April 10th in Pats History: Trivial Obscurities

[jmt57]

April 10 in Patriots History
Trivial Obscurities​

Happy 70th birthday to Willie Osley
Born April 10, 1951 in Detroit
Patriot safety, 1974; uniform #37

Kansas City selected Osley in the seventh round of the 1973 draft, out of Illinois. He was cut early (August 7, 1973) in training camp that year, then signed by the Patriots at an undetermined time. Osley played in the first ten games of the 1974 season for the Pats, with four starts. The Patriots released him on November 10, three games after their third straight loss and fourth in five games, following a 5-0 start. Osley re-signed with KC and appeared in three games for the Chiefs, spent 1975 on IR, and ended his NFL career with a short stay in training camp for the Saints in '76.




Happy 70th birthday to Kevin Reilly
Born April 10, 1951 in Wilmington, Delaware
Patriot LB, 1975; uniform #55
Signed as a veteran free agent on November 26, 1975

Reilly was a seventh round draft pick by Miami from Villanova in 1973. Ironically the Dolphins acquired that pick from the Patriots at the end of training camp in 1972, in exchange for OT Wayne Mass. Reilly played in 25 NFL games, including four (with one start) for the Pats.

Reilly's career highlight came in a week 13 game versus Buffalo when he picked off Joe Ferguson and ran the pass back 54 yards. Unfortunately that and a first quarter 62 yard TD pass from Steve Grogan to Don Calhoun were the only Patriot highlights that day, as OJ Simpson ran for 185 yards for the Bills.

On a side note, we had a bit of foreshadowing from OJ as he kicked Sam Hunt while the LB was on the ground after a sideline hit the Juice did not care for. A year later he was ejected in a game against the Pats after getting into a fight with Mel Lunsford, but word has it that OJ has not had any anger management issues since then.




Happy 33rd birthday to Will Yeatman
Born April 10, 1988 in Naples, Italy
Patriot TE, 2011 (offseason)
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 27, 2011

Chris Hogan is not the first college/pro lacrosse player to be also play for Bill Belichick. Yeatman was a two-sport college athlete, performing better in lacrosse where he was an All-American. Yeatman was cut at the end of training camp and never appeared in any regular season games for the Pats. He later spent time as a backup with Miami and Houston, playing both TE and OT.




April 10, 2019: Pats sign free agent TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins
The attempted reclamation project (one suspension, three DUIs, at least one stint in rehab) did not last long, as ASJ asked for and received his release less than three months later, citing 'personal issues'. The talented but troubled player has not been with any NFL club since.




April 10, 2013: Pats re-sign Julian Edelman to a one-year contract
Jules was coming off a broken foot in December that ended his season, and a two-year contract offer from 2012 was reduced to a one-year deal. In addition the Pats drafted two wide receivers in the first four rounds, challenging JE11 to step it up. As pissed off as he was at the time, the motivation worked.




April 10, 2000: Patriots release LS/TE Mike Bartrum, and sign LS/C/G Lance Scott

Mike Bartrum handled the long snapping duties in New England from 1996-99, and also caught two touchdown passes with the Pats. He spent 13 seasons in the NFL and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2005. Bartrum also played in two super bowls: with the Pats in SB 31 against Green Bay, and with the Eagles in SB 39 against the Patriots. Bartrum was a college teammate of Troy Brown, and for many years ran a charitable kids summer camp at Marshall. Bartrum spent two years as an assistant tight ends coach for Philadelphia, and is now back at Marshall as a senior analyst and special assistant to the head coach.

Patriots sign veteran free agent C/G Lance Scott, release TE/LS Mike Bartrum

FOXBORO, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced the signing of former New York Giants free agent center/guard Lance Scott today.

www.patriots.com

Lance Scott appeared in every game from '97-'98 for the Giants, starting at center while also performing on special teams as the long snapper. However he missed all of '99 with a knee injury, and went on IR again before the start of the 2000 season - paving the way for Lonie Paxton to play for the Patriots for nine seasons.




April 10, 1984:
If there was any possible suspense on what the Patriots would do with the number one overall pick, it ended when the Pats signed Irving Fryar to a four-year contract - despite the fact that he would not officially be drafted until May 1. New England had moved up from #16 to #1 by trading four draft picks to Cincinnati a week earlier.




April 10, 1978: FB Jess Phillips retires after ten AFL/NFL seasons
Phillips spent his final two pro football seasons with the Patriots, averaging 6.6 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns in that time.




Other New England are April 10 pro football birthdays

HB John Poto, 1926-1935
Born in Boston; East Boston High School
Played in 18 games from 1947-48 for the Boston Yanks.

TB **** Weber, 1919-1991
Born in Lawrence MA; Lawrence HS
Appeared in three games for the Detroit Lions in 1945.

 

[Tony2046]

You forgot to mention my brother. Never mind I'll do it. Happy birthday brother.

 

[captain stone]

"...On a side note, we had a bit of foreshadowing from OJ as he kicked Sam Hunt while the LB was on the ground after a sideline hit the Juice did not care for. A year later he was ejected in a game against the Pats after getting into a fight with Mel Lunsford, but word has it that OJ has not had any anger management issues since then..."

Brilliant.