Favorite Pats player not named Tom Brady

[Calciumee]

Current: Gronk or Edelman (just something about him)

All-Time: Tedy or Rodney (first players other than TFB I really liked)

 

[sly24]

Rodney

Man I miss him...ageing SUCKS.

 

[IcyPatriot]

For me it was Willie ... i was excited when we drafted him. Then at Bryant College I can still hear Parcells bellowing "WILLIE ..... WILLIE" to bring him a drink - I was hooked. He could have been a star in a different defense but he accepted his role and did it well. It was nice to see his role change in his later years here.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

BIG Hernandez fan

 

[Joker]

Grogs...toughest SOB I ever saw on a field

 

[Mogamedogz]

troy is my all time favorite player period (Tom included) so this is a no brainer for me.

 

[Fencer]

Troy and Tedy are my candidates. I read online and don't listen to radio, so I'm much more exposed to Tedy being articulate than Troy.

Let's see:

Troy's league-wide uniqueness -- absolutely, positively the most versatile player in modern NFL history. He was a low-end Pro Bowler on offense. At his offensive peak, he turned in one of the best special-teams performances in NFL post-season history, engineering two touchdowns in a game that was decided by 7 points. And he was a fully competent defensive sub-package player.

Tedy's league-wide uniqueness -- the comeback from the stroke.

Both are pretty awesome.

 

[randomk1]

Current: Wilfork

All Time-Bruschi

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I voted for Troy Brown but it was a flip of the coin between him and Bruschi.

Of the current Pats, I'll go with Wilfork and have high hopes for McCourty.

 

[furley]

In the past my favorite players were Curtis Martin, Ben Coates and Rodney Harrison. Currently, my favorite offensive player is Wes Welker. On defense... I'm undecided. It'll probably become Patrick Chung in another season or two.

 

[Brady_12]

Rodney by a mile.

 

[DFlo]

Ty law for me

 

[LuthierJr]

Mosi Tatupu

 

[pwes]

Brady is somewhere around 5 on my favorite Players list.

Got to go with Troy Brown.

 

[AQPE]

I voted for Troy Brown but it was a flip of the coin between him and Bruschi.

Me too. If I had a #3 it would have been Tippett. Just like with Hannah and Mike Haynes when they were drafted about a decade earlier, when Tippett came on board he made an immediate impact on the way the team played on his side of the ball. Considering the way Haynes left the team and all the negativity that Hannah generated, I just don't feel as fond of them as I do of Andre.

#4 for me would be Grogan. I can never forget the excitement I felt when he came in (for Plunkett, I think) and watched him run around, sometimes over a defense those first couple of years, and then led them to that first really great season they had in 1976. Sure I was among the legion who got tired of seeing him overthrow receivers by about 10 yards, but that just made it even more sweet to watch him, having lost all of that amazing athleticism he once had, bounce back after somehow falling behind Cavanaugh and Eason on the depth chart and through sheer toughness and guile led them to their first AFC title/trip to the Super Bowl. "That was awesome."

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Before we became a dynasty had to be Ty and Lawyer and Troy (along with the kid QB). I know there was football pre 2001, but hard to include personal favorites from that lengthy era because of the way things played out no matter how much you liked a player personally. Russ Francis was one, as was Grogan and even Flutie though he never really had a chance here. And Gino and Nick in my childhood. With Parcell's arrival my binky's tended to come from an increased appreciation for defense. Wanted to like Drew but his lack of "IT" whatever "IT" was (and we didn't really know how to quantify it back then) made that impossible over time.

Dynasty years was Harrison and Bruschi and Ty and Bingo even as his health started to impact his production. Guy played CB cold off the bench and actually made impact plays...and he ultimately played out the string, as did the other two. Present team would lean toward Welker and possibly Woodhead and McCourty. Hope they play out the string, as will the QB favorite who shall remain nameless.

Part of the favoritism from me in this era emanates from being drawn not just to talent or production but to dogged determination and unselfish sacrifice, on and off the field. And guys who are all in. 'Cause that is as big a part of winning as talent.

 

[Mossachusetts]

Tedy Bruschi

 

[BlueString94]

Big three for me: Milloy, Bruschi, and Troy.

I'd put Troy and Bruschi ahead though, just because Lawyer wasn't there for 03 and 04 (though he WAS there for the greatest season of all time). Both players turned down bigger contracts to stay Patriots. That says it all for me.

 

[BAM!]

Rodney Harrison FTW!

Before him, Tippett and now...Chung and McCourty.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

Rodney Harrison
Richard Seymour
Corey Dillon
Andre Tippett