Today In Patriots History Feb 26, 1990: Raymond Berry Fired

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Pats fire Raymond Berry​

February 26, 1990:
The New England Patriots fired head coach Raymond Berry

General Manager Patrick Sullivan fired Raymond Berry over ‘philosophical differences’ on this date 35 years ago. The previous season the Patriots went 5-11 with Berry serving as his own offensive coordinator. His assistant defensive coaches shared the duties of defensive coordinator, while Sullivan wanted Berry to name an OC and DC. Berry commented that ‘when he doesn’t agree with my decision, his job is to fire me’. He had a humorous response to a reporter’s question about what the philosophical differences that Sullivan alluded to. Berry’s response was ‘I never heard any talk among us about any problems with philosophy’.

At the time Berry was the winningest coach in franchise history, leading New England to a 51-41 record over five seasons. He coached the Patriots to their first post-merger title game after the Pats became the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road.

Everything went quickly downhill after that. An exposé on rampant drug use by the players immediately followed the humiliating Super Bowl 20 blowout loss to the Bears. In the 1986 postseason the Pats were one and done, then missed the playoffs in each of the next three seasons. A corresponding drop in attendance had to have been a major factor in the decision, even if Sullivan never mentioned that fact.


Berry made a couple of interesting final comments. He stated that the Patriots were ‘a football team that’s in need of some new talent and some physical healing. Then the team could contend.’ But if those two needs were not met, ‘it’s not reasonable to expect them automatically to be contenders.’

The team failed to achieve either of those two requirements, resulting in four consecutive seasons with double-digit losses after his departure.

Berry fired as Patriots coach

Raymond Berry was fired Monday as coach of the New England Patriots in a power struggle with general manager Pat Sullivan. Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Rod Rust re-portedly was the top...

www.tampabay.com

Raymond Berry was fired Monday as coach of the New England Patriots in a power struggle with general manager Pat Sullivan. Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Rod Rust re-portedly was the top candidate to succeed Berry. The firing apparently centered on Sullivan's desire that Berry go outside the organization to name offensive and defensive coordinators, while Berry apparently wanted to fill those spots from his current staff.​

"In my job as a coach, I'm hired to give these people my best judgment I do things I believe in and I have a very difficult time doing things I don't believe in," said Berry, who was released one day before his 57th birthday. His 5½ season record was 48-39.​

Patriots Fire Berry; Rust in Line for Job

Raymond Berry was fired Monday as coach of the New England Patriots in a power struggle with General Manager Pat Sullivan.

www.latimes.com

Sullivan had no comment.​

But in a statement released by the team, Sullivan said the decision to release Berry, who took the team to Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears, was “the most difficult and most unpleasant of my career.”​

The Patriots were 5-11 last season, their worst record since 1981, and missed the NFL playoffs for the third consecutive year.​

The Steelers said they had given Rust permission to talk with the Patriots. Rust was Berry’s defensive coordinator for 3 1/2 seasons before filling that position with Kansas City in 1988 and the Steelers in 1989.​

Patriots fire head coach Raymond Berry - UPI Archives

Raymond Berry, who coached the New England Patriots to the only Super Bowl appearance of their 30-year history, was fired Monday after losing a power...

www.upi.com

Raymond Berry, who coached the New England Patriots to the only Super Bowl appearance of their 30-year history, was fired Monday after losing a power struggle with General Manager Patrick Sullivan.​

Defensive line coach Ed Khayat said Monday, 'the best thing that ever happened to this outfit was when they hired Raymond Berry as coach. He took them to the Super Bowl and they wouldn't have been there without him.'​

'He might have been a better coach than he was a player,' Khayat said.​

Berry was one of the NFL's all-time best wide receivers while playing with the Baltimore Colts from 1954 to 1967 and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.​

Raymond Berry | Pro Football History.com

pro-football-history.com

Before he was a head coach, Berry served as an assistant coach for Tom Landry, Don McCafferty, Rick Forzano, Forrest Gregg, Chuck Fairbanks, Ron Erhardt, Ron Meyer, Wayne Fontes, and Dan Reeves. Three of these years were spent on Erhardt's coaching staff. One assistant coach from his coaching staffs, Rod Rust, was eventually hired as a head coach. After coaching on Raymond Berry's coaching staff, Rust was the head coach of the New England Patriots for one season where he had a record of 1-15.​

Recalling the Raymond Berry era and New England's failed run at Bill Walsh

Bill Belichick.

www.nbcsports.com

According to the late, great Will McDonough of the Boston Globe, then-Patriots owner Victor Kiam offered New England’s head coaching/G.M. roles to former 49ers coach Bill Walsh. However, Walsh turned down the offer, citing his commitment to continue working for NBC, the Globe reported.​

Still, a coaching change was coming for New England, which fell to 5-11 in ’89.​

The Patriots would tab Steelers defensive coordinator Rod Rust to replace Berry, but he was fired after New England was a league-worst 1-15 in 1990. The Pats then turned to Syracuse head coach **** McPherson, who led New England to a 6-10 mark in ’91. However, New England was 2-14 in ’92, with McPherson missing seven games because of illness. He was replaced in January 1993.​

From there, the Patriots hired Parcells, who led New England to the playoffs in his second season and the Super Bowl in his fourth. Then came the three-season stint for Carroll (1997-1999), who was then replaced by Belichick.​

But before that trio of coaches came the 9-39 stretch the franchise endured in the three seasons after Berry’s departure. Would things have been different if the Patriots lured Walsh east, or if Berry stayed on? If Walsh succeeded in New England, would Parcells ever have had reason to join the franchise? How would franchise history have been altered?​

We’ll never know. But we do know this: Raymond Berry, like Belichick and Carroll, won more than he lost in his time in Foxborough, and he has his own spot in Patriots history.​

 

[signbabybrady]

Fired too soon

 

[jmt57]

Fired too soon

Nepo child Patrick Sullivan cos-playing an NFL general manager.

 

[Pape]

He never coached after he left New England, did he? Kinda surprising that no other NFL team would give him a shot...

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Tom marries Giselle​

February 26, 2009:
Tom Brady marries Giselle Bündchen in Santa Monica, California.
Definitely an upgrade over Tara Reid.

​

The quarterback and the model first met on a blind date in December of 2006, and Tom proposed in January of 2009 - just a month before getting married, making this a very quick engagement. About nine months after exchanging vows the couple had their first child together, Benjamin Rein Brady, on December 8, 2009. They had a second child, Vivian Lake Brady, on December 5, 2012. Prior to that Tom had his first son, John 'Jack' Edward Thomas Moynahan with his former girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan, on August 22, 2007.

After 16 years together and 13 years of marriage, Tom and Gisele divorced on October 28, 2022.

 

[signbabybrady]

Today in Patriots History
Tom marries Giselle​

February 26, 2009:
Tom Brady marries Giselle Bündchen in Santa Monica, California.
Definitely an upgrade over Tara Reid.

​

The quarterback and the model first met on a blind date in December of 2006, and Tom proposed in January of 2009 - just a month before getting married, making this a very quick engagement. About nine months after exchanging vows the couple had their first child together, Benjamin Rein Brady, on December 8, 2009. They had a second child, Vivian Lake Brady, on December 5, 2012. Prior to that Tom had his first son, John 'Jack' Edward Thomas Moynahan with his former girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan, on August 22, 2007.

After 16 years together and 13 years of marriage, Tom and Gisele divorced on October 28, 2022.

Yoko

 

[jmt57]

He never coached after he left New England, did he? Kinda surprising that no other NFL team would give him a shot...

From what I can find he worked with two other coaches:
1991, for Wayne Fontes with the Detroit Lions, as their QB coach
1992, for Dan Reeeves with the Denver Broncos as their QB coach

Reeves was fired the following year, and Wade Phillips brought in a whole new staff.
Even though Berry was only 59, he never worked as a coach again after that.


For some reason I mistakenly thought that Berry had passed away some time ago, but that is not the case.
He is still alive, and will turn 92 tomorrow.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
More February 26 Events​

February 26, 1971:
John Mazur hires **** Evans to be the team's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach

Evans - who played pro basketball as well as pro football in the 1940s - had been coaching at various levels since 1945. Apparently two years with the Mazur-Billy Sullivan-Schaefer Stadium era Patriots was enough to incentivize him to retire after the 1972 season.

1972 Patriots Media Guide:

**** EVANS​

Defensive Coordinator​

Birthdate --- May 31, 1918​

Birthplace --- Chicago, Illinois​

College --- Iowa, '41​

Seasons in Coaching --- 16​

Year with Patriots --- 2​

The "dean" of the Patriots coaching staff, **** has coached six different pro clubs during his 16-year career in the NFL . . . a native of Chicago, he played college ball at Iowa (1937-39) and later played end with the Green Bay Packers (1940 and '43) and Chicago Cardinals (1941-42) in the NFL . . . after a service hitch, he launched his coaching career at Long Beach City College (1946-47), moved to Nevada (1948-50) and Loyola of L.A. (1951) . . . pro coaching career began with the Chicago Cardinals (1952), continued with Washington Redskins (1955-58) under Joe Kuharich . . . moved with Kuharich to Notre Dame in 1959 . . . joined Paul Brown with Cleveland Browns (1960-63), rejoined Kuharich with Philadelphia Eagles (1964-68) . . . served as scout for Green Bay in 1969 and coached defensive backfield in 1970 . . . lives in Medfield, Mass. with wife Miriam and children Nile, Marty and Sally.​

Dick Evans Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Stats, Coaching Records, Team Ranks, Coordinators, and more for **** Evans on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/****_Evans_%28Iowa%29.jpg/220px-****_Evans_%28Iowa%29.jpg​

February 26, 1991:
Patriots hire the following staff:
Joe Mendes as VP of player personnel
Patrick Forte as VP of administration
Tom Bass as VP of public relations- player relations




February 26, 1993:
Patriots sign free agent OL Mike Gisler

Originally an 11th round 1992 draft pick by the Saints, Gisler played in 73 games (with 7 starts) for the Patriots from 1993 to 1997, then followed Bill Parcells to play for the Jets for two more seasons. In his post-NFL career he operated Gisler Brothers Logging, until the company was bought out and he retired in 2023.

Where Are They Now: Mike Gisler

Bill Parcells knew the type of player he wanted on his team to be successful when he became the head coach of the Jets in 1997.​

Mike Gisler was that type of player.​

The center/guard and Parcells had a five-year history with the New England Patriots before reuniting in New York in 1998.​

"I was with Parcells the first year he got to the Patriots, '93, and I was there after the Super Bowl [XXXI] when Bill left and went to the Jets," Gisler said. "I was still under contract, so I played the final year when Pete Carroll was (New England's head coach).​

"And then after that year was over, I went down as a free agent to the Jets. By then I had realized pretty much it was a good fit for both parties. He valued me, and so it was the best place for me to play."​

https://stratagraph.com/stratagraph-acquires-gisler-brothers-logging/

Stratagraph, a leader in geological services to the oil and gas industry for over 60 years, announces the acquisition of the south Texas logging company Gisler Brothers Logging (GBL).​

Since 1975, Gisler Brother Logging has strived to build a reputation based on hard work, communication, attention to detail, and safety. GBL is a 2nd generation mud logging company based in Runge, Texas. For over 48 years, the Gisler name has been synonymous with professionalism, honesty, and quality mud logging services in Texas. The mission and values of Gisler Brother Logging align with those of Stratagraph, Inc., making the company a perfect fit to continue the ongoing future success of both organizations. The new south Texas extension of Stratagraph Mudlogging is equipped with twenty-six working logging units and a full team of qualified loggers who have extensive knowledge of formations and carbonate zones throughout the region.​

February 26, 1996: *
The Patriots claim safety Frankie Smith off waivers from Miami.

Smith had played cornerback at Baylor, and was a 4th round selection (104th overall pick) in the 1992 NFL Draft by Atlanta. He was waived by the Falcons at the end of his rookie training camp, and made his NFL debut with Miami late in 1993 after being inactive for five games, and being on the practice squad for five more weeks. Smith played in 29 games with four starts in his 2½ years with the Dolphins, missing three games in '94 with a knee injury and five games in '95 with hamstring and knee injuries.

The Patriots released Smith ahead of the 1996 season, on August 27. Over the next five seasons he played in 74 games for the 49ers and Bears, leading both teams in special team tackles. In 1998 Smith was voted as a Pro Bowl alternate on special teams. Since 2001 he has been a coach, health teacher and professional communications teacher at Mexia Independent School District in Texas.

LinkedIn - Frankie Smith

2000 Chicago Bears Media Guide

Frankie Smith Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Frankie Smith. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

* - not entirely sure of the exact date; this site claims it to be Feb 26, this one Feb 19, and this one Feb 27.

** - Not to be confused with this Frankie Smith, the one-hit wonder who wrote the 1981 song Double Dutch Bus.




February 26, 1998:
The Patriots lose free agent TE/FB Keith Byars, who signs with the Jets

Bill Parcells had signed Byars at the age of 33 in his final season in New England (1996), after the veteran had played seven seasons with Philadelphia and four with Miami. Byars played in 26 games with 14 starts in his two seasons for the Pats, with 47 receptions and five touchdowns. Byars also had 14 receptions and two touchdowns in five playoff games with the Patriots. He was one of many players that departed Foxborough to follow Parcells to New Jersey.

Over the course of his 13-season NFL career, Byars scored 54 touchdowns in 189 regular season games, plus two TDs in 13 postseason games. In his post-NFL life he has coached high school football in Boca Raton, been a studio analyst on the YES network in New York, and hosted a show on a radio station in Dayton, Ohio, where he also announces local high school football games.

Parcells has Jets on the offensive - CT Insider

Despite concerns on the defensive line and in the secondary, Parcells continued his efforts to bolster the offense, signing former Patriots fullback Keith Byars and former Bears guard Todd Burger on Wednesday to free-agent contracts. They joined $17 million center Kevin Mawae and backup center Mike Gisler in the Jets' all-offensive free-agent class.​

Byars, 34, a Parcells favorite from their brief time together in New England, is a multi-dimensional player who also plays tight end. His arrival could affect the roles of running back Richie Anderson and fullback Lorenzo Neal, whose roster spot could be in jeopardy.​

Jets boost offense with Byars, guard Burger

Even though Jets coach Bill Parcells hasn't addressed the media since the end of the season, his off-season plan has become quite apparent.

www.tampabay.com

Despite the signing of Byars, the Jets still are believed to be interested in free-agent fullback Sam Gash, another Parcells favorite who became expendable Tuesday when the Patriots signed Tony Carter from the Bears.​

The well-traveled Byars, who caught 20 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns last season, will "bring a lot of versatility to our offense," Parcells said in a statement. "He can play fullback, catch the ball out of the backfield and be a tight end."​

Parcells coached Byars in 1996. A midseason acquisition, he played a key role in the Patriots' Super Bowl run. He's a strong locker-room presence who should provide much-needed leadership.​

February 26, 2008:
Patriots release OLB Rosevelt Colvin and LB Oscar Lua

Colvin would be re-signed in December; Lua never played a regular season snap in the NFL.

Patriots release LB Rosevelt Colvin and LB Oscar Lua -- Patriots.com

Oscar Lua, 23, was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round (211th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of the University of Southern California. The 6-foot-1-inch, 240-pound linebacker was placed on the reserve/injured list on Sept. 1, 2007 with a knee injury and missed his rookie season.​

Patriots release Rosevelt Colvin

www.enterprisenews.com

It all comes down to bookkeeping.​

Staring at a salary cap figure slightly in excess of $7.6 million for a 30-year-old outside linebacker recovering from a season-ending foot injury, the New England Patriots released Rosevelt Colvin Tuesday.​

Originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft, Colvin, a Purdue product, moved to New England as an unrestricted free agent in 2003.​

After suffering a career-threatening hip injury in his second game with the Patriots, a 31-10 win at Philadelphia on Sept. 14, 2003, Colvin enjoyed good health until this season when a foot injury suffered, ironically enough, against the Eagles in a 31-28 win at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 25 brought his 2007 campaign to an end.​

While Colvin never duplicated the back-to-back 10½-sack seasons he enjoyed with the Bears in 2001 and 2002, he registered 73 tackles (the second-highest total of his career) with the Patriots in 2005 and 8½ sacks with the team in 2006.​

Tuesday’s move comes at a position where the Patriots are burdened with age.​

If they opt to continue to play, Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau, the team’s starters at inside linebacker, are ticketed for free agency at the ages of 34 and 39, respectively. Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas, who finished the 2007 season starting on the outside, are 32 and 30, respectively.​

Indiana Football Hall of Fame - Rosevelt Colvin

According to his LinkedIn page, Colvin and his wife own five UPS stores and SweeTies Gourmet Treats, located in the same part of Indianapolis that he grew up in. Lua is co-president and managing director of Statewide Services, a commercial services and general contractor in Indio, California.




February 26, 2025
PatsFans Headlines:

Patriots' Roster Decisions: Mike Vrabel Takes the Lead in 2025 Rebuild | PatsFans.com

Mike Vrabel is taking charge of the New England Patriots' roster decisions heading into the 2025 offseason. With a clear vision for free agency and the draft, Vrabel is working alongside Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden to reshape the team. Find out how the new power structure is influencing the...

www.patsfans.com

Patriots Score Poorly Again in NFLPA 2025 Report Card | PatsFans.com

The NFLPA released its report card for 2025, and once again, the Patriots found themselves at the bottom of the rankings compared to their peers.

www.patsfans.com

TRANSCRIPT: Eliot Wolf's Press Conference 2/26 | PatsFans.com

Here's what New England Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf had to say during his press conference on Wednesday down at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

www.patsfans.com

Eliot Wolf Finally Speaks on Patriots 4-13 Season: 'The Roster Was On Me' | PatsFans.com

It's been a while since Eliot Wolf spoke to the media, and the Patriots personnel man took a long look back at last season and came pointing the finger at himself after a tough finish.

www.patsfans.com

Wolf on Patriots' Personnel Decisions: "It's My Final Say" | PatsFans.com

One of the biggest questions being asked since Mike Vrabel was hired last month has been where things will stand when it comes to personnel for the New England Patriots.

www.patsfans.com

Sources: Patriots' Davon Godchaux gets OK to seek trade

Patriots starting defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who has two years left on his deal, has been given permission to seek a trade, sources confirmed to ESPN.

www.espn.com

NFLPA Team Report Cards 2025

One of our core jobs as a union is to improve the overall working conditions for our players, which includes the daily experience of players at the team facilities away from the lights and cameras.1,695 of our players provided information to share with one another about their current club, to...

nflpa.com

2025 NFLPA Team Report Cards

Absolutely brutal for the Pats, which is a yearly tradition at this point. https://nflpa.com/report-cards/2025

www.patsfans.com

Patriots ranked from 18th to 32nd in the eleven categories, including an F (32nd) for Weight Room, F (31st) for Team Travel, C- (30th) for Training Room and D (29th) for Ownership.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Gave Up On Him Too Soon​

Happy 49th birthday to Sean Morey
Born February 26, 1976 in Marshfield, Mass.
Patriot ST/WR, 1999-2001; uniform #85
Pats seventh round (241st overall) selection of the 1999 draft, from Brown
Pats résumé: two games, and two seasons on the practice squad

Boston College would not offer offer the South Shore native a scholarship, resulting in an enormous motivational chip on his shoulder, that led to an 11-year pro football career. At Brown he set five Ivy League records, for career and single season receiving yards as well as receiving touchdowns, and also for career all-purpose yards. In 1999 the Patriots received a compensatory draft pick due to the loss of free agents Keith Byars and Sam Gash, and used that to select Morey.

Sean began 1999 on the practice squad, before being promoted to the active roster for the final four games. In February the Pats allocated Morey to NFL Europe with the Barcelona Dragons. Morey was waived at the end of the 2000 training camp, and later that season rejoined the Patriots practice squad. The Patriots waived him one final time at the end of the 2001 training camp.

Morey overcame his initial lack of success with his hometown team and proceeded to become a Pro Bowl special teamer, playing until age 33 in 2009. He played in 112 regular season games and 17 postseason games, winning a Super Bowl with the Steelers. Considering how Bill Belichick values special teams play more than any other NFL coach (as well as how little value Bill Cowher placed on special team aces), it is surprising that the one place things did not work out for Morey was in New England.

A bit of trivia: Morey was the only person from Marshfield to make it to the NFL, until long snapper Zach Triner accomplished the same feat with Tampa Bay in 2019.




Happy 54th birthday to Rick Lyle
Born February 26, 1971 in Monroe, LA; raised in Kansas City, MO
Patriot DT, 2002-2003; uniform #96
Signed as a free agent on March 12, 2002
Pats résumé: two seasons, 21 games (3 starts); 29 tackles, two TFL

Rick Lyle was initially signed as an undrafted rookie from Missouri by Bill Belichick and the Cleveland Browns in 1994. Lyle played for Belichick again when BB was the defensive coordinator of the Jets, and then a third time when The Hoodie became head coach in New England. Lyle played in 21 games with three starts while with the Pats. He retired at the age of 33 after winning Super Bowl 38 as a member of the Pats. Since then he has worked as an assistant high school football coach and an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Jets (under Eric Mangini) and Browns.

October 15, 2000: Rick Lyle sacks Drew Bledsoe​

Happy 34th birthday to Justin Green
Born February 26, 1991 in Louisville, Kentucky
Patriot CB, 2013-2015; uniform #41
Signed as an undrafted rookie from Illinois on July 21, 2013
Pats résumé: two games

Justin Green spent most of 2013 on the practice squad, seeing action in two games. During the 2014 preseason the Patriots traded Green to Dallas for defensive tackle Ben Bass. Green re-signed with the Pats late in 2014 and was on the practice squad when the Patriots defeated Seattle in Super Bowl 49. He remained with New England throughout the 2015 offseason prior to being waived by the Pats one final time at the start of the 2015 training camp. Green finished his pro football career in the Canadian Football League in 2016.

Whereas Sean Morey's Marshfield High School has produced only two NFL players, 29 alumni of Male High School in Louisville have gone on to play in the NFL, including Justin Green.




Happy 32nd birthday to Kennard Backman
Born February 26, 1993 in Atlanta, Georgia
Patriot TE, 2016 practice squad
Signed as a free agent on November 12, 2016
Pats résumé: six days on the practice squad

Kennard Backman had two short stints on the Pats practice squad but was never promoted to the 53-man roster. Originally a 2015 sixth round draft pick from UAB by Green Bay, he also spent time with Detroit. Backman appeared in eight NFL games, all for the Packers in 2015. He is the founder and executive director of Innovation Pros, a non-profit in Atlanta, and now works for Diligent, Inc., an Atlanta-based software company.




Other February 26 pro football birthdays with a New England connection:

Bill Cooke, 74 (1951)
Born in Lowell; Worcester Academy; UConn and UMass-Amherst
Drafted by the Packers in 1975, the defensive tackle spent six seasons in the NFL.

John Nolan (1926-1996)
Holy Cross
Nolan was the 14th overall pick of the 1948 NFL Draft, by the Boston Yanks. The tackle never missed a single game in his three seasons of pro football.