950 draft.
- Jim Tyree (5/30/22 - 4/16/10); end for 1948 Boston Yanks.
- Swede Hummel (5/30/02 - 7/24/65); FB for 1926 Providence Steamroller.

Notable NFL players born May 30:
- Gale Sayers, 76 (May 30, 1943); Bears Hall of Fame RB.
- Lydell Mitchell, 70 (May 30, 1949); Pro Bowl RB for the Baltimore Colts in the '70s.
- John Alt, 57 (May 30, 1962); LT played 189 games for KC from 1984-96.

jmt57 · May 31, 2019

Today in Patriots History
A Wild and Crazy JAG

Happy 45th birthday to Steve Martin
Born May 31, 1974 in St. Paul, Minnesota
Patriot DT, 2002; uniform #90

No relation to the wild and crazy comedian, the Patriots signed the 6-4, 320 lb veteran on April 3, 2002. A fifth round draft pick by the Colts in 1996 out of Missouri, he was viewed as a being a two-down player, superior against the run and average versus the pass.

Martin played in 14 games with five starts while with the Patriots, but was unhappy with his decreased role and playing time - and let that be known to the New York press prior to an upcoming game against his prior team, the Jets. Aside from his not keeping these matters in house, this was also on the heels of a loss to Tennessee in which the Patriots allowed 238 yards rushing to drop to 8-6. The combination of a bit too much mouth and not enough run stuffing led to a swift pink slip, as Bill Belichick cut Martin while the ink on those newspapers was still wet.

Steve Martin played in 127 games with 51 starts over nine NFL seasons, but never stayed in one place very long. His longest tenure was his first, two seasons plus a month in Indy. After that Martin played with the Eagles for a year and a half, then one season or less with the Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Texans and Vikings.

Other pro football players with New England area connections born today:
- Jim Del Gaizo, 72 (May 31, 1947); QB 1972-1974.
Born in Everett and an alum of Revere High School class of '65, Del Gaizo got a ring as a backup QB with the '72 Dolphins.
- John LoVetere (5/31/36 - 10/27/12); DT 1959-65.
Born in Boston, he made the Pro Bowl in '63 and played in 77 games for the Rams and Giants.
- Colonel James 'Big Jim' Landrigan (5/31/23-6/24/74); offensive lineman for Colts and Steelers. Jim went to Wakefield High School, Holy Cross and Dartmouth.

Notable NFL players born today:
- Joe Namath, 76
- Richard 'Batman' Wood, 66
- Norm Johnson, 59
- Jordy Nelson, 34

DarrylS · Jun 1, 2019

Kudo's for the great work on this, I enjoy the trip down memory lane... J'Rod Cherry is 46?? Jeez am I getting old.

This thread should be a sticky on the top of this forum.. can a mod do that??

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