Today In Patriots History June 10: Chuck Fairbanks

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Chuck Fairbanks​

In memory of Chuck Fairbanks, born on this date 92 years ago
Born June 10, 1933 in Detroit
Died April 2, 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 79
Patriot Head Coach and General Manager, 1973-1978
Hired on January 26, 1973
Pats résumé: first playoff berth in ten years; 46-39 regular season record


If Bill Parcells can gain entry to the Patriots Hall of Fame, then Chuck Fairbanks should have been enshrined long ago. Fairbanks had a better record, and revitalized a franchise that was more moribund than the one Parcells inherited. While Tuna whined about the Krafts meddlesome manners, it was nothing remotely close to what Fairbanks had to endure with the Sullivans. Fairbanks' 1976 team had a .786 winning percentage - a franchise record that stood for an incredible 27 years, and to this day remains the best of any non-Belichick/Brady team.


Another important fact to consider when comparing Faibanks to Parcells is that Fairbanks operated in an era with no free agency and no salary cap. As a result good teams stayed good for long periods of time, while bad teams remained mired in mediocrity for years. Parcells had the benefit of free agency in his first year, and the salary cap the following year. Both of those resulted in his ability to acquire talent far more easily than Fairbanks could, who had to rely solely on the draft, trades, and rookies that were not selected through what was then a 17-round draft.


That '76 team deserved to be the franchise's first super bowl championship team, and would have been if not for what was arguably the worst officiated game in the history of pro sports. On defense they led the league in takeaways, while on offense they led the NFL with 5.0 yards per carry, and were 2nd in points scored. Two years later the Pats led the league in yards gained, and set an NFL record that would stand for an amazing 41 years, with 3,165 yards rushing.

After seven years of awful to average-at-best drafts had left the Patriot roster devoid of talent, in Chuck Fairbanks' first draft the team selected John Hannah, Sam Cunningham and Darryl Stingley. The next year they drafted Steve Nelson, Andy Johnson and Sam Hunt. Then in '75 the Pats added Russ Francis, Rod Shoate and Steve Grogan. For most teams a three-year stretch like that would be extremely impressive, but the Patriots were not done yet - hitting gold the following year.


Grogan had performed well enough in relief of injured Jim Plunkett for Fairbanks to put the number one overall pick from the 1971 draft on the market. Three days prior to the 1976 draft the trade was made, with the Pats receiving two first round selections in the upcoming draft, first and second round 1977 picks, and a backup QB for good measure. Those four draft picks turned out to be center Pete Brock, safety Tim Fox, running back Horace Ivory, and cornerback Raymond Clayborn, who was belatedly voted in to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2017. That group of four went on to play a combined 482 games for the Patriots.

In Fairbanks first season the Pats only went 5-9, but the positive trajectory was already apparent. The offense improved from 24th to 16th in points scored, while the defense rose from 26th to 16th. The next year Fairbanks installed his 3-4 defense and the team started out at a league best 6-1, before injuries were too much to overcome. Still, the 7-7 finish was the first non-losing record since just missing out on a chance at the first super bowl in 1966, ending a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons.

1975 saw a player strike over the Sullivan's miserly negotiating tactics that led to a canceled preseason game, and a distraction that could not be overcome. Unfortunately this was just a foreshadowing of events to follow a couple years later.

In '76 the Pats went 11-3, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The team ranked second in scoring offense and third in turnover differential. The Pats led the league with 5.0 yards per rush, and had not lost a game since October. Then came the Ben Dreith game, arguably the most egregiously one-sided officiated game in the history of the NFL professional sports. With Pittsburgh decimated by injuries and the AFC vastly superior to the NFC that year, the Raider-Patriots game was the de facto league championship game. Yes, it still bothers me to this day.


Fairbanks worked out contract extensions for Hannah and Leon Gray, two future Patriot Hall of Famers. The Sullivans screwed Fairbanks over however, not approving the deals and forcing him to renege on the contracts. Hannah and Gray walked out on the team during preseason and did not return until week four. The Pats had lost two games to below average teams by that time and never recovered, going 7-3 the rest of the way to finish 9-5 - but missing the playoffs with a .643 winning percentage.

In 1978 Fairbanks worked out a contract extension with Stingley, just prior to his being viciously hit and paralyzed by Jack Tatum in a preseason game. When the Sullivans refused to honor that verbal commitment, it was the final straw; Fairbanks started looking for another job. The team won the AFC East, but then word leaked out that Fairbanks had been hired by the University of Colorado. Billy Sullivan suspended Fairbanks prior to the final game of the season, making the OC the head coach when the Pats had the ball, and the DC the head coach when on defense. The ridiculous arrangement predictably failed, and Fairbanks was allowed to return and coach the first home playoff game in franchise history. Under gloomy skies a lethargic and distracted team was defeated by Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini and Bum Phillips' Houston Oilers on new years eve of 1978. With that loss, the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks era was over.

Making A Case for Chuck Fairbanks for the Patriots Hall | PatsFans.com

But there was a brief lull in the doldrums of the mid-to-late 60’s and before the Super Bowl team of 1985 and that was during the tenure of Chuck Fairbanks.

www.patsfans.com

The first thing he did was fix a Patriots draft system that was pretty much broken at that time. In his first draft Fairbanks landed HOF OL John Hannah, RB Sam Cunningham, WR Darryl Stingley as well as NT ‘Sugar Bear’ Ray Hamilton. A year later he brought in LB Steve Nelson, RB Andy Johnson and LB Sam Hunt. The core of his teams in New England was being put together. Russ Francis and Steve Grogan joined the team in 1975.​

Chuck Fairbanks for Patriots Hall of Fame

This time of year the Patriots Hall of Fame committee meets to decide who will be the newest inductees. Each of the past couple years a heated debate has been centered around Bill Parcells, but I t…

www.patspropaganda.com

The Patriots had six-straight losing seasons prior to Fairbanks’ arrival, and hadn’t been to the playoffs in ten years. By 1976 the Patriots had (at that time) their best team ever, handing the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders their only loss of the season. Oakland would win the re-match in the playoffs in a hard fought game that featured a marginal roughing the passer penalty on Sugar Bear Hamilton on a third-and-18 incomplete pass that would set Oakland up for the 24-21 win.​

But to this day, many believe the ’76 Pats teams was one of their best ever, even if they didn’t even make it to the Super Bowl. Before that, the Patriots truly were nobodies in the NFL landscape. If we really want to talk about a coach who put the Patriots on the map, Fairbanks would have to be the original choice.​

The fact that Billy ****ing Sullivan is in the NEP HOF and Chuck Fairbanks isn't is, in the words of former President Jimmy Carter, a Disgrace to the Human Race.
- captain stone

Former Patriots Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks Passed Away -- Patriots.com

Chuck Fairbanks, a Fitful Football Coach, Dies at 79 (Published 2013)

Mr. Fairbanks built successful football teams in college at the University of Oklahoma and in the N.F.L. with New England. But controversy often followed him.

www.nytimes.com

Roughing the Passer: The Patriots-Raiders Game You Should Know About

Now that Tom Brady has shown us his throwback resume, lets flash back to the Patriots-Raiders AFC divisional playoff game that took place on Dec. 18, 1976.

archive.boston.com

Listen to 'Rough Injustice: The Story of the 1976 New England Patriots'

The 1976 New England Patriots are chronicled in the 98.5 the Sports Hub special "Rough Injustice". Listen for interviews with John Hannah and many others.

985thesportshub.com

Why Do Raiders Fans Complain about the "Tuck Rule" Game but Forget 1976...? - TGT USA

Raiders fans complain about the "Tuck Rule Game" in the 2002 playoffs. But what about that roughing the passer call in the '76 AFC divisional round game...?...

thegruelingtruth.com

‘Roughing the Passer’ The Patriots Raiders Playoff Game What Raider fans never talk about
2:48 Video



11/7/1976 Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots highlights, National Football League Week 9
1:46 Game Highlight Video



1976 New England Patriots
1:21:41 Season Highlights



1976 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights "Second Revolution"
21:48 Season Highlights



1978 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights "How The East Was Won"
22:08 Season Highlights












​

 

[signbabybrady]

You'd think Kraft being a fan at the time would give him some love.

 

[Pape]

 

[signbabybrady]

I think even if you asked a blind man to draw a picture of what he thinks one of the greatest offensive lineman would look like the picture would look like Hannah.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Steve King​

Happy 74th birthday to Steve King
Born June 10, 1951 in McAlester, Oklahoma; hometown Quinton OK
Patriot linebacker/special teamer, 1973-1981; uniform #52
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on March 6, 1973, from Tulsa
Pats résumé: nine seasons, 124 games (41 starts); two postseason games; Pats All-1970s Team


In an incredibly appropriate coincidence, we stick with today's 1976 New England Patriots theme thanks to linebacker Steve King sharing the same birth date as head coach Chuck Fairbanks.

Due to paperwork not being properly filed for his redshirt freshman season at Tulsa, Steve King went from being ineligible for the draft, to eligible for the supplemental draft, to eligible and removed for the supplemental draft, to finally being declared a free agent. Remembering the linebacker from when he recruited him when he was in high school, Chuck Fairbanks signed King as a rookie.

Steve King proceeded to play 126 games with the Patriots, mostly in sub packages and on special teams. King was a starter in 1974 and 1976, and was a team captain in 1981.


I found a few cool columns on Steve King, linked below.

This first one focuses on his high school days as a quarterback, with some post-football tidbits.

Steve King reflects on 9-year career as NFL linebacker

Steve King had an illustrious nine-year career as an NFL linebacker.

www.washingtontimes.com

In one game against the New York Jets, King sacked future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath twice and intercepted one of his passes.​

“It was interesting because my wife always joked about how good looking he was,” King laughed.​

King married his wife Cathy in 1975 and the couple has since lived in the Boston area.​

Their son, Tyler, was a four-year starting lineman at the University of Connecticut, saw some time on NFL practice squads, and is now a personal trainer and mixed martial arts fighter in the Boston area.​

Oct 20, 1974: O.J. carries the ball and gets hit by Steve King #52 during a game at Rich Stadium.
In the battle of 5-0 teams the Bills came out on top, 30-28, despite Sam Cunningham outperforming OJ in this game.​

This one is a must-read for PatsFans forum members. It was written by our own Steve Balestrieri, after he spoke with Steve King in 2013:

Catching Up With Former Patriots LB Steve King

I spent nine years as a member of the Patriots but the one thing that always had me wondering, was where I would have gone in the draft.

www.patsfans.com

“Coach Fairbanks was a no-nonsense kind of guy and he wanted to see who had a passion for football and who liked to play,” King said.King landed on the taxi-squad his first season (today’s practice squad) and would be moved to the active roster after the fourth game. He saw action in the final seven games of the season and it set the tone for things to come.In 1974, Fairbanks drafted ILBs Steve Nelson and Sam Hunt and the Patriots switched to the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 Defense. King started all 14 games as the Patriots turned the corner from doormat to potential Super Bowl contender.​

1976 Heartbreak Playoff Loss​

“We were so pumped for that game, because the winner would play Pittsburgh to go to the Super Bowl. We had already beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh that season,” King recalls. “And they were really beat up at the end of the season, they had no Rocky (Bleier) or Franco (Harris) for that game. It turned out the Raiders ran the ball right down their throats. And we were a much better running team than they were that season.”​

But in the Raider game, the Patriots led late in the game but the handwriting was already on the wall. “There were so many ridiculous calls in that game,” King remembers. “Banazak, (Raiders RB Pete) got tackled and after he was on the ground, stretched out his arm and placed the ball a good yard ahead of where he was tackled at.​

Prentice McCray (Patriots SS) moved the ball back to where it rightfully should have been,” King added.“ But then the referee (Ben Dreith) picks up the ball and places it right where Banazak had placed it, way beyond the spot he was tackled. Prentice was livid, and moved the ball back again. That’s when the ref throws the flag on him and we got penalized 15 yards.​

But a few more plays would haunt the Patriots in their final possession with a chance to run out the clock. On a second down play, Patriots QB Steve Grogan tried a pass over the middle to TE Russ Francis which would have essentially ended the game with a first down. Francis was flagrantly interfered with by Raiders LB Phil Villipiano but no flag was thrown.​

“Did he interfere with Russ?” King asked. “Heck he had Russ in a full Nelson with his arms pinned at his side,” he added. “If they call that interference we either run out the clock or are in John Smith’s range for a FG that ices the game.” On third down and about six, Sam Cunningham ran to the outside, “Sam was nursing a bad shoulder then and had it wrapped,” King said. “Maybe he’d have tried to stay in bounds otherwise, but he headed for the sideline. The guys holding the sticks had dropped them when he neared and he thought he went past them for a first down. But when they picked them out we were six inches short and we turned the ball over,” he added.​

Asked about Ray Hamilton’s roughing the passer call, King smiled and said, “it may not even be a penalty today.”​

King would then become more of a role-player in the sub-packages or as a spot starter later in his career but remained a standout special teams player, being elected as a captain and not missing a game in 1981, his final season even playing with a broken wrist.​

“Then it was time to start over,” he said speaking of life after football. For the past nearly thirty years, he’s been involved in the insurance business and is now the VP of Cleary Insurance in Quincy, Mass.​

LB Steve King #52 and WR Steve Burks #82 look to block on special teams against the Jets
at Shea Stadium on November 21, 1976 in Flushing, New York. The Patriots defeated the Jets 38-24.​

This next article is from a defunct website, PatriotsAlumni dot com.
Unfortunately neither the column on King nor any other articles on Pats alumni from that site are available, other than this excerpt.

Quinton, Oklahoma is a long way from Foxboro, Massachusetts, but somehow, Steve King found his way there.​

For most of his childhood, Steve grew up on a cattle ranch in southeast Oklahoma owned by his grandmother who in turn, deeded his family 40 acres. As one might imagine, his life was full of the chores typical of that type of setting but when those were done, sports dominated, and football was on the top of that list.​

Once football was over, it was decision time again for Steve. At 32 years of age, Steve says it “was like starting over.”​

Rather than use his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, a friend who worked for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance convinced him to get into the business. For 10 years he worked as an independent agent and then in 1992, opened his own brokerage. He then merged his firm with Risk-Strategies where he currently works.​

From left, Steve King, Ike Forte, and Bob McKay gather around a portable heater on the sidelines during
the fourth quarter of a game against the Saints at Schaefer Stadium on Dec. 5, 1976. The Pats won their fifth straight, 27-6​

Quinton grad Steve King reflects on NFL career

Steve King had an illustrious nine-year career as an NFL linebacker.

www.mcalesternews.com

I really liked this article, as it focuses on the magical-but-tragical 1976 season.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve King

"The guys got together in a team meeting without the coaches, and we all made a commitment. There was a great chemistry on that team. We went on to go 11-3, got the Wild Card and came within a couple of plays of beating the Raiders, who were the Super Bowl Champions that year. ​

If we beat Oakland in that game, I'm convinced we would have won the Super Bowl, because we'd already beaten Pittsburgh, who would have been our next opponents. Oakland took them apart. The Super Bowl was against the Vikings, and I believe the way the Raiders ran the ball on the Vikings--and we were the strongest running team in the league that year with (Sam) "Bam" Cunningham, Andy Johnson and Don Calhoun--we would have run all over the Vikings."​

1981 Patriots Media Guide

Steve King Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Steve King Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- Steve King Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- Steve King Transactions

Steve King (American football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Sidy Sow​

Happy 27th birthday to Sidy Sow
Born June 10, 1998; from Bromont, Quebec
Patriot guard, 2023-present; uniform #62
Pats 4th round (117th overall) pick of the 2023 draft, from Eastern Michigan
Pats résumé: two seasons, 27 games (14 starts)

Sidy Sow Selected by the New England Patriots in the 2023 NFL Draft - Eastern Michigan University Athletics

Eastern Michigan University offensive lineman Sidy Sow was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft Saturday, April 29,...

emueagles.com

Eastern Michigan University offensive lineman Sidy Sow (Bromont, Quebec-J-H Leclerc-Champlain Lennoxville) was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft Saturday, April 29, outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. The Bromont, Quebec native is the seventh-highest draft pick in Eastern Michigan history and the first draftee since Maxx Crosby went in the fourth round in 2019.​

Sow grew up in Quebec, Canada, where he was a two-time member of Team Canada's football squad. He was rated the third-best prospect for the Canadian Football League draft going into the 2021 season but deferred his draft status to the 2023 class. He started 11 of 13 games played at left tackle as a "true" freshman in 2018 at Eastern Michigan, then moved to left guard for 12 starts in 2019. Mid-American Conference coaches voted him third-team all-conference in 2020 for his work in six starts at left guard and he was a first-team pick in 2021 and 2022 as he started all 13 contests at that spot both seasons for the Eagles.​

The all-time leader in Eastern Michigan history in games played (56) and games started (54), Sow will go down as one of the best offensive linemen to don the green and white.​

On the field for 949 snaps in 2022, Sow helped the Eagles lead the MAC in red zone offense (93.9 percent) and third down percentage (44.9), while finishing second in team passing efficiency (137.86). All told, the Bromont, Quebec, native allowed just two sacks during the 2023 season and only six in his distinguished career.​

Sow ended his time at EMU with a 98.1 pass blocking efficiency, per Pro Football Focus. After more than 3,600 snaps in college, he allowed just 66 pressures as an Eagle. PFF graded Sow in the top 35 guards in the country and 29th for run blocking last season. Sow displayed next-level lateral quickness at EMU and was also explosive during drills at the NFL Combine.​

Patriots Add Eastern Michigan's Sidy Sow in Round 4 | PatsFans.com

The Patriots drafted another offensive lineman with their third selection on Day 3, selecting Easter Michigan's Sidy Snow with the 117th overall pick.

www.patsfans.com

3 things to know about Patriots fourth-round pick Sidy Sow, who grew up rooting for the team but was a fan of a Boston rival

"The Montreal Canadiens are my favorite sports team growing up, and they might be second now because the Patriots are my favorite now."

www.boston.com

He’s from Canada and played hockey as a kid, rooting for a Bruins’ rival, but was a Patriots fan.​

Sow hit the rink before he hit the gridiron as a kid. Growing up in Bromont, Quebec, Sow played hockey before playing football at 10 years old.​

When asked if he rooted for Quebec’s lone NHL team on Saturday, Sow wasn’t slow to respond.​

“Of course. Til the day I die,” Sow said when asked if the Canadiens were his favorite team. “The Montreal Canadiens are my favorite sports team growing up, and they might be second now because the Patriots are my favorite now. But yeah, I’m a Montreal Canadiens fan until the day I die.”​

But Sow also became very familiar with the Patriots growing up, saying they’re the most popular team in his native province.​

“As a little kid, watching Tom Brady slinging the football all around and being amazed by it, and giving me the love of football,” Sow said. “And now get them to call me on draft day and tell me they want me, it’s just an amazing feeling.”​

In addition to playing hockey and football, Sow played handball and competed in Olympic weight lifting in high school.​

Jan 17, 2024:

MORSE: Sidy Sow Named All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Focus | PatsFans.com

Patriots offensive lineman Sidy Sow was not as bad as he appeared to be. In fact, he was way ahead of any rookie guard in the league and in some evaluations was in the top grade amongst all guards in the league.

www.patsfans.com

June 28, 2024:

At Left Or Right Guard, Patriots Have A Sophomore Starter In Sidy Sow

After landing in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, Sidy Sow stepped in to start 13 games as a New England Patriots rookie. The next step is ahead for the guard.

www.forbes.com

Patriots 2024 Media Guide

Sidy Sow Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Sidy Sow Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- Sidy Sow Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- Sidy Sow Transactions

Sidy Sow Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Sidy Sow contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

Career Earnings: $2,429,116

Sidy Sow - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[turkeyneck]

Today in Patriots History
Chuck Fairbanks​

​

While I thoroughly enjoyed the Dynasty years under BB nothing in Pats history pleased me more than the explosion of Chuck Fairbanks onto the NE Patriots scene. It was so exciting watching him build the team. Stupid, stupid, STU-PID Sullivans. What could have been....

btw, if you're ever in De Soto, TX you can swing by Chuck's Chevy dealership

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Jeff White​

Happy 77th birthday to Jeff White
Born June 10, 1948 in Bronxville, New York
Patriot kicker, 1973; uniform #2
Signed as a free agent on October 2, 1973
Pats résumé: one season, 11 games; 14-25 on field goal attempts, 27.2 yard average on six punts


Jeff White took over as the Pats kicker in week four of 1973, and somehow lasted the rest of the season. He missed his only field goal try in a two-point week 5 loss to the Jets, then had a horrible game at Philadelphia two weeks later. White went 1-5 on his field goal attempts that day and also missed an extra point in a 24-23 loss to the Eagles.


In the final game of the season White missed both field goal attempts as well as an extra point in an 18-13 loss to the Colts. For the season he connected on just 14 of 25 field goals - including two misses from inside the twenty - and went 3 for 9 outside the forty.

October 28, 1973: Jeff White's infamous 3-yard punt versus Miami at Schaefer Stadium​

FOLLOWING PERFECTION: THE 1973 MIAMI DOLPHINS

By: Randy Campbell (OLD DOLFAN) Game 7; MIAMI @ NEW ENGLAND, Oct. 28, 1973 Weather: 44 degrees, relative humidity 58%, wind 14 mph Surface: astroturf Start Time: 1:00pm Stadium: Schaefer S…

finsmobunleashed.com

When the first half was over, New England still held a 14-13 lead. This improved Patriots’ team was giving Miami all they could handle.​

Patriots’ punter/place kicker Jeff White had failed to win a spot with Miami during summer camp. Eventually, he ended uo in New England. Shula decided to rush 10 players when White punted early in the third quarter. Lloyd Mumphord got a piece of it, forcing a short punt. Garo’s ensuing 23-yard field goal put Miami ahead 16-14.​

Again the Dolphins’ defense stopped the Patriots’ offense cold. White, under a ferocious rush, kicked the next punt STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR! A backwards bounce left the ball at New England’s three yard line! Mercury Morris’ two yard touchdown run put Miami ahead 23-14 after three quarters.​

The Dolphins mounted a long, time consuming, drive in the final stanza. Miami’s outstanding offensive line simply wore down the Patriot’s defense.​

While the Patriots did bring White back for training camp in 1974, the team had already signed a left footed soccer player from England to play in the Atlantic Coast Football League to learn how to be a pro football placekicker. John Smith became the Pats new kicker in '74, bringing stability to the position - while White was at least able to still collect a paycheck for spending the '74 season on IR.

Jeff White Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Jeff White Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- Jeff White Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- Jeff White Transactions

Jeff White (American football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Pape]

Today in Patriots History
Steve King​

Happy 74th birthday to Steve King
Born June 10, 1951 in McAlester, Oklahoma; hometown Quinton OK
Patriot linebacker/special teamer, 1973-1981; uniform #52
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on March 6, 1973, from Tulsa
Pats résumé: nine seasons, 124 games (41 starts); two postseason games; Pats All-1970s Team


In an incredibly appropriate coincidence, we stick with today's 1976 New England Patriots theme thanks to linebacker Steve King sharing the same birth date as head coach Chuck Fairbanks.

Due to paperwork not being properly filed for his redshirt freshman season at Tulsa, Steve King went from being ineligible for the draft, to eligible for the supplemental draft, to eligible and removed for the supplemental draft, to finally being declared a free agent. Remembering the linebacker from when he recruited him when he was in high school, Chuck Fairbanks signed King as a rookie.

Steve King proceeded to play 126 games with the Patriots, mostly in sub packages and on special teams. King was a starter in 1974 and 1976, and was a team captain in 1981.


I found a few cool columns on Steve King, linked below.

This first one focuses on his high school days as a quarterback, with some post-football tidbits.

Steve King reflects on 9-year career as NFL linebacker

Steve King had an illustrious nine-year career as an NFL linebacker.

www.washingtontimes.com

In one game against the New York Jets, King sacked future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath twice and intercepted one of his passes.​

“It was interesting because my wife always joked about how good looking he was,” King laughed.​

King married his wife Cathy in 1975 and the couple has since lived in the Boston area.​

Their son, Tyler, was a four-year starting lineman at the University of Connecticut, saw some time on NFL practice squads, and is now a personal trainer and mixed martial arts fighter in the Boston area.​

Oct 20, 1974: O.J. carries the ball and gets hit by Steve King #52 during a game at Rich Stadium.
In the battle of 5-0 teams the Bills came out on top, 30-28, despite Sam Cunningham outperforming OJ in this game.​

This one is a must-read for PatsFans forum members. It was written by our own Steve Balestrieri, after he spoke with Steve King in 2013:

Catching Up With Former Patriots LB Steve King

I spent nine years as a member of the Patriots but the one thing that always had me wondering, was where I would have gone in the draft.

www.patsfans.com

“Coach Fairbanks was a no-nonsense kind of guy and he wanted to see who had a passion for football and who liked to play,” King said.King landed on the taxi-squad his first season (today’s practice squad) and would be moved to the active roster after the fourth game. He saw action in the final seven games of the season and it set the tone for things to come.In 1974, Fairbanks drafted ILBs Steve Nelson and Sam Hunt and the Patriots switched to the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 Defense. King started all 14 games as the Patriots turned the corner from doormat to potential Super Bowl contender.​

1976 Heartbreak Playoff Loss​

“We were so pumped for that game, because the winner would play Pittsburgh to go to the Super Bowl. We had already beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh that season,” King recalls. “And they were really beat up at the end of the season, they had no Rocky (Bleier) or Franco (Harris) for that game. It turned out the Raiders ran the ball right down their throats. And we were a much better running team than they were that season.”​

But in the Raider game, the Patriots led late in the game but the handwriting was already on the wall. “There were so many ridiculous calls in that game,” King remembers. “Banazak, (Raiders RB Pete) got tackled and after he was on the ground, stretched out his arm and placed the ball a good yard ahead of where he was tackled at.​

Prentice McCray (Patriots SS) moved the ball back to where it rightfully should have been,” King added.“ But then the referee (Ben Dreith) picks up the ball and places it right where Banazak had placed it, way beyond the spot he was tackled. Prentice was livid, and moved the ball back again. That’s when the ref throws the flag on him and we got penalized 15 yards.​

But a few more plays would haunt the Patriots in their final possession with a chance to run out the clock. On a second down play, Patriots QB Steve Grogan tried a pass over the middle to TE Russ Francis which would have essentially ended the game with a first down. Francis was flagrantly interfered with by Raiders LB Phil Villipiano but no flag was thrown.​

“Did he interfere with Russ?” King asked. “Heck he had Russ in a full Nelson with his arms pinned at his side,” he added. “If they call that interference we either run out the clock or are in John Smith’s range for a FG that ices the game.” On third down and about six, Sam Cunningham ran to the outside, “Sam was nursing a bad shoulder then and had it wrapped,” King said. “Maybe he’d have tried to stay in bounds otherwise, but he headed for the sideline. The guys holding the sticks had dropped them when he neared and he thought he went past them for a first down. But when they picked them out we were six inches short and we turned the ball over,” he added.​

Asked about Ray Hamilton’s roughing the passer call, King smiled and said, “it may not even be a penalty today.”​

King would then become more of a role-player in the sub-packages or as a spot starter later in his career but remained a standout special teams player, being elected as a captain and not missing a game in 1981, his final season even playing with a broken wrist.​

“Then it was time to start over,” he said speaking of life after football. For the past nearly thirty years, he’s been involved in the insurance business and is now the VP of Cleary Insurance in Quincy, Mass.​

LB Steve King #52 and WR Steve Burks #82 look to block on special teams against the Jets
at Shea Stadium on November 21, 1976 in Flushing, New York. The Patriots defeated the Jets 38-24.​

This next article is from a defunct website, PatriotsAlumni dot com.
Unfortunately neither the column on King nor any other articles on Pats alumni from that site are available, other than this excerpt.

Quinton, Oklahoma is a long way from Foxboro, Massachusetts, but somehow, Steve King found his way there.​

For most of his childhood, Steve grew up on a cattle ranch in southeast Oklahoma owned by his grandmother who in turn, deeded his family 40 acres. As one might imagine, his life was full of the chores typical of that type of setting but when those were done, sports dominated, and football was on the top of that list.​

Once football was over, it was decision time again for Steve. At 32 years of age, Steve says it “was like starting over.”​

Rather than use his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, a friend who worked for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance convinced him to get into the business. For 10 years he worked as an independent agent and then in 1992, opened his own brokerage. He then merged his firm with Risk-Strategies where he currently works.​

From left, Steve King, Ike Forte, and Bob McKay gather around a portable heater on the sidelines during
the fourth quarter of a game against the Saints at Schaefer Stadium on Dec. 5, 1976. The Pats won their fifth straight, 27-6​

Quinton grad Steve King reflects on NFL career

Steve King had an illustrious nine-year career as an NFL linebacker.

www.mcalesternews.com

I really liked this article, as it focuses on the magical-but-tragical 1976 season.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve King

"The guys got together in a team meeting without the coaches, and we all made a commitment. There was a great chemistry on that team. We went on to go 11-3, got the Wild Card and came within a couple of plays of beating the Raiders, who were the Super Bowl Champions that year. ​

If we beat Oakland in that game, I'm convinced we would have won the Super Bowl, because we'd already beaten Pittsburgh, who would have been our next opponents. Oakland took them apart. The Super Bowl was against the Vikings, and I believe the way the Raiders ran the ball on the Vikings--and we were the strongest running team in the league that year with (Sam) "Bam" Cunningham, Andy Johnson and Don Calhoun--we would have run all over the Vikings."​

1981 Patriots Media Guide

Steve King Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Steve King Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- Steve King Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- Steve King Transactions

Steve King (American football) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Today in Patriots History
Jeff White​

Happy 77th birthday to Jeff White

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
K.J. Osborn​

Happy 28th birthday to K.J. Osborn
Born June 10, 1997 in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Patriot wide receiver, 2024; uniform #2
Signed as an unrestricted veteran free agent on March 17, 2024
Pats résumé: one season, 7 games (4 starts); 7 receptions for 57 yards (8.1 yard avg); one touchdown


Here is what we were saying back then, when the Patriots signed Osborn:

Patriots Add Vikings WR Osborn | PatsFans.com

The Patriots may be having a tough time attracting high-end talent when it comes to wide receivers, but that hasn't stopped Eliot Wolf from trying to add talent to the offense.

www.patsfans.com

The veteran wideout averaged 500+ yards per season over the last three years, including right around 50 receptions each year.​

He’s put up similar numbers to what veteran Kendrick Bourne had in San Francisco prior to signing with the Patriots, with Bourne then going on to put up some pretty good totals during his tenure here.​

Osborn’s totals over the last three seasons:​

2021: 50 catches, 655 yards, 7 touchdowns​

2022: 60 catches, 650 yards, 5 touchdowns​

2023: 48 catches, 540 yards, 3 touchdowns​

​

And this is what happened:
Seven receptions on 18 targets. That's a 38.9% completion rate, good for a miniscule 3.2 yards per pass attempt.

Granted, those numbers have to be taken in context. Between Jacoby Brissett at QB and the sieve of the 2024 Patriot offensive line, it was next to impossible for any wide receiver to put up decent numbers. Regardless, the Pats waived Osborn on December 10. He was claimed by Washington and re-signed with the Commanders in March, for $1.17 million.

K.J. Osborn Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get K.J. Osborn Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- KJ Osborn Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- KJ Osborn Transactions

K.J. Osborn Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

K.J. Osborn contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

Career Earnings: $8,940,478

K. J. Osborn - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Tebow- Mania!!!​

June 10, 2013:
The Patriots sign QB Tim Tebow to a two-year contract

Tebow: 'Honor' to play for Belichick

Tim Tebow said Tuesday it was "an honor" to be able to play for Bill Belichick and learn from Tom Brady, saying he expects his time with the New England Patriots "to be a lot of fun."

www.espn.com

By the 14th straight Tebow question, Belichick said: "I think I've covered it. Anything else?"​

A teammate of Tebow's for three seasons at the University of Florida, Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez said Tuesday he was surprised to be reunited with his college quarterback in the NFL.​

"Once I heard the information I was a little shocked and I was happy," Hernandez said. "Definitely was a surprise for probably most of us."​

Tebow participated in Tuesday's practice solely as a quarterback, but Hernandez said he was unsure of Tebow's role going forward.​

"There's a reason why he's here. I actually don't now the reason yet but we'll see," Hernandez said. "I'm sure he'll be doing a few things here. That's up to Bill Belichick."​

Former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke, who has been working with Tebow over the past month to tweak his throwing mechanics, told USA Today Sports that he believes Tebow can play quarterback in the NFL.​

The move reunites Tebow with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was the Broncos' head coach when Denver traded into the first round to draft the Heisman Trophy winner in 2010.​

Belichick often has spoken with admiration of Tebow's versatility, intelligence and character. Belichick covets what he has described as tough, smart, versatile football players.​

Last month, Yahoo! Sports cited an "organizational source" as saying Belichick disliked Tebow as a player and there was "no chance" of him landing in New England. Belichick dismissed that notion last week, telling ESPNBoston.com that the report was completely untrue.​

When asked about his relationship with Tebow, Belichick said, "Yeah, I like Tim. I have a lot of respect for Tim."​

Ironically, Tebow's last NFL start came in Denver's blowout playoff loss in Foxborough to Brady and the Patriots following the 2011 season.​

Tebow, 25, figures to compete with Ryan Mallett for a backup job behind Brady. The Patriots also released reserve quarterback Mike Kafka on Monday.​

One of the NFL's most polarizing players, Tebow was released by the New York Jets in late April following a disappointing season as a backup to Mark Sanchez.​

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Older June 10 News​

June 10, 1982:
Patriots sign rookie free agent RB Bernie Adell

Bernie did not survive roster cuts, and never played in the NFL.

Adell returns to Ipswich, enters Hall of Fame

IPSWICH — It had been almost 30 years since Bernie Adell was in Ipswich.

www.salemnews.com

From Dec 12, 1977:

FACES IN THE CROWD

BERNIE ADELLIPSWICH, MASS.Bernie, a senior tailback, scored two first-half touchdowns to lead Ipswich High to a 54-13 rout of Newburyport in the state Eastern

vault.si.com

BERNIE ADELL
IPSWICH, MASS.
Bernie, a senior tailback, scored two first-half touchdowns to lead Ipswich High to a 54-13 rout of Newburyport in the state Eastern Division III title game. In four years he had 462 points and gained 5,913 total yards, 4,963 of them rushing.

June 10, 1992:
New England re-signs ILB Vincent Brown, who was entering the fifth of his eight seasons with the Pats

1992 Patriots Media Guide

June 10, 1997:
Pats re-sign WR Hason Graham, who had 15 reception in his first two seasons.

There would not be a third season; Graham was released on August 20. His most memorable play was a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD to open the 2nd half against Dallas - in a 1996 preseason game.

June 10, 1999:
Patriots sign seventh round draft pick Sean Morey

The graduate of Marshfield High School and Brown University later became a Special Teams All-Pro - elsewhere, after the pats gave up on him a bit too soon - but prior to that he caught Tom Brady's first touchdown pass in an NFL uniform - in the preaseason.

Sean J. Morey (2007) - Hall of Fame - Brown University Athletics

Brown University Athletics

brownbears.com

Sean Morey - Sprint Football Coach - Princeton University Athletics

Former Ivy League standout and Super Bowl champion Sean Morey enters his third season as the head coach of the Princeton University sprint football team in 2...

goprincetontigers.com

 

[Pape]

Today in Patriots History​

June 10, 1999:
Patriots sign seventh round draft pick Sean Morey

The graduate of Marshfield High School and Brown University later became a Special Teams All-Pro - elsewhere, after the pats gave up

Local boy... was hoping he was going to stick...

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
21st Century June 10 News​

June 10, 2005:

Pats see enough relevance in last pick to sign Stokes

Andy Stokes, the last player selected in the 2005 draft, will be the first of the New England Patriots' seven selections to earn a paycheck. When it comes to his bank account, at least, Stokes isn't exactly "Mr. Irrelevant" anymore.

www.espn.com

Andy Stokes, the last player selected in the 2005 draft, will be the first of the New England Patriots' seven selections to earn a paycheck. When it comes to his bank account, at least, Stokes isn't exactly "Mr. Irrelevant" anymore.​

A little-known tight end from even lesser-known William Penn College in Oskalaloosa, Iowa, Stokes has reached agreement on his first NFL contract. The two-year deal is worth $557,500. It includes a $17,500 signing bonus and minimum base salaries of $230,000 for 2005 and $310,000 for 2006.​

Stokes out to prove he's relevant to Pats

FOXBORO — In generic terms, he is known as "Mr. Irrelevant." Irrelevant because he was the last player chosen in the NFL draft. If the Patriots hadn't selected tight end Andy Stokes of William Penn…

www.capecodtimes.com

The Patriots released Stokes relatively early, on August 8. He later spent time on Arizona's practice squad and in NFL Europe, but never got on the field in a regular season NFL game.




June 10, 2010:

Patriots release DL Gordon

The Patriots announced the release of defensive lineman Amon Gordon this morning. Gordon, who was signed April 21, was a long shot to earn a roster spot.

www.espn.com

The Patriots announced the release of defensive lineman Amon Gordon this morning. Gordon, who was signed April 21, was a long shot to earn a roster spot.​

Here is one projection of the Patriots' current defensive line depth chart (out of the 3-4 alignment):​

LDE: Ty Warren, Ron Brace, Darryl Richard, Brandon Deaderick, Kade Weston, Adrian Grady​

NT: Vince Wilfork, Mike Wright, Gerard Warren, Myron Pryor, Ron Brace, Kyle Love​

RDE: Mike Wright, Gerard Warren, Damione Lewis, Darryl Richard, Brandon Deaderick, Kade Weston, Adrian Grady​

Gordon played in 33 games for six NFL teams from 2004 to 2011, but none were with the Pats.




June 10, 2013:
Other transactions overshadowed by the signing of Tim Tebow:

Pats release QB Kafka, DT Cherrington

In roster moves that will be far overshadowed by bigger news, the New England Patriots released quarterback Mike Kafka and defensive tackle Dewayne Cherrington on Monday.

www.espn.com

In roster moves that will be far overshadowed by bigger news, the Patriots released quarterback Mike Kafka and defensive tackle Dewayne Cherrington on Monday.​

Kafka, a fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2011, signed with the Patriots earlier this offseason and was the third quarterback on the roster during organized team activities.​

Cherrington was an undrafted rookie free agent from Mississippi State. The Patriots may ultimately choose to swap out the 6-foot-3, 335-pounder for a more experienced defensive lineman; they have hosted veteran defensive tackles Sedrick Ellis and Spencer Johnson in recent weeks.​

Kafka played in a total of four NFL games, for the Eagles.
That's four more games than Cherrington played in.
Ellis, who had started 70 games for the Saints from 2008-2012, signed with the Bears rather than the Pats, then retired ten days later.




June 10, 2016:

Patriots TE Michael Williams suffers ACL tear, put on waived/injured list

Patriots tight end Michael Williams tore his ACL during Wednesday's noncontact practice and on Friday, was put on the waived/injured list.

www.espn.com

New England Patriots tight end Michael Williams suffered a torn ACL during Wednesday's minicamp practice, a source confirmed.​

On Friday, the Patriots put Williams on the waived/injured list. If he clears waivers, he will revert to the injured reserve list.​

Williams sustained the injury during the 7-on-7 portion of practice when he was away from the ball. He went down and grabbed the area near his knee.​

Williams has been projected as the team's No. 3 tight end behind Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett, and is known for his powerful blocking. He converted from offensive tackle to tight end after being acquired in a trade with the Detroit Lions last September. He was targeting the 270-pound range for the 2016 season and appeared to be moving well in spring camps while catching the ball consistently.​

Last season, Williams played in 15 games with nine starts. He finished with three catches for 26 yards, as his primary role was as a blocker.​

His injury could open the door for other tight ends on the roster, a group that includes veteran free-agent signing Clay Harbor, 2015 sixth-round pick A.J. Derby and undrafted rookie free agents Steven Scheu (Vanderbilt) and Bryce Williams (East Carolina).​

Unfortunately for Williams that 2015 season would be his only year playing football in the NFL.

June 10, 2018:
Former Boston Patriot RB Jim "Cowboy" Crawford passes away at the age of 82

Fenway Park Diaries -- Jim Crawford

A graduate of Greybull High School, he became a standout football player at the University of Wyoming from 1955 to 1957. His 1956 team went undefeated and played in the Sun Bowl, where he was named game MVP. In 1957 he was named as an All-American and was first in the nation with 1,104 rushing yards.​

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 14th round of the 1957 NFL Draft but went into the Army and played football for Fort Carson in 1957. In 1958 he took a position teaching in Lowell, Wyoming.​

Jim returned to play with the Boston Patriots in the newly formed American Football League in 1960. He spent five seasons with the Patriots playing fullback and rushed for 1,078 yards and received 52 passes for 501 yards, and scored 7 touchdowns. His best year was 1962, where he rushed for 459 yards and had 224 receiving yards.​

After football, Jim worked as a railroad engineer for Burlington Northern for 33 years. He also spent many years as a hunting guide in the mountains near Dubois, Wyoming. Jim Crawford was inducted into the Wyoming Hall of Fame and passed away at his home on June 10, 2018, at age 82, in Coleman, OK.​

James L. Crawford - University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame

June 10, 2022:

Patriots cut Quinn Nordin, sign journeyman kicker Tristan Vizcaino

Nordin was a surprise in 2021, opening the season on the 53-man roster.

www.masslive.com

The Patriots have parted ways with Quinn Nordin.​

The undrafted rookie opened the 2021 season on New England’s 53-man roster, but was released on Friday afternoon. In his place, the team signed journeyman kicker Tristan Vizcaino, who was most recently with the Chargers.​

Nordin never kicked in a game, but kept Bill Belichick’s undrafted-free-agent streak alive by starting the year on the 53-man roster. It’s somewhat perplexing that the kicker was released given how high the team seemed on him last fall. To keep Nordin from being claimed on waivers, New England actually cut Nick Folk — knowing he’d re-sign — and placed the veteran on the practice squad, using game-day elevations in Week 1 and 2 to get him on the field.​

As for Vizcaino, he’s only 25 years old, but the Patriots are the seventh organization he’s been with. After signing a futures contract with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 season, Vizcaino spent time in Dallas, Minnesota, San Francisco, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. He won the gig as the Chargers’ starting kicker last season, but was released in October, going 6 for 7 on field goals, but only hitting 10 of 15 extra points. The starting gig certainly still belongs to Folk.​

Nordin spent time on the Pats practice squad, but never got into a real NFL game


Vizcaino averaged 59 yards on six kickoffs with the Pats in 2022​

June 10, 2024:
Linebacker Brad Dusek passes away at the age of 73

The Patriots selected Dusek in the third round of the 1973 draft, out of Texas A&M. Chuck Fairbanks gave up on him early, shipping him off to Washington just before the start of the season for nothing more than a 1974 seventh round pick. After spending a year on the taxi squad, Dusek played in 114 games for Washington from 1974 to 1981. At one point he started every game for five consecutive seasons.

Dusek shared shared an NFL record for touchdowns on fumble returns (three), with one of those being a game-winner against the Patriots. On September 3, 1978 the Pats were 9-point favorites against the Skins. Nursing a 14-9 lead the Pats were running out the clock. Steve Grogan handed off to Horace Ivory, who never saw 295-pound DT Steve Butz., who heaved his body at the running back. The ball was jarred loose and Dusek picked it up on one perfect hop, running it into the end zone for the game-winning score.

Brad Dusek (2014) - Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame - Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com

Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com

12thman.com

June 10, 2024:
Here's what we were discussing 365 days ago.

Thread 'NEW ARTICLE: Maye Looks ‘Noticeably Different’ Ahead of Patriots Minicamp'

Jun 10, 2024

Maye Looks ‘Noticeably Different’ Ahead of Patriots Minicamp
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Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

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Thread 'NEW ARTICLE: BEDARD: Strange Could Miss 2024 Patriots Season'

Jun 10, 2024

BEDARD: Strange Could Miss 2024 Patriots Season
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Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

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Thread 'NEW ARTICLE: Mayo on Judon’s Attendence at Minicamp: “It’s great to have Judon”'

Jun 10, 2024

Mayo on Judon’s Attendence at Minicamp: “It’s great to have Judon”
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Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

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S

PATRIOTS NEWS Thread 'OTA 6/10/24'

Jun 10, 2024

Don't know if we will get any tweets today or not.

Mods please tidy this as you see fit

• Scotty
• Replies: 110
• Forum: PatsFans.com - Patriots Fan Forum

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

You'd think Kraft being a fan at the time would give him some love.

Like all things Patriots, it's complicated.

Bob has an intellectual admiration with feigned affection which he shows with the countless passing of ex-players and coaches over the course of his ownership. He acknowledges their tangible contributions, but everything to him is under the considerable and very real cloud of the Sullivan reign. He talks about the team bring a public trust, but kept the flying elvis shoved down our throats less than a year before he bought the team, refuses to induct at least three players who should have been honored and put into the team hall of fame when they were still with us, and cannot bring himself to objectively address the antiPatriots mania and hysteria which has, led by local media, really defined them publicly since the merger in 1970. He tacitly agrees with and approves of the baseless denigration and denial of the considerable success of the team in its first three decades based on the illogic that because of Sullivan it's warranted, and thus eternally causes the abuse to increase geometrically without end, unless somebody wants to ignore the two major scandals unmatched in history based upon nothing. Yes, having staff doing nothing illegal in an unauthorized location in the first half of the first game of a season is nothing.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Another important fact to consider when comparing Faibanks to Parcells is that Fairbanks operated in an era with no free agency and no salary cap. As a result good teams stayed good for long periods of time, while bad teams remained mired in mediocrity for years. Parcells had the benefit of free agency in his first year, and the salary cap the following year. Both of those resulted in his ability to acquire talent far more easily than Fairbanks could, who had to rely solely on the draft, trades, and rookies that were not selected through what was then a 17-round draft.

Chuck also got players like Mack Herron from the CFL. He was very familiar with K-State guys he faced while at OU like Steve Grogan.

That '76 team deserved to be the franchise's first super bowl championship team, and would have been if not for what was arguably the worst officiated game in the history of pro sports. On defense they led the league in takeaways, while on offense they led the NFL with 5.0 yards per carry, and were 2nd in points scored. Two years later the Pats led the league in yards gained, and set an NFL record that would stand for 41 years, with 3,165 yards rushing.

Indeed. Yet, with all the public, fan and media blathering about officiating, this never receives any attention because it happened to the Patriots.

In '76 the Pats went 11-3, making the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The team ranked second in scoring offense and third in turnover differential. The Pats led the league with 5.0 yards per rush, and had not lost a game since October. Then came the Ben Dreith game, arguably the most egregiously one-sided officiated game in the history of the NFL professional sports. With Pittsburgh decimated by injuries and the AFC vastly superior to the NFC that year, the Raider-Patriots game was the de facto league championship game. Yes, it still bothers me to this day.

I was all set for Patriots '76 - AFC Championship Game Edition the following week on Channel 4 with Len Berman and Gail Granik.

The great thing about sports is the athletes determine the outcome and expose all the fan and media blather as the bull **** that it is. For example, the 1974 Philadelphia Flyers, the 1975 Golden State Warriors and the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers were not expected to win the titles they did.

The Patriots winning as they should have in 1976 would have topped them all, with three results:

1. All the Patriots work and sacrifice from players, coaches, staff and fans since 1959 - which is considerable and arguably immeasurable - would have been gratified and fulfilled.

2. All the unwarranted abuse from media would have been debunked in reality, even as they inevitably would have characterized 1976 as an aberration and a fluke.

3. The players and coaches on that team would have worn their legitimately earned Super Bowl rings the last fifty years and forever.

In 1978 Fairbanks worked out a contract extension with Stingley, just prior to his being viciously hit and paralyzed by Jack Tatum in a preseason game. When the Sullivans refused to honor that verbal commitment, it was the final straw; Fairbanks started looking for another job.

Chuck Sullivan: "We're not gonna pay him!!!" as Darryl's life was touch and go, contracting pneumonia during the horrific aftermath in the hospital in California.

The team won the AFC East, but then word leaked out that Fairbanks had been hired by the University of Colorado. Billy Sullivan suspended Fairbanks prior to the final game of the season, making the OC the head coach when the Pats had the ball, and the DC the head coach when on defense. The ridiculous arrangement predictably failed, and Fairbanks was allowed to return and coach the first home playoff game in franchise history. Under gloomy skies a lethargic and distracted team was defeated by Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini and Bum Phillips' Houston Oilers on new years eve of 1978. With that loss, the Patriots' Chuck Fairbanks era was over.

In that meaningless Monday Night regular season finale in Miami, Steve Grogan hurt his knee, which ended their title chances. By the time they put in Tom Owen it was too late and the two touchdown drives he led were not enough. But, their defense was not as good as well, particularly owing to the absence of Julius Adams, who got lost for the season Week One.

The Patriots had six-straight losing seasons prior to Fairbanks’ arrival, and hadn’t been to the playoffs in ten years. By 1976 the Patriots had (at that time) their best team ever, handing the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders their only loss of the season.

Primarily due to Grogan, the Patriots proceeded to have one (1) losing season in 13 years. Of course, that year - 1981 - they had the best 2-14 team in history, and national media had a field day denigrating them.

Oakland would 'win' the re-match in the playoffs in a hard fought game that featured, among a plethora of calls and noncalls against the road team, a baseless roughing the passer penalty on Sugar Bear Hamilton on a third-and-18 incomplete pass that would set Oakland up for the 24-21 'win'.

Stabler took a dive in desperation and Dreith fell for it. His teammates gingerly helping him up as the yards were marched off against the Patriots added insult to injury. Had this been one isolated call, there would be a legitimate argument that those were just the breaks. However, I can specifically identify half a dozen egregiously biased terrible calls which likewise determined the outcome.

But to this day, many believe the ’76 Pats teams was one of their best ever, even if they didn’t even make it to the Super Bowl. Before that, the Patriots truly were nobodies in the NFL landscape. If we really want to talk about a coach who put the Patriots on the map, Fairbanks would have to be the original choice.

He is the coach and that is the uniform with which the New England Patriots established themselves as championship contenders in the modern era of professional football in the United States, contrary to the bull **** eternally blathered nationally and accepted and endorsed by Kraft that nothing happened prior to his ownership.

We remain, to this day, in the post-merger, Super Bowl era of the sport. Additionally, the Patriots were title contenders in half the decade of the AFL's existence in the 60's.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
More June 10 Birthdays​

Happy 35th birthday to Dewey McDonald
Born June 10, 1990; from Shenandoah, West Virginia (population 635)
Patriot safety, 2015; uniform #31
Waiver claim from Indianapolis on October 28, 2015
Pats résumé: one game; 2015 practice squad


The Pats claimed Dewey McDonald off waivers and added him to the roster when LB Rufus Johnson was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list. That move was done primarily to utilize Dewey on special teams, as Brandon Bolden was suffering from a hamstring injury. The product from the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans was released on November 12, and then went on and off the practice squad a couple times.

McDonald was added to the active roster on November 26 when Aaron Dobson was placed on IR, and then cut for good two days later. McDonald played in only one game for the Pats; he appeared in a total of 32 NFL games from 2014 to 2017, mostly with the Colts and Seahawks.

Patriots place WR Aaron Dobson on IR; Sign DB Dewey McDonald

The New England Patriots announced that they have signed DB Dewey McDonald to the 53-man roster. In addition, the Patriots placed WR Aaron Dobson on injured reserve.

www.patriots.com

Dewey is also an example of why coaches determine a player should be a defensive back rather than a receiver:

​

Happy 55th birthday to David Wilson
Born June 10, 1970 in Los Angeles
Patriot safety, 1992; uniform #26
Signed to the practice squad on September 30, 1992

David Wilson was elevated to the active roster on October 16, 1992 and appeared in one game for the Patriots, a week 7 loss to the Browns. Originally a late round pick out of Cal for the Vikings, he then re-signed with Minnesota and was with the Rams for the full 1994 offseason.




Happy 77th birthday to Dan Kecman
Born June 10, 1948 in Pittsburgh
Patriot LB, 1970; uniform #45

A literal one hit wonder, Dan Kecman's sole NFL game was in week one of the 1970 season at the age of 22, in a 27-14 win for the Patriots against Miami. For the last several years he has been an assistant high school football coach in Rockville, Maryland.




At least Kecman stuck around long enough to get one game in under his belt, unlike the following.


Happy 27th birthday to Leroy Watson
Born June 10, 1998 in Snellville, Georgia
Patriot OT, 2022 practice squad
Signed to the practice squad on September 1, 2022

Watson entered the league as an undrafted free agent from Texas-San Antonio. He joined the Pats’ practice squad ahead of the 2022 season, but in matter of days he was gone, joining the 49ers. Leroy played in seven games for the Bowns in 2023.

Browns Trade T Leroy Watson To Titans

The Browns and Titans have pulled off a minor swap in advance of this month's draft. Cleveland has sent offensive …

www.profootballrumors.com

Happy 34th birthday to Bennie Fowler
Born June 10, 1991 in Bloomfield, Michigan
Patriot WR, 2018; uniform #
Signed to the practice squad on September 1, 2022

Patriots Sign RB Kenjon Barner and WRs Corey Coleman and Bennie Fowler

5 things to know about new Patriots wide receiver Bennie Fowler

The New England Patriots signed free-agent wide receiver Bennie Fowler on Tuesday, filling one of three open roster spots on the team following Week 1. Fowler will spend his fourth year playing professional football with the Patriots, having spent the previous three seasons playing for the...

www.boston.com

The New England Patriots signed free-agent wide receiver Bennie Fowler on Tuesday, filling one of three open roster spots on the team following Week 1.​

Fowler will spend his fourth year playing professional football with the Patriots, having spent the previous three seasons playing for the Denver Broncos. The 27-year-old holds potential for filling out the wide receiver depth that the Patriots are lacking until Julian Edelman returns to the field in Week 5.​

The Patriots only had three wide receivers on their roster– Chris Hogan, Cordarrelle Patterson and Phillip Dorsett – prior to signing Fowler and fellow wide receiver Corey Coleman.​

The Pats released Fowler four days later.

Report: Patriots cut WR Bennie Fowler

The New England Patriots have cut receiver Bennie Fowler, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. They signed him on September 11.. Cutting Fowler left the Patriots with 52 men on their roster, which allowed them to promote tackle Cole Croston to the 53-man roster.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

Cutting Fowler left the Patriots with 52 men on their roster, which allowed them to promote tackle Cole Croston to the 53-man roster. The Patriots then signed receiver Riley McCarron to the practice squad.​

Their receivers include Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Paterson, Corey Coleman and Matthew Slater.​

Sept 12, 2018: Corey Coleman (L, #10) and Bennie Fowler (R, #16)​

Happy 28th birthday to Darryl Williams
Born June 10, 1997 in Bessemer, Alabama
Patriot C, 2022 offseason
Signed as a free agent on June 17, 2022

Patriots Reportedly Sign Darryl Williams, But Not One You're Thinking Of

The New England Patriots reportedly bolstered their offensive line depth on Friday by signing center Darryl Williams, formerly of the Chiefs.

nesn.com

New England signed 25-year-old center Darryl Williams, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Friday afternoon, citing a source. Williams spent all of last season on the Chiefs’ practice squad after signing with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He played his college ball at Mississippi State.​

Williams was cut earlier this week.​

Now, if you did a double-take when you read the headline, just know you probably weren’t the only one. There are two other NFL players whose names sound phonetically similar to that of the Patriots’ new center — and both hit free agency this offseason.​

Running back Darrel Williams, the Chiefs’ leading rusher last season, signed with the Arizona Cardinals in late May. And then there’s offensive tackle Daryl Williams, who still is a free agent after being a full-time starter for the Buffalo Bills in each of the last two seasons.​

Again, the Patriots landed neither of those players. Instead, they added a center who likely will compete in training camp for a spot as a backup lineman. New England currently doesn’t have any true center depth behind David Andrews, though some view rookie guard Cole Strange as a potential future replacement.​

Williams did much better than Fowler - sticking around for 39 days.

Patriots Make Flurry Of Roster Moves Ahead Of Day 1 Of Training Camp

The New England Patriots made transactions involving three players on the eve of their first training camp practice.

nesn.com

The New England Patriots made transactions involving three players on the eve of their first training camp practice.​

The Patriots on Tuesday placed punter Jake Bailey on the non-football illness list and defensive back Myles Bryant on the non-football injury list, according to the NFL transaction wire. They also released offensive lineman Darryl Williams, who signed with the team last month.​

Rookie offensive linemen Chasen Hines and Andrew Stueber also will begin camp on the non-football injury list. Center David Andrews, running back James White, Jonathan Jones and Peppers are on the physically unable to perform list. Players can be removed from these lists at any time.​

Happy 38th birthday to Mike Mitchell, who was never a part of the Patriots organization, but was involved in a Pats draft day trade.

On April 27, 2008 the Pats traded down, sending 3.69 to San Diego for 5.160 and a 2009 second (2.47). A year later the Pats traded up, sending 2.47, 4.124 and 6.199 to Oakland for 2.40, which they used on Ron Brace. The Raiders used 2.47 on free safety Mike Mitchell, who played in 145 games over 11 years. Even though Mitchell's best years came after leaving Oakland, the Raiders won that deal, also getting WR Louis Murphy (90 receptions in his first three seasons). By comparison Brace only played in 39 games with seven starts.



Two other players with a New England connection that shares today's birthday:

Mike DeVito, 41 (June 10, 1984)
Mike went to Nauset Regional High School on Cape Cod, and the University of Maine.
The defensive lineman spent nine years in the NFL, playing in 110 games for the Jets and Chiefs.

It's too bad the Patriots didn't use one of their late 2007 round draft picks on DeVito rather than the guys they did pick that did absolutely nothing. DeVito ended up playing in more NFL games than the entire Pats '07 draft class once you exclude Brandon Meriweather. Mike Wright was very effective at DT and DE when healthy, but his career was shortened by concussions. Having DeVito on the roster would have made the team less dependent on linemen such as Wright, Shaun Ellis, Derrick Burgess, etc.


Dieter Eiselen, 29 (June 10, 1996)
An NFL player that went to Yale is not all that common. But a player that went to not only an Ivy League school, but prior to that a hoity toity upper crust prep school like Choate is a rarity. Eiselen is a four-year veteran guard for the Bears and Texans that checks off both of those boxes.




Some other notable NFL players born on June 10 include:

- Dan Fouts, 74 (1951); the Hall of Fame QB for the Chargers was most definitely not a HoF announcer.

- Kyle Williams, 42 (1983); 5-time Pro Bowl DT for the Bills.

- Larry Brooks, 75 (1950); 5-time Pro Bowl DT for the Rams.

- Kevin Donnalley, 57 (1968); Oiler/Dolphin/Panther guard played in 207 games from 1991 to 2003.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Some other notable NFL players born on June 10 include:

- Dan Fouts, 74 (1951); the Hall of Fame QB for the Chargers was most definitely not a HoF announcer.

Nice beard, though, and an old-fashioned QB gut.

I don't know if he ever beat the Patriots. I'll have to check.

*Edit: Nope, he never did. 0-6.

 

[jmt57]

Nice beard, though, and an old-fashioned QB gut.

I don't know if he ever beat the Patriots. I'll have to check.

0-5 vesus the Pats.

Which may have had something to do with why he seemed, in my opinion, to be heavily biased against the Patriots in any and every Pats game he was announcing.

Dan Fouts Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Dan Fouts Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

0-5 vesus the Pats.

Which may have had something to do with why he seemed, in my opinion, to be heavily biased against the Patriots in any and every Pats game he was announcing.

Dan Fouts Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Get Dan Fouts Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Dan didn't start, but he threw as many passes as Wayne Clark in their loss to us at Foxborough on 12/2/1973 so I consider it 0-6.