Today in Patriots History
Pats hire Upton Bell
July 15, 1971:
The Patriots hire
Upton Bell as their general manager. At age 33 Bell - the son of former NFL commissioner
Bert Bell - was the youngest GM in the league. Previously Bell had been the personnel director for the Baltimore Colts, who had just won Super Bowl 5.
Although he was not in New England very long, Bell did have a positive impact. His first act in Foxboro was to change the name of the team from the
Bay State Patriots to the
New England Patriots. Bell hired
Bucko Kilroy and
**** Steinberg, along with several other quality scouts and front office executives. He wanted to fire
John Mazur early on, but received push back from the team's board of directors. The two sides ended up agreeing that if the Patriots lost to the Colts in the final game of the '71 season that Mazur would be let go. The Pats upset Baltimore 21-17 thanks to a fourth quarter 88 yard bomb from
Jim Plunkett to
Randy Vataha, to finish the season 6-8. One year later the team regressed to 3-11 - and Mazur was finally fired. However, Upton Bell was also fired, collateral damage in the house cleaning.
In 1974 Upton Bell purchased a World Football League franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, where he also served as team president and general manager. The WFL only lasted two years, and was Bell's final association with pro football. Bell did play a part in Carolina getting an NFL franchise, strongly recommending Charlotte to the league as a place for the league to consider as an expansion or relocation franchise.
Upton Bell was born with football in his blood. His father, Bert Bell, co-founded the Philadelphia Eagles in 1933 and was later the NFL commissioner from 1946-59. Following Bert Bell’s death at an Eagles’ game in 1959, Upton Bell soon landed a job working in the front office for the Baltimore...
www.urbanacitizen.com
When my car flipped over on Route 2, I was left with 39 fractures and a concussion. Then the real journey started.
www.bostonmagazine.com
• Editor’s note: Former Patriots general manager Upton Bell has authored a newly available book, “Present at the Creation: My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America’s Game,” with Herald columnist Ron Borges.…
www.bostonherald.com
July 15, 2015:
On this date it was revealed that
Donald Trump was seriously considering buying the Patriots, but backed off after being advised it was not worth it.
Here, for our amusement, are all the times Donald Trump has thought he knows better than Boston, from our snow removal plans to our favorite athletes.
www.boston.com
Trump was approached about purchasing the Patriots, but he didn’t want to take on the team’s debts.
www.sbnation.com
July 15, 2015:
The Patriots sign
Stephen Gostkowski to a four-year contract valued at $17 million. The team had placed the franchise tag on the kicker the previous spring, and was literally down to the final day to either work out a long term contract, or go into the season with him on the franchise tag cost of $4.1 million. Gostkowski had set the franchise record for most career points scored during the week 15 victory over Miami the prior season.
The New England Patriots signed kicker Stephen Gostkowski to a contract extension for four years and more than $17 million.
www.si.com
July 15, 2009:
The Patriots have signed rookie defensive lineman Darryl Richard, a seventh-round pick, to a four-year deal.
www.boston.com
According to two league sources, the Patriots have signed rookie defensive lineman Darryl Richard, the second of their two seventh-round picks (No. 234 overall), to a four-year deal.
The last of the 12 players the Patriots picked in the 2009 draft, Richard is the fourth draft pick to ink a deal with the Patriots, joining cornerback Darius Butler, offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger and fellow defensive lineman Myron Pryor.
The 6-foot, 4-inch, 290-pound Richard was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for Georgia Tech last season, after he had 34 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks.
One of Richard’s greatest assets — on and off the field — is his intelligence. He scored a 37 on the Wonderlic intelligence test given to NFL draft prospects. That was the highest score of any Patriots draft pick, and the top mark among all defensive linemen in the draft.
Richard earned his bachelor’s degree in management in three years. He then completed a masters’s degree in business administration in a year and a half, graduating one semester early.
In 2008, he won the James E. Tatum Award, presented to the ACC’s top student-athlete among football players.
Richard plays the piano and was also the president of the Georgia Tech student advisory board in 2006-07.
July 15, 2005:
Scott Pioli is re-signed to a contract extension as Vice President of Player Personnel. Pioli had been with New England since 2000, and would stay with the Pats through 2008, when he took over as General Manager for the Kansas City Chiefs.
July 15, 2004:
Patriots sign veteran
Jim Miller. The quarterback had an 11-2 record as a starter with the Bears in 2001, guiding Chicago to their first postseason in seven years. Miller suffered a shoulder injury thanks to a cheap shot from Philadelphia's
Hugh Douglas early in the divisional round game, and was never quite the same after that. After the Pats 20-3 playoff victory over the Colts in the 2004 postseason, Bill Belichick specifically praised Miller - who was a healthy scratch in all 19 games that season - for his work on the scout team, emulating
Peyton Manning.
On the same day the Pats also signed another quarterback,
Kurt Kittner, who had been a fifth round draft pick from Illinois in 2002 by Atlanta; he didn't last long, being released on August 6.
There’s so much to enjoy if you’re a fan of these Patriots that it’s easy to overlook how much there is to be learned as well.When you’re about to appear in your eighth Super Bowl, as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady…
www.bostonherald.com
July 15, 2003:
Pats sign seventh round draft pick
Ethan Kelley, and fourth round draft picks
Asante Samuel and
Dan Klecko.
July 15, 1998:
Third round draft pick
Chris Floyd is signed to a contract.
July 15, 1997:
Two third-round draft pick are signed: safety
Chris Carter and running back
Sedrick Shaw.
July 15, 1993:
New England claims safety
Ken Swilling off waivers from Cincinnati. The defensive back never made it in the NFL, but had been a star on Georgia Tech's undefeated 1990 national championship team.
A guy who wears a black visor over his eyes, has the number 1 emblazoned on his jersey and has K. SOLO painted on his shoes probably ought to add a cape to
vault.si.com
July 15, 1991:
Pats sign first round draft pick
Pat Harlow and third round pick
Calvin Stephens
July 15, 1988:
Patriots sign a pair of fourth round draft picks, K
Teddy Garcia and NT
Tim Goad
July 15, 1984:
Pats release two players, NT
Dean Haugum of Mesa College and QB
Tony Colao of Mount Union College. Both players had just been signed May 14.
The New England Patriots announced Monday the signing of 15 free agents as the NFL club opened its 1984 sping mini-camp....
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July 15, 1982:
For some unknown reason the Patriots re-sign wide receiver
Carlos Pennywell to a second, multi-year contract. The third round pick of the 1978 draft had a mere twelve receptions in his first four seasons, a stat that by comparison would make
N'Keal Harry an All-Pro. He was placed on waivers on August 25, and never played in the NFL after that less than inspiring resume.
Today, a Crowley native
espn1420.com
July 15, 1981:
Pats sign supplemental draft pick WR
Chy Davidson and free agent QB
Dave Rader. Neither ever played for the Patriots, but Rader went on to become a college coach and then majority caucus chair of the Oklahoma state senate.
July 15, 1980:
Patriots sign their latter first round draft pick, Notre Dame RB
Vagas Ferguson
July 15, 1975:
The Patriots acquire
Steve Zabel from Philadelphia, for a 1976 fourth round draft pick and a 1977 eighth round pick. The trade was one of many shrewd transactions made by
Chuck Fairbanks during his time in Foxborough; Zabel would proceed to be the Pats starting outside linebacker for the next four seasons.
In 1968, Oklahoma football coach Chuck Fairbanks made a choice that would dramatically change tight end Steve Zabel’s career. The Sooners started off slow despite a No. 5 preseason ranking, with a …
oklahoman.com
Steve Zabel: All-American, Entrepreneur and Inventor
July 15, 1972:
Isaac Lassiter is traded to Washington for a 1973 ninth round draft pick. The defensive end had been with the Patriots for the previous two seasons, but was slowing down due to age and injuries. Ike had spent most of his career in the AFL West with the Broncos and Raiders; he was an All Star in 1966 and unofficially led the league with 17 sacks in 1967.
RALEIGH, N.C. (Feb. 19) – Isaac "Ike" Lassiter was a mountain of a man with a bigger heart.
saintaugfalcons.com
Oct 10, 1971: Ed Philpott (52, left background); Ron Berger, 88 foreground); Jim Cheyunski (50, on the ground); Clarence Scott (26, center background); Steve Kiner (57, about to land on Jet QB Al Woodall); Ike Lassiter (87, right)
July 15, 1971:
New England signs the first overall pick of the NFL draft, QB
Jim Plunkett of Stanford
