Today In Patriots History Feb 14: Happy Birthday to Dante and Drew

Valentine's Day is also the birth date of two New England Patriots Hall of Famers



Happy birthday to Dante Scarnecchia. If there is one thing that head coach Ron Meyer got right, it was bringing Scar from SMU to New England. Arguably the greatest offensive line coach in the history of the National Football League, Dante Scarnecchia spent 34 years as a coach with the Patriots. In 1992 he perhaps pulled his most improbable stunt, somehow cajoling two wins out of that moribund team after **** MacPherson was hospitalized. (Which begs the question: why is an interim coach credited with wins when taking over in midseason after the previous coach was fired, but Scar was never credited with those nearly-impossible victories?)







Happy 78th birthday to Dante Scarnecchia
Born February 14, 1948 in Los Angeles; hometwown Montebello, CA
Patriot coach and consultant, 1982-88, 1991-2019
Hired as a ST/TE coach approx January 20, 1982
32nd member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, 2023







A good column from Jan 15, 2014:

Happy birthday to Drew Bledsoe. The Patriots Hall of Fame quarterback was the face of the franchise from 1993 to 2000. His strong arm resulted in many clutch plays and 17 fourth-quarter comebacks. Bledsoe led the Pats to the playoffs four times in his first six seasons, and their first super bowl appearance in eleven years. More importantly he gave fans hope and excitement after the dark period between those two AFC championships.





Happy 54th birthday to Drew Bledsoe
Born February 14, 1972 in Ellensburg, Washington; hometown Walla Walla WA
Patriot QB, 1993-2001; uniform #11
Pats first round (first overall) selection of the 1993 draft, from Washington State





Drew Bledsoe broke franchise passing records for passing attempts, completions and yards. With no running game behind him Bledsoe threw 691 passes in 1994, an NFL record that stood for 18 years. That same season he set NFL records for pass attempts and completions in a single game, in an epic battle against the Vikings. That victory was the beginning of a seven-game winning streak that pushed the Patriots into the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.





It seems unfathomable now, but there was a time when people genuinely believed the Patriots should draft Rick Mirer over Bledsoe. Thankfully the Pats selected the kid from Walla Walla over the Notre Dame hype machine. Bledsoe is one of only two players to complete 400 passes in a single season in the 20th century and one of only five from that time period to pass for over 4,500 yards in a season. The most important aspect about Drew was that he made New England fans proud of the Patriots, rejuvenating a region after some embarrassing times – and creating excitement about the team that would result in their staying put and not moving away.





Drew easily won the voting for the Patriots Hall of Fame on his first ballot, over Bill Parcells and Houston Antwine in 2011. He threw 251 touchdowns over 14 NFL seasons and at the time he retired his 44,611 yards passing was the 7th most in NFL history. Bledsoe ranks second in nearly all franchise passing categories, including 166 TD passes and 29,657 yards passing as a Patriot.





If you have the time, consider checking out the link below. It goes to all the columns mentioning Drew Bledsoe on the Today in Pro Football History blog. All of the articles are meticulously researched and extremely detailed; a really well done retrospective.
Today in Pro Football History - Drew Bledsoe posts


Hat tip to @Pape for this gem:

jmt57 said:

Today in Patriots History
Drew Bledsoe​

Happy birthday to Drew Bledsoe. The Patriots Hall of Fame quarterback was the face of the franchise from 1993 to 2000. His strong arm resulted in many clutch plays and 17 fourth-quarter comebacks. Bledsoe led the Pats to the playoffs four times in his first six seasons, and their first super bowl appearance in eleven years. More importantly he gave fans hope and excitement after the dark period between those two AFC championships.

Drew Bledsoe 1996 Highlights | Super Bowl Run
4:12 Highlight Video
​

Happy 54th birthday to Drew Bledsoe
Born February 14, 1972 in Ellensburg, Washington; hometown Walla Walla WA
Patriot QB, 1993-2001; uniform #11
Pats first round (first overall) selection of the 1993 draft, from Washington State

Drew Bledsoe's 4 TD Passes vs. Chargers! (8/31/1997) | Memorable Moments | Patriots
58 second Highlight Video via the Patriots
​

Drew Bledsoe broke franchise passing records for passing attempts, completions and yards. With no running game behind him Bledsoe threw 691 passes in 1994, an NFL record that stood for 18 years. That same season he set NFL records for pass attempts and completions in a single game, in an epic battle against the Vikings. That victory was the beginning of a seven-game winning streak that pushed the Patriots into the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

Bledsoe Airs it Out - Vikings vs. Patriots (Week 11, 1994) Classic Highlights
9:10 Highlight Video
​

It seems unfathomable now, but there was a time when people genuinely believed the Patriots should draft Rick Mirer over Bledsoe. Thankfully the Pats selected the kid from Walla Walla over the Notre Dame hype machine. Bledsoe is one of only two players to complete 400 passes in a single season in the 20th century and one of only five from that time period to pass for over 4,500 yards in a season. The most important aspect about Drew was that he made New England fans proud of the Patriots, rejuvenating a region after some embarrassing times – and creating excitement about the team that would result in their staying put and not moving away.

Best of Drew Bledsoe | Career Highlights
3:04 Highlight Video
​

Drew easily won the voting for the Patriots Hall of Fame on his first ballot, over Bill Parcells and Houston Antwine in 2011. He threw 251 touchdowns over 14 NFL seasons and at the time he retired his 44,611 yards passing was the 7th most in NFL history. Bledsoe ranks second in nearly all franchise passing categories, including 166 TD passes and 29,657 yards passing as a Patriot.

​

If you have the time, consider checking out the link below. It goes to all the columns mentioning Drew Bledsoe on the Today in Pro Football History blog. All of the articles are meticulously researched and extremely detailed; a really well done retrospective.
Today in Pro Football History - Drew Bledsoe posts


Hat tip to @Pape for this gem:

Bledsoe Family Winery - Homepage

Winery Ecommerce Website

www.bledsoefamilywinery.com

Drew Bledsoe Pro Football Record

The trusted source for pro football information about Drew Bledsoe. Get statistics, transactions. biographical data and more at Pro Football Archives.

www.profootballarchives.com

Drew Bledsoe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Click to expand...

my absolute favorite New England Patriots Quarterback ... thanks for putting the poster in the thread... its a treat to see

Today's third notable patriot birthday does not have quite the acclaim of the previous two.

In fact, it is the polar opposite. Clive Rush is arguably the worst head coach in the history of the Patriots.



In memory of Clive Rush, who would have turned 95 today
Born February 14, 1931 in DeGraff, Ohio
Died from a heart attack on August 22, 1980 at age 49 in London, Ohio
Patriots vice president and head coach, 1969-1970
Hired by the Patriots on January 30, 1969
Pats résumé: one and a half seasons of constant turmoil; 5-16 record


Clive Rush was the offensive coordinator for the Jets when Joe Namath was named player of the year, and the Jets stunned Baltimore by winning what would later be known as Super Bowl III. Based on the outcome of that game, Billy Sullivan elected to hire Rush rather than his other candidate, the defensive coordinator from the Colts: Chuck Noll.

That of course begs the butterfly effect question: how different would the trajectory of the New England and Pittsburgh franchises have been had Sullivan chosen Noll, leaving the Steelers with Rush?


His tenure began on an ominous note, nearly being electrocuted to death. From there it went downhill, with horrible trades of good players (e.g., Nick Buoniconti, Leroy Mitchell) netting virtually zero value in return, as well as trading draft picks for mediocre players.





Rush was also a tightwad that resulted in good players being cut. One such money saving confrontation resulted in another infamous Patriots incident. Rush had cut players just before a game was about to start over a salary dispute. The problem with was that he now needed players and the game was going to start soon. Rush had the stadium public announcer page Bob Gladieux - who was in the stands, swilling down beers with a friend - to come to the locker room, quickly sign a contract, and get on the field for the opening kickoff.


In another instance Rush came up with the idea of the Black Power Defense, apparently a hat tip to what was happening with the civil rights movement in the USA in 1969. Clive bragged that he would be the first coach in NFL history with eleven black players on the field at the same time. Problem was that he neglected to notice that he did not have enough African American players on his defensive roster to make that happen.




Rush was paranoid about many things, such as opponents listening to locker room conversations with hidden microphones. That fear led him to another iconic moment in Houston. When returning from a game at the Astrodome he convinced himself that the driver was taking him on the scenic route in order to increase the fare. Rush vehemently complained and ordered the driver to stop. He then got off the bus and wandered into the middle of the street. Holding his hand up Rush commanded oncoming traffic to stop and waved the bus through a one-way street: the wrong way.













From Feb 12, 2025:



On February 12, 1969 the Boston Patriots held a press conference to announce the hiring of George Sauer as their new general manager. Sauer had most recently worked with new head coach Clive Rush, for the New York Jets as the director of player personnel. Both were viewed by Billy Sullivan as winners who would lead the Pats to glory, duplicating the results they had just experienced a month earlier when the Jets defeated Baltimore in what would later be known as Super Bowl III. (Sullivan chose Rush over future Hall of Famer Chuck Noll, because Rush was an OC with the SB3 winning Jets, while Noll was the DC and DB coach for the losing Colts. Oops.)


Nobody would remember Sauer, but the press conference would proceed to become an unforgettable moment in the history of the Patriots franchise. It was also an omen of the Clive Rush era – or error.

Rush walked up to the podium and put his hand on the microphone – and immediately began screaming in anguish. Electricity from the live mike went up one arm, across his shoulders and down the other arm. The current temporarily paralyzed his muscles. As a result he was unable to let go, and the voltage continued to flow through his body. Rush staggered to the corner like a wounded monster in a Hollywood B-movie, still unable to make his hand release the microphone from his grasp. Patriot board member Dan Marr jumped up and began ripping every wire he could get his hands on out of the sockets they were plugged into. That caused the current to finally stop flowing through Rush’s body, saving his life.

Happy 28th birthday to Mack Wilson
Born February 14, 1998 in Montgomery, Alabama
Patriot special teamer/linebacker, 2022-2023; uniform #30, #3
Traded from Cleveland to New England on March 15, 2022 for Chase Winovich
Pats résumé: two seasons, 34 games (four starts)





Mack Wilson was a fifth-round draft pick by Cleveland in 2019, out of Alabama. He appeared in every game for the Patriots in Bill Belichick's final two seasons as head coach. In his first game as a Patriots he had three sacks in the home opener against Baltimore, becoming just the fourth Patriot to have three sacks in one half. At season end he ranked fifth with 284 special team snaps (62%), and also appeared in 236 snaps on defense (21%, 21st). Wilson was also the 2022 winner of the Ron Burton Award for outstanding community service. The following year Wilson was re-signed to a one-year contract, and was on the field for 312 ST snaps (sixth, 68%) and 305 snaps on defense (17th, 27%).

Wilson departed early in free agency in 2024, signing with Arizona. He became a starter on defense rather than a core special teamer for the Cardinals, starting in 24 of a possible 25 games in his first year and a half before being placed on injured reserve with a midseason rib injury.

Over his two seasons in New England, Mack Wilson had 73 tackles (39 solo) with five sacks, six tackles for a loss, six QB hits, four pass deflections and three forced fumbles.




March 15, 2022 - Ian Logue, PatsFans.com:






May 3, 2022 - Mike Dusault, Patriots.com:







From the 2023 Arizona Cardinals Media Guide, Wilson's 2023 seasonal review

In memory of Rollie Dotsch, who would have turned 93 today
Born February 14, 1933 Escanaba, Michigan; hometwown Lansing MI
Died from pancreatic cancer on March 16, 1985 at age 55 in Minnesota
Patriots outside linebackers coach, 1975-1976
Hired in Chuck Fairbanks third season
Pats résumé: two seasons, 28 games, plus Pats first home playoff game


Rollie Dotsch was a teammate of GM/HC Chuck Fairbanks and DC/DL coach Hank Bullough at Michigan State in the fifties. Dotsch coached at the college level from 1955-1970, including head coach and athletic director at Northern Michigan from 1966-70, where he had a 33-15-1 record. From there Rollie was the OL coach for Green Bay for three seasons before arriving in New England on Fairbanks' staff. Dotsch was on the sidelines for the 1976 season when the Patriots set a then-franchise record with an 11-3 season, coaching OLBs Steve King, Steve Zabel and backup Pete Barnes.

After one season in Detroit, Dotcsh became the OL coach for Pittsburgh when the Steelers won their third and fourth super bowl titles. Rollie then took a job as the head coach for the Birmingham Stallions in each of the three years of the USFL's existence. He was named USFL Coach of the Year in 1985, compiling a 36-18 record in three seasons.

Dotsch returned to the NFL in 1987 as running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings. However, just as training camp began, Dotsch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away seven months later.

Happy 57th birthday to Harry Colon
Born February 14, 1969 in Kansas City, Kansas
Patriot strong safety, 1991; uniform #40
Selected in the 8th round (196th overall) of the 1991 draft, from Missouri
Pats résumé: one season, 16 games (14 starts)

Harry Colon was selected by the Pats in **** MacPherson's first year as head coach. Despite his low draft status, he played in every game in that 6-10 season, making 45 tackles with one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The Detroit Lions signed Colon as a Plan B free agent on March 30, 1992, ending his brief tenure with the Patriots.

Colon played in 47 games with the Lions over the next three seasons, then was taken by Jacksonville in the 1995 expansion draft. He started in all 16 games for the Jaguars that year, then spent 1996 on IR due to a neck injury. Colon returned to Detroit to play eight games in 1997, but after recurring issues with the neck had to retire. From 2000-2008 Harry worked as a high schhol football coach and athletic director in a Houston high school, before stepping aside due to family reasons.








From the New England Patriots 1991 Media Guide:




From the Detroit Lions 1992 Media Guide:

Happy 40th birthday to Rich Ohrnberger
Born February 14, 1986 in East Meadow, New York (Long Island)
Patriot guard, 2009-2011; uniform #60
Selected in the 4th round (123rd overall) of the 2009 draft, from Penn State
Pats résumé: three seasons, five games, zero starts




The Patriots originally signed Rich Ohrnberger as a backup that might hopefully eventually replace Stephen Neal, with a draft pick that was partially/indirectly obtained in the Ellis Hobbs trade. He began 2009 on the practice squad and later appeared in three games when Neal was injured.

Rich had an opportunity in 2010 when Logan Mankins held out in a contract dispute, but Dan Connolly took over at left guard instead. Ohrnberger struggled in preseason action and was on the field for just two games that year. He was waived at the end of the 2011 season after spending the year on injured reserve due to a concussion.

Ohrnberger spent one season with Arizona and two with San Diego, appearing in a total of 39 NFL games. He is known for his offbeat humor, such as doing handstands in the shower room. The reason for that he stated was because it was ‘the best way to get the undercarriage completely clean’.

Since his playing days ended Ohrnberger has been working as a 'sports news satirist'. He hosts a local weekday sports talk radio show in San Diego, and is a regular contributor on another sports show. In addition Ohrnberger has been the color analyst for San Diego State football games for the several years.







2009 Patriots bio

Happy 63rd birthday to Jeff Dellenbach
Born February 14, 1963 in Wausau, Wisconsin
Patriot center/long snapper, 1996; uniform #66
Signed as a veteran free agent on March 4, 1995
Pats résumé: two seasons, 17 games (five starts)

Bill Parcells signed the 10-year Miami Dolphins veteran to a four-year, $17 million deal early in the 1995 free agency to replace Mike Arthur at center. Rookie Dave Wohlabaugh took at center after five games, with Dellenbach becoming the Pats long snapper.

On the first day of the 1996 training camp Dellenbach sustained an Achilles tendon injury, and after a couple of his snaps appeared off the money in a week two loss, he (and two other veterans) were cut, as Parcells attempted to shake things up after an 0-2 start.

Dellenbach ended up signing with Green Bay, and was the long snapper when the Packers defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl 31 while Parcells was working on his upcoming new contract with the New York Jets. Dellenbach played in a total of 211 games over a 15-year NFL career.


Dellenbach among 3 vets cut by Pats - SouthCoastToday, Sept 11, 1996






In memory of Phil Bennett, who would have turned 91 today
Born February 14, 1935 in Pittsburgh
Died December 15, 2002 at the age of 67
Patriot linebacker, 1960; uniform #52
Signed as an NFL/CFL free agent in the 1960 offseason
Pats résumé: one season, two games, two starts

Not much info on this original Boston Patriot thanks to another pro football player with the same name. He was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in 1957, from the University of Miami. Our Mr. Bennett played in the week one and two games for the Pats in their inaugural 1960 season. There was a whole lot of churning of the roster in 1960, including 350 players going in and out of that first training camp.






In memory of Willis Perkins, who would have turned 93 today
Born February 14, 1934 in Columbus, Texas; homrtown Houston TX
Died November 15, 1989 in Colorado City, Texas at the age of 55
Patriot right guard, 1961-1962
Signed on September 23, 1961
Pats résumé: one game

The lineman from Texas Southern only played in one game with the Pats in 1961, but did win an AFL championship with the Houston Oilers. Perkins was one of many great players from Texas Southern at that time that went on to play in the NFL, despite not being in a power conference. Others from that era include Patriot WR Charlie Frazier, Hall of Fame receiver Bob Hayes, Oakland All-Star WR Warren Wells, Jets Hall of Fame LT Winston Hill, Michael Strahan's uncle Art Strahan, and more.







In memory of Robert C 'Bob' Wetenhall, who would have turned 91 today
Born February 14, 1935 in Rye, New York
Died September 3, 2021 in Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 86
One of ten part-owners of the Boston Patriots, 1966-1970

When the Patriots were first formed in 1959, Billy Sullivan was one of ten partners with equal ownership of the franchise. Not content with the direction of the team, Dom DiMaggio and others attempted to wrest control away from Sullivan. Billy won the power struggle, and DiMaggio and another part-owner, Dean Boyland sold their 10% ownership interests to Bob Wetenhall and David McConnell, who were partners at a Wall Street investment firm.

Sullivan eventually bought out all the other partners, as well as the public who owned non-voting shares (a scammy situation where Sullivan convinced Massachusetts legislatures to change the law from a two-thirds approval to simple majority . . . where Sullivan had to take out loans to accomplish becoming the sole owner, setting in motion his financial collapse . . . but I digress). Wetenhall moved on to owning a North American Soccer League franchise, and then the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. I'm not sure if being a partner in a hoity-toity Wall Street investment firm was his full time job and sports a hobby, or the other way around.

Palm Beach Daily News - Obituaries













Some other pro football players born on this date with a New England connection:

Patrick Ramsey, 47 (1979)
Draft Pick Trade: 1st round, 32nd overall of the 2002 draft
In 2002 the Pats traded a third and seventh round pick in order to move up from #32 to #21 in the first round. The Patriots used that selection on TE Daniel Graham. Washington selected QB Patrick Ramsey at #32; he went 10-14 as a starting QB, spending most of his 2002-10 career as a second or third stringer.


Jason Phillips, 40 (1986)
Draft Pick Trade: 5th round, 137th ovrall of the 2009 draft
His draft pick (#137, fifth round in 2009) was traded by Philadelphia to New England in exchange for CB Ellis Hobbs. The Pats then traded that same pick to San Diego for two draft picks, which they used on OL Rich Ohrnberger(above) and LS Jake Ingram.


Tyreke Smith, 40 (1986)
Draft Pick Trade: 5th round, 158th overall of the 2022 draft
On April 2, 2022, the pick used on Tyreke Smith was traded by Miami, along with DeVante Parker to the Patriots for a 2023 3rd round pick (77th overall subsequently traded, Byron Young)
Then on April 29, 2022 the Pats traded that 2022 5th round pick (158th overall, Smith) along with a 2022 2nd round pick (54th overall, Skyy Moore) to Kansas City for their 2022 2nd round pick (50th overall) in order to move up four spots and select WR Tyquan Thornton.
LB Tyreke Smith has bounced on and off practice squads since being drafted in 2022, appearing in five NFL games.


Tom McNamara (1896-1943)
Lifelong resident of Clinton, MA; Clinton High School; Tufts University
Tom was an NFL guard and fullback from 1923-1926.

Happy 66th birthday to Jim Kelly
Born Feb 14, 1960 in Pittsburgh; hometown East Brady, PA
Buffalo Bills QB, 1986-1996
5x Pro Bowl; Hall of Fame, 2002










In memory of Steve McNair, who would have turned 53 today
Born Feb 14, 1973 in Mt Olive, Mississippi
Died July 4, 2009 in Nashville at the age of 36
2003 MVP; 3x Pro Bowl QB for the Tennessee Titans

At the time he retired, McNair was one of just three quarterbacks (Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young being the others) to throw for 30,000 yards and run for 3,500 yards.

















Happy 24th birthday to Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Born Feb 14, 2002 in Nacogdoches, Texas
Seattle Seahawks WR, 2023-present
2025 Offensive Player of the Year

Last season JSN led the NFL with 1,793 yards receiving, and 14.5 yards per touch. Perhaps overshadowed a bit by Marvin Harrison Jr at Ohio State, over the last two years he has been unstoppbale, catching 73% of the passes thrown his way, During that time he has 219 receptions for 2,923 yards, 136 first downs and 16 touchdowns.






Happy 70th birthday to John Anderson
Born Feb 14, 1956 in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Green Bay Packers OLB, 1978-1989
NFL All-Decade Team: 1980s; Packers Hall of Fame, 1996








Happy 34th birthday to Jadeveon Clowney
Born Feb 14, 1993 in Rock Hill, South Carolina
3x Pro Bowl edge rusher with the Houston Texans
66½ sacks, 2014-present






In memory of Lionel Aldridge, born on this date 85 years ago
Born Feb 14, 1941 in Evergreen, Louisiana; hometown Pittsburgh, California
Died Feb 12, 1998 at the age of 56
DE for the Green Bay Packers when they won three straight championships (1965-67), including Super Bowl I and II.





Happy 57th birthday to Jeff Graham
Born Feb 14, 1969 in Dayton, Ohio
542 receptions for 8,172 yards and 30 TD from 1991 to 2001, including 1,301 yards for the Bears in 1995.





Happy 36th birthday to Alshon Jeffery
Born Feb 14, 1990 in South Carolina
475 catches for 6,786 yards and 46 TD from 2012-20 for the Bears and Eagles. In 2013-14 the WR had 174 receptions for 2,554 yards and 17 TD with Chicago.





Happy 48th birthday to David Garrard
Born Feb 14, 1978 in NJ; hometown Durham, NC
Jacksonville QB from 2002-2010
In 2007 Garrard led the Jaguars to the playoffs, eventually losing to the Patriots in the diviional round 31-20. That season Garrard led the NFL with a 0.9% interception rate, with 18 TD and 3 Int.





Last but not least (literally):
In memory of Jared Lorenzen, who would have turned 45 today
Born Feb 14, 1981 in Covington, Kentucky
Died July 3, 2019 at the age of 38
Giants QB, 2004-2008

The 6'4, 285 pound backup was more well known for the nicknames attributed to his size than his passing abilities: take your pick, either the Hefty Lefty or The Pillsbury Throwboy.


Lorenzen struggled with his weight throughout most of his life, which was exacerbated following a leg injury that ended his playing career. By 2017 he had ballooned to over 500 pounds, but by 2018 later had shed 100 of those pounds. All that physical stress had taken a toll on his body however, and Lorenzen passed away in 2019 from an acute infection, complicated by heart and kidney problems.

Not a Patriot, but Jim Kelly was also born on February 14th.

Wow that Clowney video is insane. He just totally dominated the other teams by himself.