Today In Patriots History August 21: Kelley Washington

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Today in Patriots History
Special Teams Standout​

Happy 45th birthday to Kelley Washington
Born Aug 21, 1979 in Stephens City, Virginia
Patriot ST/WR, 2007-2008; uniform #15
Signed as a veteran free agent on March 13, 2007

Two months before his 18th birthday, Kelley Washington was selected in the 10th round of the major league baseball draft. He signed with the Florida Marlins and spent the next four years in their minor league system. On a road trip in 2000 he looked out the bus window in South Bend. Notre Dame was about to play their first game of the year.

Drive, determination still fuel Washington's success

STEPHENS CITY — He dabbed around his eyes with a handkerchief. His voice cracked. He paused for several seconds at a time to collect himself.

www.winchesterstar.com

“I looked at a beautiful stadium, looked at the lights and the RVs parked outside, and there must have been 100,000 people in that parking lot tailgating at the time. It was like slow-motion, and I can remember it like it was yesterday.”​

Washington said he hadn’t thought about football once after graduating from Sherando, but he was all-in on the sport after witnessing the scene at Notre Dame Stadium. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee for the spring semester of 2001 as a walk-on.​

“At that time, my mind, body, heart and soul were devoted to being the best football player I can be. I was focused and committed.”​

Entering high school his favorite sport was neither football nor baseball; it was basketball. As a sophomore the football coach had to talk him into coming out for the team. Washington became a two-way starter at quarterback and defensive back, setting the school record for interceptions. He was All-State in Virginia, twice leading his team to the state final.

With a new position and a new sport, Washington caught 70 passes for 1,080 yards and seven TD as a freshman at Tennessee. He set a school record with 256 yards receiving against LSU. After that performance Washington was considered to be a first round prospect in the upcoming NFL draft, but mistakenly returned for another year with the Vols. Between a sprained knee, concussion and surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his neck, Washington played in just four games.

Cincinnati drafted Washington in the third round of the 2003 draft. In his first two years he played in every game, totaling 53 catches for 677 yards and seven touchdowns as the #3 wide receiver. In 2005 Chris Henry eclipsed Washington for that number three spot on the depth chart. With most of Carson Palmer's passes going to either Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh or Henry, Washington became a forgotten afterthought.

​

During the 2007 offseason the Patriots had already traded for Wes Welker and Randy Moss, and signed free agent Donte' Stallworth. Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney, Troy Brown and Chad Jackson were all returning from the 2006 team as well.


June 26, 2007:
Washington receiving a second chance with Pats | Patriots.com

Even though Washington was buried on the Bengals depth chart, he found another way to contribute and help his team. According to a source in Cincinnati who has followed the Bengals for years, Washington spent the summer after the 2005 season working on special teams once it was evident he wasn’t going to see a lot of playing time at receiver.​

“This is a hard working kid and he took his demotion like a man,” the source said. “He never complained or sulked about it. Instead, he devoted the entire offseason learning how to play special teams. He had never played on special teams before but Kelley wanted to get on the field and help his team any way he could. When he approached Coach Lewis, Kelley was told to work on being a gunner and before he was injured last year, he was the best gunner on the team. That’s the kind of work ethic he has.”​

Washington wasn’t told specifically if he’ll continue to contribute on special teams for the Patriots but he was quick to point out that most of the players in New England have more than one role on the team.​

“You look at the personnel there at the Patriots, there are guys there who do anything to win and that's something that if that is what they want me to do, that's what I'm going to do,” Washington said about playing special teams. “I'm going to go in there and bust my tail, work special teams, work on the offensive side of the ball, just do whatever to help the team win. That's my whole mentality and I believe I started that mentality at a young age. There are a lot of guys up there who have different roles and they fulfill that role and it's all about team up there. That's what's so special about the Patriots.”​

Aug 5, 2007:

Pats' Washington reflects on baseball days

New England Patriots receiver Kelley Washington knows what it’s like to be on the road for weeks at a time, train for long hours in the heat, and eat chicken soup straight from the can. And that was…

www.wickedlocal.com

Dec 16, 2007:

Kelley provides the key

FOXBORO - Kelley Washington's swat of a Ben Graham punt with just under two minutes to play in the first half wasn't just the turning point in yesterday's 20-10 win over the Jets, it also marked the …

www.metrowestdailynews.com

Washington gave Patriots needed lift

www.patriotledger.com

Dec 22, 2007:
Patriots' Washington a new kid on block | Boston Globe

"It was one of those things where our rush worked out and I was able to get really close to their punter and block it."​

Washington's feat is rare around these parts. The last time the Patriots turned the trick was Dec. 19, 1999, when Larry Whigham blocked Philadelphia's Sean Landeta in a 24-9 victory over the Eagles at Veterans Stadium. But Washington's play wasn't a simple matter of happenstance.​

"We work really hard in practice and [special teams coach] Brad [Seely] has really gotten on us about improving, and I think each week we've kind of improved," Washington said. "We've done what we needed to do to help the offense and defense win games. Last week was just an opportunity where we had a chance, as a corps, to make a couple of plays and we did."​

More important, though, was the impact Washington's block had in the game. It led to Laurence Maroney's 1-yard TD run that enabled the Patriots to take a 17-7 halftime lead after David Bowens had blocked a Chris Hanson punt and returned it 26 yards to pull the Jets within 10-7.​

"He's been a real consistent player for us," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of Washington, an athletic wideout who signed as an unrestricted free agent after spending the first four years of his career with the Bengals.​

"[He] plays to his size. He's a big kid [6 feet 3 inches, 215 pounds] who plays physical and runs well and is very athletic," Belichick added. "Just even on the [blocked] punt last week, a lot of guys wouldn't have made that play. Even if they had been there, they would have missed the ball. Kelley has good hand-eye coordination, good athletic ability and balance, and it was a pretty good athletic play just to get his hand on it."​

Oct 24, 2017:

Washington was a member of the 2007 New England Patriots team that became the first in NFL history to open the year with 18 straight victories.​

The 2007 season was the only one in which Washington didn’t have a catch, but he played 17 games while standing out on special teams. He tied for second among Patriots special teamers in solo tackles (11) and total tackles (16) in the regular season and became the first New England player to block a punt in eight years.​

“We did lose in the Super Bowl, but you can say we’re arguably the best team that ever played,” Washington said. “It was great to a part of that team.”​

After the Hall of Fame ceremony, Washington said the success he had in football might not have occurred if not for the struggles he had in baseball.​

“What I experienced in baseball, that showed me what it was going to take,” Washington said. “If I really wanted to get to the top, I was going to start at the bottom. I fought and clawed my way to the top, and I try to share my story with as many people as I can.​

“It’s funny. [Patriots quarterback] Tom Brady would always talk to me about baseball, because he loved baseball. He was kind of in awe about how I could play professional baseball, then make it in professional football. I’m just truly thankful that I did utilize my talent physically and mentally.”​

After two seasons in Foxborough, Washington signed with the Ravens in 2009. At the age of 30 he set career-highs in receptions (34) and yards (431) with Baltimore. Washington played in 91 games over eight NFL seasons, with 120 receptions for 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns. He now owns an investment real estate company in Fort Lauderdale and works as an offensive coach for a company that preps college football players for the NFL.

Since Washington started working with BPS in 2011 upon his retirement, some of the players he has trained include Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker.​

For more on Kelly Washington's very interesting journey and his post-NFL life, please check out the full article from the Drive, Determination... link.

December 16, 2007: Kelley Washington reacts to a Special Teams turnover against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
Patriots beat the Jets 20-10, to go to 14-0.



Dec 23, 2007: Kelly Washington and Heath Evans celebrate after a play against
Miami at Gillette Stadium. The Pats defeated the Dolphins 28-7.



Mike Vrabel #50, Kelley Washington #15 and Donte Stallworth #18 take the field​

 

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Today in Patriots History
Floyd Reese​

August 21, 2021:

Floyd Reese, Longtime NFL Exec And Former Patriots Advisor, Dies At 73

Floyd Reese, a former NFL coach and executive, died Saturday at the age of 73. He worked with the New England Patriots from 2009-12.

nesn.com

Floyd Reese, a longtime NFL coach and executive who spent time in the New England Patriots' front office, died Saturday at the age of 73.​

Reese spent 21 years with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans organization and served as the general manager from 1994-2006.​

He came to New England as a senior football advisor in 2009.​

Statement from Bill Belichick on Floyd Reese

"I am saddened by Floyd's passing and am forever grateful for the impact he made on my professional development. Floyd was one of the most influential people on my NFL career when we were together on the Detroit Lions staff. Floyd was one of the pioneer coaches in strength training at a time when strength coaches did not exist in the NFL. As terrific a coach, football mind and team builder as he became, and as tough a person he was, when I think of Floyd I will remember a great human being and one of the most positive, friendly people I have ever known. Floyd made a significant impact on my career, he was a friend of nearly half a century and he will be missed greatly. My thoughts and prayers are with Sally, the Reese family and the Titans organization." - Bill Belichick​

Floyd Reese left the Titans, and Nashville, better than he found them

Former Titans GM died Saturday at age of 73 after battle with cancer

www.nashvillepost.com

Few people have the ability to impact lives beyond football from an NFL front office, and former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans General Manager Floyd Reese was one of them.​

Reese died on Saturday at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer, but he built a legacy through his relationships with people that won’t soon be forgotten.​

Sure, Reese was excellent at his craft and the Titans’ results on the field were proof of that. He was responsible for 111 wins, 11 playoff appearances and two AFC Championship appearances. In addition, he constructed the best team in franchise history in 1999 — the only team to reach a Super Bowl. He also drafted 27 Pro Bowlers, three Rookie of the Year winners and an NFL Co-MVP.​

But as a person, Reese touched lives in many ways that went beyond simply what happened between the sidelines for three hours on a Sunday afternoon.​

He cared about people, and he cared about his friends. Perhaps no story better illustrates that fact than the one Titans General Manager Jon Robinson shared Saturday night after the Titans 34-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.​

“I think to speak to the character of what Floyd means to me, when I was interviewing for the job to come home to Tennessee, he picked up the phone and called (then-CEO) Steve Underwood for me,” Robinson said. “The last time Steve Underwood talked to Floyd Reese was when he let him go. That’s the type of man that Floyd Reese was. He believed in me, he believed in what we’re about…I can’t say enough good things about Floyd.”​

Those closest to Reese light up as they talk about how important football was to him. Football was his family, and his family was football. The two intertwined regularly but were never separated in Reese’s mind.​

Reese was a coach, a general manager, a senior advisor, and later in his career, a radio host. Regardless of what role he was in or what title he had, Reese always sought out to make those around him better, and make the environment in which he worked a positive one.​

Added New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick through a statement: “As terrific a coach, football mind and team builder as he became, and as tough a person he was, when I think of Floyd, I will remember a great human being and one of the most positive, friendly people I have ever known. Floyd made a significant impact on my career. He was a friend of nearly half a century and he will be missed greatly.”​

Many former players, coaches and media members typically have a favorite memory or an amusing story that sticks out above the rest. But sometimes, a person’s legacy isn’t boiled down to just one laughable moment in time or a singular instance that made her or him more appreciable than before. Sometimes the person's legacy lies in the consistency of her or his character.​

 

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Today in Patriots History
Sammy Martin​

Happy 59th birthday to Sammy Martin
Born Aug 21, 1965 in Gretna, Louisiana
Patriot KR/WR/PR, 1988-1991; uniform #82
Pats 4th round (97th overall) selection of the 1988 draft, from LSU


Sammy Martin played in 40 games with the Patriots over 3½ seasons. The 5' 11, 175 speedster averaged 22.9 yards on 88 kickoff returns (with one touchdown), and 8.3 yards on 20 punt returns. Martin also had 21 receptions for 345 yards (16.4 ypc) and one touchdown catch.


Aug 21, 1989:

New England's Sammy Martin shows his skills - UPI Archives

Contract squabbles may not help anyone as much as the backup player trying to prove his value. In the protracted negotiations of Irving Fryar and Hart Lee...

www.upi.com

Contract squabbles may not help anyone as much as the backup player trying to prove his value. In the protracted negotiations of Irving Fryar and Hart Lee Dykes, wide receiver Sammy Martin is showing the New England Patriots just how good he can be.​

Last year, the 5-foot-11 Martin returned 31 kickoffs for an impressive 23.7 average including a 95-yard return against Indianapolis for a touchdown. The speedy former LSU star was used rarely as a receiver, catching just four passes for 51 yards.​

While Fryar, a former All-Pro, and Dykes, the team's first-round draft pick, were negotiating for more money, Martin was getting more playing time. In Saturday's 17-12 exhibition victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Martin exceeded his receiving yardage of last year, gaining 54 yards on four catches. He left the game after suffering a bruised shoulder early in the fourth quarter.​

'I'm still making mistakes,' said Martin. 'I'm running my routes too quick. I made the catches, but it could cause trouble if the defensive guy is reacting quickly -- I'll get nailed.'​

On the play he was injured 'that's what happened. I ran a bad route. I should have stayed wide instead of coming up short. I got hurt.'​

Aug 13, 2020:

’White Lightning’ - Sammy Martin took the jokes, dodged the defenders at LSU

Sammy Martin is certainly one of the more unique players in the history of LSU football. Some of his LSU teammates and former head coach shared some entertaining and humorous memories about the man nicknamed “White Lightning.”

www.wafb.com

Sammy Martin is certainly one of the more unique players in the history of LSU football.​

Martin played with the Tigers from 1984-87 and was part of some very strong LSU teams. His teammates and coaches would often rib Martin about his appearance, saying he hardly had the physique of a college football player and that he looked far too old to be one as well.​

But Martin’s blazing speed and shifty moves were no joke to opposing defenses, who were often left in the dust by the Gretna, La., native. Martin averaged 5.5 yards per carry and compiled over 2,000 yards of scrimmage during his LSU career, with over 1,000 yards of kick returns as well.​

He went on to be a fourth round draft pick by the New England Patriots and played four seasons in the NFL.​

Aug 5, 2020:

Q & A with Da Boot Sports! SAMMY MARTIN

Da Boot Sports 8/5/2020 By: Terrill J. Weil Today's Q & A Session is with former running back Sammy Martin. Martin play at LSU under Bill Arnsparger from 1984-1987. He was only 5'11" 175lbs,...

www.dabootsports.com

Q - What is your favorite TV Show?​

Sammy - Jeopardy, I watch it religiously.​

Q - Who is your favorite Pro Athlete?​

Sammy - I would have to say Muhammad Ali. I met him when I was young, around 12 years old before he had a fight in New Orleans.​

Q - Who is your favorite Actor?​

Sammy - Clint Eastwood.​

Q - Who is your favorite Music Artist/Group?​

Sammy - That's the toughest of all the questions..... The Traveling Wilburys... They were an English–American supergroup put together by Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.​

Q - Tell us about your NFL Career?​

Sammy - I was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 4th round. Made the conversion to wide receiver and punt returner, and played for five seasons. It's a big step. It goes from fun to business in a heartbeat. Well, it's still fun because playing football is something that you grew up with and you love the game. That's why you're there. But your not going to make it unless you have the love for the game. But it just becomes a business.​

When I ended up with the Patriots, the owner was bankrupt. He didn't have enough of the Collectors Bargaining Agreement. My signing bonus was late. I was still happy to be there. They had gone to the Super Bowl two years earlier.​

Raymond Berry was my head coach. He was a good man. Steve Grogan was the quarterback. I met a lot of very influential people. Doug Flutie and I were roommates. It was a good time. I met some very good people along the way. Everyone helped out and everyone was very friendly. New England was a good club back then, they just had a few financial problems at the time.​

New England released me in 1991. At the time if anyone gets released, the team with the worse record in the League has first rights. So I ended up going to Indianapolis. To make a long story short, I played for back-to-back 1-15 teams. That would make a good Jeopardy question one day... It was fun. I met some good people there also. Jeff George, Eric ****erson, Clarence Verdin, Reggie Dupard was there.​

From there I ended up signing a free agent contract with the Saints. I met Jim Mora one night for a little get together and negotiated a contract. I had a good preseason, even though I was hurt. My last play ever in football. It was preseason on Monday Night Football and I scored the winning touchdown against the Chicago Bears with like 8 seconds left. I continued to try to keep playing hurt but they put me on Injured Reserve and they ended up releasing me. No one picked me up after that. Then a couple of months later I was playing basketball in Slidell and tore my ACL. That basically ended my career.​