April 12 in Pats History: Happy Birthday Tom Addison, Nate Solder

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Today in Patriots History
Happy Birthday to Tom Addison​

Happy birthday to Tom Addison
Born April 12, 1936 in Lancaster, SC
Died June 4, 2011 at the age of 75
Patriot LB, 1960-1967; uniform #53
Signed as a free agent on September 27, 1960

Addison was an AFL All-Star for five straight seasons, and a member of the Pats' All-Decade team for the 1960s. He played in 107 games for the Patriots, with 16 interceptions. Addison was also the first president of the AFL's player association, which in turn helped give players confidence to sign with the new league and helped the league improve and eventually merge with the NFL. Tom was originally drafted out of South Carolina by the Colts in the 12th round (141st overall) in 1958, but never really had a shot with Baltimore; that was a team running a 5-2 defense, already set with veterans at linebacker and winning the '58 and '59 NFL championships - in a time when rosters were limited to 35 players.

Former Boston Patriot Addison Dies

A 6-foot-2, 230 pound linebacker, Addison was originally drafted out of the University of South Carolina by the Baltimore Colts in 1958, but signed with the newly-formed Boston Patriots in 1960.​

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Addison played his entire career with the Patriots (he retired in 1967), and was quickly a standout player. According to pro-football-reference.com, he snagged 16 interceptions in his career, one of which he took back for a touchdown (the site does not have tackle numbers). In 1960, he received All-AFL honors; the next year, the league formed its All-Star game, and Addison played in the exhibition every year from 1961-64.​

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In 1971, fans voted Addison to the Patriots all-decade team for the 1960s.​

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Addison wasn’t just a leader on the field: he was voted the first president of the AFL Players’ Association by his peers when the union was formed in 1964. His contributions as president played a significant role in the development and competitiveness of the league.​

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A member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Addison will be buried in his hometown of Lancaster, S.C. on Friday.​

From the 1967 Patriots Media Guide:

Tom Addison LB 31 6'2" 230 South Carolina​

Injured last season in second Kansas City game . . . his ability to comeback after off-season knee surgery will have big bearing on success of Pats' defense . . . missed last four of '66 season . . . Tom is a classic example of a player whose success has paralleled that of the league's . . . the former South Carolina tackle has been a strong-side linebacking standout for Pats since their first season in '60 . . . is probably the senior linebacker in the circuit in terms of accomplishment . . . as with Charley Long, mumps stifled Tom's progress in '65 and the defense was affected accordingly . . . has been an eastern All-Star four times and All-AFL three of his pro years . . . closest thing to Jekyl and Hyde in pro football . . . keys up mentally to finest edge for combat and proceeds to knock over blockers, runners and passers with savage abandon . . . off the field has been the articulate businessman with the southern drawl . . . is Patriots player representative and was also the player representative for the entire league prior to 1965 . . . has a football camp for youngsters at Curry College during the off-season that features the instruction of Patriots stars . . . an intense and driving competitor, Tom is co-captain of the Pats.​

 

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Happy 33rd birthday to Nate Solder
Born April 12, 1998 in Denver
Patriot LT (2012-2017), RT (2011)
Pats 1st round (17th overall) selection of the 2011 draft, from Colorado

With Matt Light reaching the end of his career in 2011, the Pats used a first round pick on an offensive tackle. Solder started immediately on the right side with Sebastian Vollmer sliding over to left tackle. The following year Solder took over on the blind side and was a steady performer at LT for six seasons. While never an All-Pro, Solder played well enough to earn a contract extension - and two Super Bowl rings.

Nate Solder appeared in 98 games for the Pats (with 95 starts), plus 16 postseason games - with the Patriots posting a 12-4 record with him playing tackle. With the exception of 2015 when he was on IR with a torn bicep, Solder missed just two games in his time with the Pats.

In 2018 the Patriots let Solder walk away, as he received a bountiful payday in the form of a four-year $62 million free agent contract with $35 million guaranteed from the 3-13 New York Giants - whose offensive line had been abysmal in pass protection, and not much better in run blocking. At the time that made Nate the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL. The Giants finished the season 5-11, while the Patriots won the Super Bowl with a left tackle practically given away by San Francisco (Trent Brown).

Giants reworking OT Solder's deal, source says

Offensive tackle Nate Solder is expected to return to the New York Giants on a reworked deal, a source told ESPN, with financial details still to be finalized.

www.espn.com

Offensive tackle Nate Solder is expected to return to the New York Giants on a reworked deal. ​

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Solder, who opted out of the 2020 NFL season because of COVID-19 concerns for his family, was scheduled to make $10 million in 2021 while costing $16.5 million against the salary cap this season.​

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Solder was considered a high-risk opt-out in 2020 and his contract was tolled. The decision to opt out last season centered on his family. Solder's oldest son, Hudson, has had cancer. So has Nate. Solder and his wife, Lexi, also had a newborn last year.​

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Solder, 32, had expressed his intention to play in 2021 if the situation was right, he told ESPN in a phone conversation late last month.​

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Solder, at a then-record four-year deal worth $62 million, was the prized signing during the 2018 offseason, but he struggled during his full two seasons in New York.​

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A total of 27 sacks were attributed to the Giants' starting left tackle in 2018 and 2019, tied for the most in the NFL. His pass block win rate of 81.6% was 52nd of the 74 qualifying tackles during that time.​

Nate Solder signs new contract to stay with Giants

Nate Solder and the Giants have reached a resolution to keep him in the fold.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Nate Solder and the Giants have reached a resolution to keep him in the fold. After Solder opted out of the 2020 season, the team announced Wednesday that Solder has signed a new contract.​

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According to Dan Duggan of TheAthletic.com, Solder’s salary will be cut to about $4 million — with some bonuses involved — to create $6 million in cap savings for the Giants. That is the same amount New York would have created by releasing Solder.​

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Duggan also reports Solder is likely to serve as the Giants’ swing tackle, but could be an option at right tackle if Matt Peart isn’t ready to start.​

 

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Happy 27th birthday to Adam Butler
Born April 12, 1994 in Duncanville, Texas
Patriot DT, 2017-2020; uniform #70
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent from Vanderbilt on May 5, 2017

Adam Butler missed just one game in four seasons with the Patriots, and also played in seven playoff games - including two Super Bowls. His stat line reads 96 tackles, 15 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, 20 tackles for a loss, and nine pass deflections; he was typically on the field for about 45% of the team's defensive snaps. The Dolphins signed Butler early in free agency last month to a two-year, $7.5 million contract. Not bad for a guy who had himself convinced in his final rookie preseason game that he was about to be cut.

How Patriots Rookie Adam Butler Found Out He Made Initial 53-Man Roster - NESN.com

FOXBORO, Mass. — Adam Butler stood nervously on the New England Patriots’ sideline with his hands grasping the inside neck of his shoulder pads, helmet nowhere to be found, as his final opportunity to prove he deserved to make the team was passing by before his very eyes. The undrafted free...

nesn.com

Butler’s inclusion on the initial active roster was more than well-deserved. Butler ripped through Patriots training camp, seeing snaps on the first-team defense by the sixth practice of the summer. He handily beat Patriots offensive linemen in 1-on-1s and Jacksonville Jaguars blockers in joint practices. In three preseason games, he recorded three QB hits, five hurries and drew a hold as a pass rusher. He was similarly disruptive in the run game, bursting through the line with regularity.​

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If fans of Vanderbilt suddenly didn’t recognize this Adam Butler, it was understandable. Butler went to Vandy as a 320-pound offensive lineman. He got fired up during a rib-eating contest — no, seriously this is true — and was moved to defensive tackle.​

Adam Butler sacks Kyler Murray in the 2nd half of a Nov 29, 2020 20-17 victory at Arizona.​

Happy 52nd birthday to Bobby Abrams
Born April 12, 1967 in Detroit
Patriot LB, 1995; uniform #50
Signed as a free agent on March 1, 1995

Abrams was a career backup and special teams player, appearing in 74 NFL games over six years with five teams. New England was his last stop, where he played in nine games with one start. Since then he has worked as an educator and is now a high school principal in Montgomery, Alabama.




Happy 55th birthday to Perry Williams
Born April 12, 1964 in Cartersville, Georgia
Patriot DB, 1987; uniform #38

Williams was one of the replacement players during the 1987 strike. In the season opener of the 1985 season at Clemson, Williams had five pass deflections in a 20-17 victory at Virginia Tech.




April 12, 2021:
Julian Edelman retires after twelve seasons. The 2009 7th round pick from Kent State ranks 2nd in franchise history in career receptions (620), 4th in receiving yards (6,822). 9th in receiving touchdowns (36), 3rd in punt return yards (1,986), 1st in punt return TDs (4) and 3rd in yards per punt return (11.2). JE11 was clutch in the playoffs, most notably for his miraculous catch in the comeback versus Atlanta; he was also the MVP of Super Bowl 53 versus the Rams, with ten catches for 141 yards. Edelman is second in NFL history for most postseason receptions (118) and receiving yards (1,442), behind only Jerry Rice, and his 51 yard pass to Danny Amendola versus Baltimore is the longest completion for a TD in the playoffs by a non-QB in NFL playoff history.

Patriots WR Edelman, 34, announces retirement

Patriots star wide receiver Julian Edelman, who helped New England win three championships and was the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, announced his retirement on Monday in a social media video.

www.espn.com

Patriots WR Julian Edelman Announced His Retirement

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman announced his retirement today.

www.patriots.com

'Best 12 years of my life': Patriots Julian Edelman announces his retirement from the NFL

The veteran receiver has been plagued by knee injuries and played in just six games last season

www.providencejournal.com

April 12, 1963:
Pats re-acquire OT Jerry DeLucca from the Dallas Texans, in exchange for a 12th round draft pick. The Peabody native played in 31 games for the Pats, with 27 starts.



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

Fred Wallner (4/12/1928-11/4/1999)
The Greenfield Mass. native was an All-American under Frank Leahy at Notre Dame. Wallner was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals and was a Pro Bowl linebacker in 1955. In 1960 he was a player-coach with the Houston Oilers, who won the first AFL championship. Wallner continued coaching in the college ranks and with minor league teams. He was the head coach of the Hartford Knights of the old Atlantic Coast Football League.


Walter Tullis, 68 (4/12/1953)
Tullis is from Hartford CT and was a late draft pick by Washington in 1976. The wide receiver appeared in 32 games with the Packers, catching ten passes and one touchdown. His biggest play though was off the field, helping to rescue a mother and two children trapped in an early morning fire.


George Kenneally (1902-1968)
Lifelong Boston resident; graduate of Boston Latin High School
George was an NFL end from 1926-1935, twice named as a second-team All Pro. He played in 89 games for the Pottsville Maroons, Boston Bulldogs, Chicago Cardinals, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Eagles.


Al McIntosh (1903-1973)
Born and raised in Providence; Providence Tech HS; University of Rhode Island
Al was a wingback for the Providence Steamroller in 1925 and 1926.

 

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So now that Butler's gone, who's gonna be our 3-tech at DT...Lanky Hank Anderson? Monty Capuletti Adams? Little Lord Byron the Coward?