Today In Patriots History August 13: Devin McCourty

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
The McCourty Twins​

The McCourty Twins

www.mccourtytwins.com

Jan 23, 2016:

Family support helped Devin McCourty grow from overlooked high-school player to NFL star

FOXBORO — There was no complaining. No time to feel sorry for yourself, either. There was only hard work, sacrifice and perseverance in this household. The mother of three didn’t have a choice. In …

www.providencejournal.com

The boys grew up in an apartment complex in Nyack, N.Y., which was not the type of environment that Harrell wanted for her sons. When the twins were 11, the family moved to a trailer park in Nanuet.​

The McCourty boys didn’t have a lot, but they had everything they needed. Any struggle their mother was having she kept to herself. She worked hard to put food on the table and clothes on their back, and to take them to basketball and football practice. . . . .​

“From the behind the scenes, the most you saw from him was frustration and probably anger,” Jason McCourty said. “I remember as a freshman he would say to us that he was just going to start to become a sports agent since all of us were doing better. You could just see that it was frustrating for him watching some of us being able to play, not traveling and having to wake up doing the 5:30 redshirt lift and things like that.”​

Jan 29, 2019:

Tough love with an 'iron fist': Meet the McCourty twins' mighty mom

Phyllis Harrell is overwhelmed to see Devin and Jason, the first set of twins to play in the Super Bowl, on the same NFL team.

www.espn.com

The boys were 3 years old when their father, an Army veteran, reported to work at Lederle Laboratories in Pearl River, New York, on Oct. 16, 1990. A former basketball star at Nyack High School, Calvin McCourty was a 36-year-old supervisor in the Lederle computer department and an asthmatic who had been recently hospitalized. Calvin and Phyllis, a former cheerleader, didn't start dating until after high school. They loved each other and loved their life with Devin and Jason in their home inside the low-income community known as Nyack Plaza.​

Phyllis was working as a nurse at the time, and she doesn't want to recall too much about that day. She remembers doing laundry in the evening when the phone rang with news that Calvin had gone into cardiac arrest after suffering an asthma attack. He died before Phyllis could get to the hospital, before she had a chance to say goodbye.​

Her oldest son, Larry White, was overseas fighting in the Gulf War, leaving Harrell all alone with Devin and Jason. She repeatedly asked herself, "What am I going to do?" Harrell took a week off to grieve and accepted an offer from Calvin's parents to help with the kids whenever they could. "And then I went back to work," she said, "and life rolled on."​

After being selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, Devin McCourty became part of a select group in league history. McCourty's identical twin brother Jason had already begun playing in the NFL the previous year. The two became the twelfth set of twins to play in the NFL. In week one of 2018 the brothers became the first set of twins to play together on the same team since 1926. Ironically Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin accomplished the same unusual occurrence three hours later.

Devin and Jason were cornerbacks at Rutgers from 2005-08. Devin redshirted for 2005, thus being a year behind Jason in eligibility and the draft. Devin became the second NFL twin to suit up for the Patriots. Kato Serwanga was a safety on the Pats from 1998-2000; his twin brother Jason played for San Francisco and Minnesota from 1999-2001. In 2013 the Pats also had another pair of brothers, guards Nick and Chris McDonald - but Chris was placed on IR just before week one, and the two never did play together in a regular season game.



Happy 37th birthday to Devin McCourty
Born August 13, 1987 in Nyack, New York
Patriot FS/CB, 2010-2023; uniform #32
Pats 1st round (27th overall) selection of the 2010 draft, from Rutgers

* Twelve consecutive seasons elected as defensive team captain (2011-2022) by his teammates
* Missed only five games in eleven seasons
* Started every NFL game he ever played in, both regular season (205) and playoffs (24)
* Three-time Super Bowl champion, with a 16-8 record in the postseason - to go along with a 146-59 regular season record
* One of just eight players in NFL history to start in at least five Super Bowls (Tom Brady, Patrick Chung, Matt Light, Rob Gronkowski, Charles Haley, Cornelius Bennett, John Elway)
* Named to Pro Bowl in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2017
* Is one of only four Patriots to be selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie (Mike Haynes, '76; John Stephens, '88; Curtis Martin, '95)
* One of just three players to earn All-Pro honors at both cornerback and safety (the other are Hall of Famers Ron Woodson and Ronnie Lott)
* Seven interceptions in 2010 are second most by a rookie in franchise history
* 35 career interceptions is one off the franchise record of 36 (Ty Law, Raymond Clayborn)
* 581 career interception yards is just two off the franchise record of 583 (Ty Law)
* 205 games played is 5th most in club history
* 115 consecutive games played is 2nd most in team history (147, Clayborn)
* Selected to the New England Patriots All-Decade Team of the 2010s at safety

Best of Devin McCourty | Patriots Highlights 2010-2014 (4:53)




#89: Devin McCourty (FS, Patriots) | Top 100 Players of 2019 | NFL (3:25)

​

Jan 29, 2019:

Devin McCourty is making winning plays for Patriots and Players Coalition - Andscape

ATLANTA — Amid the chaos of the visitors locker room at Arrowhead Stadium last week, with the New England Patriots scurrying to depart Kansas City, Missouri, after defeating the Chiefs in overtime of the AFC Championship Game, Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty remained focused. The team’s media...

theundefeated.com

‘You can be out there in the community trying to improve lives … and you can still do your job. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.’​

Jan 11, 2019:

Two McCourtys Are Better Than One | By Jason McCourty

I remember, early on in training camp, Bill called us both over, super serious and said, “Do you guys have to wear the same f***ing sleeves?

www.theplayerstribune.com

March 10, 2023:

Patriots' Devin McCourty announces retirement

Safety Devin McCourty has announced his retirement after 13 seasons and three Super Bowl victories with the Patriots.

www.espn.com

March 21, 2023:

Patriots Send Franchise Great Devin McCourty Into Retirement With Emotional Ceremony

The two brothers were enshrined into the Rutgers University Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2016, and in 2019 they delivered the commencement address to the Rutgers University graduating class.

Devin and Jason McCourty – Rutgers University Alumni Association

alumni.rutgers.edu

Happy 37th birthday to Jason McCourty
Born August 13, 1987 in Nyack, New York
Patriot CB, 2018-2020; uniform #30
Acquired in a trade with Cleveland on March 15, 2018

Jason McCourty was a 6th round draft pick by Tennessee in 2009. He spent eight seasons with the Titans and one with the Browns. At the onset of the 2018 NFL year and start of free agency, Cleveland traded McCourty and their 7th round pick to the Pats for their 6th round pick. Jason became a starter in week three after Eric Rowe was injured.

To put it another way, the Patriots got a veteran starting corner for three full years (who played in 44 games, with 1,973 defensive snaps and 188 special team snaps), in exchange for moving down from the 205th overall pick to the 219th overall pick.

Not bad for a player considered by some to be on the roster bubble at the end of training camp.

Jason McCourty's at peace with life on the bubble

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There was a gravelly voice booming from the middle of the Patriots defensive backs’ pregame huddle Thursday night. It sounded familiar. Over the last few years, that’s been Devin McCourty’s job. But before the preseason finale, it was Jason McCourty who took charge. The...

www.nbcsports.com

​

March 16, 2018:

Get to know Jason McCourty

Or rather, get to know J-Mac.

www.patriots.com

May 6, 2021:

McCourty Twins Separated

Veteran cornerback Jason McCourty will be leaving the New England Patriots to join the Miami Dolphins

www.si.com

May 8, 2021:

Jason McCourty says farewell, thanks Patriots for letting him ‘live out a childhood dream’

McCourty posted his farewell message to social media.

www.masslive.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Bad Trade compounded by a Bad Release​

Happy 62nd birthday to Audray McMillian
Born August 13, 1962 in Carthage, Texas
Patriot CB, 1985 offseason
Pats 3rd round (84th overall) selection of the 1985 draft, from Houston

On April 30, 1985 the Patriots ignominiously pulled off one of the worst draft day trades in the history of the National Football League. The Pats traded down twelve spots, picking up an additional second round pick for doing so.

New England sent their first (16th overall) and third (75th overall) draft picks to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers first (28th overall), second (56th overall) and third (84th overall) picks.

The Pats used the first round pick on center Trevor Matich, who injured his ankle in preseason and missed all of 1985. Matich started only 11 games over four injury filled seasons before moving on elsewhere, to a career as a long snapper.

Second round pick Ben Thomas was waived four games into his second season.

Third round pick Audray McMillian was waived at the end of his rookie training camp. Who gives up on a third round draft pick that quickly?

The player that San Francisco traded up for lasted a bit longer. You may have heard of his name: Jerry Rice.


The Houston Oilers claimed McMillian the day after he was waived by the Pats. He went on to play from from 1985 to 1993 with the Oilers and Vikings. McMillian was named to the All-Pro team in 1992 after leading the league with eight interceptions.

And he's a super good guy too, tirelessly working to change lives for the better:

Oct 4, 1993:

Audray McMillian

Over the years, Viking pro bowl cornerback Audray McMillian has purchased several dwellings for tax purposes, but he never truly understood the human element

vault.si.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Brandon Gibson​

Happy 37th birthday to Brandon Gibson
Born August 13, 1987; from Puyallup, Washington
Patriot WR, 2015 offseason; uniform #13
Signed as a free agent on March 10, 2015

Brandon Gibson was the all-time leader in receiving yards and second in receptions at the time when he left Washington State. He was a 6th round draft pick by Philadelphia, then traded early in his rookie season to St. Louis. He played alongside Danny Amendola, with a carousel of quarterbacks for the Rams (Sam Bradford and Marc Bulger were the most notable among the six starting QBs) from 2009-2012. Gibson then went to Miami but tore a patellar tendon in his knee, ending the first of two seasons with the Dolphins prematurely.

The Pats signed Gibson to a one-year contract early in free agency in 2015. He was placed on IR with another knee injury on August 24, and never again played pro football. Gibson finished his career with 233 receptions for 2,711 yards and 13 touchdowns, in 76 NFL games.

Aug 26, 2015:

Former WSU WR Brandon Gibson to Miss Season

The former WSU receiver was having a stellar start to 2015 in New England, but after a knee injury he’s lost for the season.

www.cougcenter.com

After two seasons in Miami, where he was sparsely used having played in just 21 of the 32 games, Brandon Gibson was signed by the Patriots as a free agent this offseason. By all accounts, he was having a great preseason... until the 2nd preseason game.​

When the Patriots took on the Saints, Gibson landed awkwardly on his leg and hobbled off the field with a leg injury. The diagnosis wasn't clear until the MRI came down yesterday and revealed a torn ACL. Gibson will miss the rest of the season.​

In two preseason games with the Pats, Gibson had 12 receptions for 97 yards. Gibson will be missed by the team, especially his teammate Danny Amendola. "Obviously my heart sank when I found out about the news," Amendola was quoted as saying. "He’s a great football player, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll get his knee back, and rehab it, and get back out there as soon as he can."​

March 7, 2016:

Patriots Will Not Re-Sign Brandon Gibson

The Patriots have informed Brandon Gibson they will not re-sign him, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald …

www.profootballrumors.com

The Patriots have informed Brandon Gibson they will not re-sign him, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). Gibson tore his ACL in August, ending his 2015 season before it could begin. Gibson is apparently still rehabbing his knee injury, so that will be a concern for any interested team this spring.​

Gibson, 28, signed a one-year, minimum-salary benefit contract with the Patriots in March, getting a $40K bonus to join the club. The torn ACL was especially unfortunate because the wide receiver was having a strong preseason for New England.​

Gibson, a former sixth-round pick of the Eagles, spent four seasons with the Rams before landing with the Dolphins in 2013. In 2013, he hauled in 30 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns in just seven games. In 2014, Gibson totaled 29 receptions for 295 yards and a TD in 14 contests.​

 

[TheRainMaker]

Had Pat Chug not gotten injured in 2012, I don't think McCourty moves to S and his tenure with the Pats would've ended pretty fairly soon.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats First Game against an NFL Team​

August 13, 1967:
The Boston Patriots play the Baltimore Colts in a preseason game at Harvard Stadium. It was the first time the Pats ever played a game against an NFL team, with the agreement of a merger already in place. Baltimore won 33-3. A year after the Pats came oh-so-close to representing the AFL in the first Super Bowl, Boston dropped to 3-10-1 in '67, last in the AFL East.

The Colts would not lose a game until the final week of the 1967 season - yet missed the playoffs that year. The Colts and Rams were in the same division and both finished with 11-1-2 records. Los Angeles beat Baltimore in week 14, and the two teams had tied back in week 5. That gave LA the tiebreaker to win the Coastal Division. There were no wild cards then; only the four division winners proceeded to the postseason. Missing the postseason with that record led to rule changes that added a wild card team to the playoff format.

Aug. 13, 1967: Tom Addison, Bob Dee, and Larry Eisenhauer didn't look happy with a 33-3 preseason loss to the Baltimore Colts as the regulars waited for the game to end.

 

[jmt57]

On a side note to the Baltimore Colts and the 1967 National Football League: what was with how the NFL split teams up when they went from simply the East and West in 1966, to four divisions in 1967?

It was the perfect opportunity to get teams better aligned geographically, but it was as if they tried their hardest to do the opposite. The "Coastal Division" was perhaps the most illogical, with two west coast teams (LA, SF) and two on the east (Baltimore, Atlanta). On top of that Atlanta is over 500 miles away from the ocean, not qualifying as 'coastal'. Two of the other divisions ("Century": St Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New York, and "Capitol": Dallas and New Orleans, with Washington and Philadelphia) were needlessly spread far apart as well.

Only the Central Division (same as today's NFC North) made any sense.

The only explanation that I can come up with is that the old school owners had a bias against the AAFC teams that merged into the NFL in 1950. In 1949 the NFL had logical geographical groupings:
East: New York, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh
West: Chicago, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles

After the merger, this was the 1950 abomination of an 'alignment':
American: New York Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago Cardinals
National: New York Yanks, Baltimore, Chicago Bears, Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles, San Francisco

The Yanks soon folded and the divisions reverted to 'East' and 'West', which now made zero sense. The NFL added Dallas in 1960 and correctly placed the Cowboys in the West - but when they added Minnesota a year later, they put the Vikings in the West - and rather than place Baltimore in the East, they sent Dallas to the East instead.

Huh?


A few years later the league added franchises in Atlanta and New Orleans. In 1967 the NFL went to four divisions.
Perfect opportunity to fix the geographical mess, and map out logical geographical rivalries.

This is how it should have looked:
East: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington
Central: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St Louis, Atlanta
North: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota
West: New Orleans, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco

Instead there was this, with only the Central looking correct:
Capitol: Philadelphia, Washington, New Orleans, Dallas
Century: New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St Louis
Coastal: Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco
Central: Chicago Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota


After the AFL-NFL merger, Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh moved to the AFC.
Perfect opportunity to fix that failed grade in geography class, right?

Wrong, the NFL flunked that test again.
Probably because Wellington Mara and Jerry Jones whined loudly and long enough to get their selfish desires fulfilled.

So instead of a rational alignment, such as this:
East: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta
Central: St Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota
West: New Orleans, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco

There was instead this nonsense:
East: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, St Louis, Dallas
Central: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota
West: Atlanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco