Today In Patriots History June 11, 2003: Thomas Dimitroff hired as Director of College Scouting

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Thomas Dimitroff​

June 11, 2003:
New England Patriots hire Thomas Dimitroff as Director of College Scouting


Dimitroff had joined the Pats the previous year, as a national scout. His football journey began at the University of Guelph in Ontario, where began as the team's equipment manger, to making it onto the field as a defensive back. From there he went to the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, working his way up from being a 'not-so-glorified-gopher' and performing low level tasks such as ticket sales and promotions, to becoming the team's Canadian scouting coordinator.


Football was in his blood. His father was a football lifer. Tom Dimitroff Sr. was a quarterback for Ottawa in the CFL, and later for the 1960 Boston Patriots. The elder Dimitroff coached and scouted in the CFL and NFL before dying of kidney cancer in 1996. The junior Dimitroff grew up in Ontario as his father coached in Ottawa and Hamilton. Tom Sr. continually advised his son to chase his GM dreams by paying his dues. Thus, Thomas did the Ordinary Joe Jobs in Saskatchewan, the World League of American Football, and a Japanese football league.

Eventually Dimitroff made his way to the Cleveland Browns, where he met Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli. Dimitroff was again initially reduced to low-level tasks, such as painting the field.

"Thomas would come into our office and he'd just be covered in paint. He'd have it in his hair and he'd stink from sweat." New England Patriots executive Scott Pioli, recalling his days together with Thomas Dimitroff in the Cleveland Browns' front office.​

Mike Reiss, from April 28, 2006:

Eye on the process

A snapshot look at the structure of the Patriots' scouting department.

www.boston.com

The following is a general snapshot of how the scouting department operates (sourced through interviews last year with Patriots Director of College Scouting Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Bill Belichick):​

​

The boss:​

Scott Pioli — Vice President of Player Personnel​

​

The top assistants:​

Nick Caserio –- Director of Pro Personnel​

Thomas Dimitroff –- Director of College Scouting​

​

Those who report to the top assistants (16):​

High-level national scouts​

Regional/area scouts​

​

Coaches’ input:​

Head coach Bill Belichick plays a major role in the process, working closely with Pioli in making final decisions. The team’s assistant coaches also help in the process, working out and interviewing prospects, and offering their input.​

​

A look at the Patriots’ personnel department (according to the team’s 2005 media guide):​

​

Scott Pioli –- Vice President of Player Personnel​

Thomas Dimitroff –- Director of College Scouting​

Nick Caserio –- Director of Pro Personnel​

Jay Muraco –- College Scouting Coordinator​

Larry Cook –- Regional Scout​

Bob Quinn –- Regional Scout​

Frank Leonard –- Special Assignment Scout​

Marvin Allen –- Area Scout​

Jim Nagy –- Area Scout​

Jon Robinson –- Area Scout​

Matt Russell –- Area Scout​

Tim Heffelfinger –- Area Scout​

Justin Crouse –- Area Scout​

Frantzy Jourdain –- Area Scout​

Brian Flores –- Scouting Assistant​

Tim Pichette –- Scouting Assistant​

Kyle O’Brien –- Pro Scout​

Adam Peters –- Pro Scout​

Bucko Kilroy –- Scouting Consultant​

Nancy Meier –- Director of Scouting Administration​

Tom would serve in his position for the Patriots through the 2007 season, then worked as the general manager for the Atlanta Falcons from 2008 to 2020. Among the players drafted by the Patriots during his tenure in Foxborough were Ty Warren, Asante Samuel, Dan Koppen, Tully Banta-Cain, Vince Wilfork, Logan Mankins, Ellis Hobbs, Matt Cassel and Stephen Gostkowski, among others. The Patriots won Super Bowls 38 and 39 while Dimitroff was the Pats Director of College Scouting.

Mark Daniels, Jan 31, 2017:

After leaving Patriots, Falcons GM Dimitroff forged own path

HOUSTON — When front office people leave the Patriots organization, there’s a temptation by many to try to model themselves after Bill Belichick. After working for the Patriots, Atlanta Falcons gener…

www.capecodtimes.com

A turning point for Dimitroff happened early in his Falcons tenure. Prior to the 2011 draft, he asked Belichick about a potential trade. Dimitroff wanted to move up to select a wide receiver in the first round. The only problem was that the Cleveland Browns, who held the sixth overall pick, wanted two first-round picks, a second and two fourth-rounders spanning the 2011 and 2012 draft.​

As documented in the book "War Room," Belichick advised Dimitroff against the trade and thought the Falcons could get similar value in receiver Jonathan Baldwin. Dimitroff, of course, made the deal and picked Alabama's Julio Jones, one of the best receivers in the NFL, while Baldwin is out of the league.​

Although the trade looked lopsided, it worked out for the Falcons. In the end, the Browns ended up with quarterback Brandon Weeden, defensive tackle Phil Taylor, receiver Greg Little, fullback Owen Marecic and traded away the other fourth-round pick while moving up to draft running back Trent Richardson.​

Before Dimitroff accepted the Falcons job, Belichick told him to be true to himself. In the end, that advice paid off.​

Note: some dates below, which have been re-reported by other sites, must be inaccurate. Specifically, the dates working for the Browns (1998-2001) don't make sense because (a) the Browns left for Baltimore after the 1995 season and did not reappear as an expansion team until 1999, and (b) Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli were not with the Browns after 1995, so they could not have worked with Thomas Dimitroff in Cleveland in 1998.

2007 Patriots Media Guide

Dec 23, 2008:
Atlanta Falcons leave dog days in the dust thanks to Canadian GM -- Metro News

Were it not for the worst-to-first ascent of Bill Parcells’ Miami Dolphins, in fact, Thomas Dimitroff would be a shoo-in as the NFL’s top exec of 2008.​

Last January, Dimitroff accepted an offer to become the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager, a position established NFLers flat-out rejected. The reason was that the Falcons were dogged – you should pardon the expression – by unprecedented nightmares last year. They were 4-12. Their franchise quarterback – Michael Vick – was jailed because of his role in a dogfighting ring. Their coach, Bob Petrino, quit after 13 games to return to college football.​

Desperate, owner Arthur Blank turned to Dimitroff, who was scouting for the New England Patriots. Dimitroff hired Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith as coach, acquired running back Michael Turner as a free agent and chose quarterback Matt Ryan third overall in the NFL draft.​

All three flourished and, on Sunday, the Falcons qualified for the post-season.​

“Never thought this could happen this year, never,” Blank said after Atlanta’s playoff-clinching triumph in Minnesota. "This is the season of miracles, thanks to Thomas.”​

“I gave Thomas years to rebuild our team,” Blank said, “and he did it in months. He’s a special guy. We’re very proud of him. Canada should be proud of him, too.”​

Taking over a 4-12 team, the Falcons had winning records in each of Dimitroff's first five years in Atlanta, going 56-24. Thomas Dimitroff was Atlanta's GM when the Falcons played the Patriots in the "28-3" Super Bowl following the 2016 season. The team seemed to go into a funk after that, and after an 0-5 start to the 2020 season, both he and head coach Dan Quinn were fired.

After that he and his son co-founded a footbal analytics company called SūmerSports, which is a "data-driven platform that empowers teams with insights and tools to make informed decisions within salary cap constraints. The platform also serves the NCAA, offering insights around the transfer portal and more". Last year Dimitroff departed that firm and interviewed for GM openings with the Jets and Titans, but did not get a job offer from either team.


Feb 9, 2011:

Falcons' Dimitroff named executive of the year

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been selected NFL executive of the year by the Sporting News for the second time in three seasons.

www.espn.com

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been selected NFL executive of the year by the Sporting News for the second time in three seasons.​

Dimitroff was chosen for his role in building the Falcons since 2008. Atlanta has gone from a team that never had consecutive winning records to one with three straight winning seasons. The Falcons went 13-3 in 2010, the best record in the NFC, before losing to Green Bay in the playoffs.​

THOMAS DIMITROFF JR. — Guelph Sports Hall of Fame — Guelph Sports Hall of Fame

THOMAS DIMITROFF JR. — Guelph Sports Hall of Fame

www.guelphsportshalloffame.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Larry Cook​

June 11, 2003:
Larry Cook becomes a Regional Scout

Cook had been the Pats Director of College Scouting for the previous six years. That job was taken over by Thomas Dimitroff (above), who had been hired in 2002 as New England's national scout.

Cook originally joined the Patriots as a part-time west coast pro personnel scout when Ron Meyer was named head coach in 1982. He joined the Patriots scouting department on a full-time basis as a personnel scout on **** Steinberg’s staff on Feb. 1, 1985, after a 16-year coaching career. Larry began his coaching career in 1963 at Fountain Valley High School in California, and in 1975, he accepted an assistant coaching position at Cal State Fullerton. After three years there Cook became an assistant with the Rams scouting department, working there through the 1984 season.

2003 marked Cook's 41st year in football, including 23 with the Pats. During that time he saw the Patriots make it to their first three super bowls: the loss to the Bears, the loss to the Packers, and the Silence of the Rams.

Larry Cook continued to work as a regional scout for three years, then 13 more as a Patriots scouting consulant. He worked with the Patriots through 2018, a remarkable total of 34 years in the New England personnel department and a total of 56 working in football. Cook was on New England's staff for each of the franchise's eleven super bowl appearances, retiring after the Pats 13-3 victory over the Rams.

Behind the scenes: Larry Cook

(Each day over the next few weeks, during our pre-training camp vacation, ESPNBoston.com will highlight one behind-the-scenes Patriots employee and their role with the club.

www.espn.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Grey Ruegamer​

Happy 49th birthday to Grey Ruegamer
Born June 11, 1976 in Las Vegas
Patriot center/guard, 2000-2002; uniform #67
Signed as a free agent on November 16, 2000
Pats résumé: three seasons, 33 games (three starts); three playoff games

Gary Ruegamer played in 33 games over three seasons with the Patriots, with three starts. He was a third round pick by the Dolphins in '99 out of Arizona State, and signed by the Patriots off Pittsburgh's practice squad. A two-time Super Bowl champion, his claim to fame as a Patriot may be for blocking on Tom Brady's first career rushing touchdown against the Jets. Ruegamer later defended the wall, with these comments:

Grey Ruegamer: DeflateGate Punishment, Like Violation, Should Be Minor - NESN.com

No one is arguing that the New England Patriots shouldn’t be punished if the NFL finds they intentionally under-inflated footballs during their AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts. But should the Patriots lose their spot in Super Bowl XLIX or should coach Bill Belichick be...

nesn.com

“If the quarterback wants to throw a beach ball or a shot put, so what? If the NFL was so worried about competitive advantage, why would they let teams use footballs all week for the game and only then provide brand new kicking balls pregame?”​

​

“The talking heads are trying to manufacture that it’s some significant competitive advantage to have a slightly deflated football. If that were the case then they should ban every conceivable ‘competitive advantage,’ like receivers’ gloves, taped ankles and strength and conditioning coaches.”​

​

“Odell Beckham likely doesn’t make that amazing catch without gloves. Jerome Bettis may have fumbled a lot more in his stellar career without those big neoprene sleeves on his arms to hold the ball in place. DeMarco Murray may not have played as well without piles of ankle tape help him make sharp cuts. And J.J. Watt may not have been the defensive machine he was because of his offseason training. All, at the end of the day, provide some form of competitive advantage depending on the quality and application of use.”​

As a rookie with Miami, Grey Ruegamer never saw the field once; he was a healthy scratch for all but one game, and received zero snaps in the one game he did dress. The Dolphins waived him near the end of training camp the following year, in 2000. Pittsburgh signed him to their practice squad, and from there the Pats signed him to their active roster. Grey became an unrestricted free agent in 2003 and signed with the Packers. The following year he was a starter at center when Green Bay set offensive franchise records that still stands for fewest sacks allowed (14) , as well as now broken records for most first downs (354), most net yards (6,357), and net passing yards (4,449). Grey last played for the Giants in 2008, and owns two super bowl rings: one with the Pats in 2001, the other with New York from 2007. Ruegamer played three seasons each in front of three very well known quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Eli Manning.


On a side note, there was an interesting path as to how Miami ended up with the 72nd pick of the 1999 draft. which the Dolphins used to select Ruegamer:

1) Feb 18, 1998: Baltimore trades their third round pick (#72) of the 1999 draft to Tampa Bay for RB Errict Rhett.
2) April 19, 1998: The Bucs trade that draft pick back to the Ravens, for a 1998 fourth round pick.
3) March 17, 1999: Detroit trades QB Scott Mitchell to Baltimore for their third round pick (#72), and a 2000 conditional pick.
4) April 17, 1999: The Lions trade up two spots in the draft, sending #72 and a seventh round pick to Miami for #70.
5) Years Later: With the benefit of draft hindsight, Miami fans gnash their teeth. Detroit used their pick on DE Jared DeVries, who would play with the Lions for ten seasons. And one pick after the Ruegamer selection, Pittsburgh takes LB Joey Porter, who was named to three Pro Bowls while with the Steelers.


Grey Ruegamer - Official New England Patriots Biography

Grey Ruegamer was born in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 10, 1976 … Attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas … Voted team’s MVP his senior year … Posted an undefeated record as a heavyweight wrestler his junior year … Also lettered in track, where he competed in the shot put and the discus …​

Grey Ruegamer was signed to the Patriots 53-man roster from the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad on Nov. 16, 2000 ... Originally a third-round draft choice (72nd overall) of the Miami Dolphins in 1999 ... Released from the Dolphins following training camp in 2000 ... Signed onto the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad (8/29/00) … Re-signed with the Patriots (4/19/02).​

Made his first career start at center vs. Indianapolis (9/30/01) and blocked for a rushing attack which gained 177 yards and scored three touchdowns in 44-13 victory over the Colts.​

Ruegamer was a four-year letterman (1995-98) and starter at Arizona State … Started every game at center his senior year … Earned a Walter Camp All-America selection and a first-team All-Pac 10 choice … One of 12 finalists for the Lombardi Award … Graded out at 87 percent while posting 72 knockdown blocks as a senior for an offense that amassed 4,530 yards … Earned All-Pac 10 honors as a junior … Opened his junior season as the team’s starting left tackle before moving to center for the final six contests … Received honorable mention all-conference accolades as a sophomore when he saw time at both tackle and center.​

2000 Season​

Signed with the Patriots on Nov. 16, 2000 after spending the first 11 weeks of season on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad … Participated as third tight end and on special teams with the Patriots. Cincinnati (11/19): Made his NFL debut against the Bengals. Kansas City (12/4): Called into action when left guard Joe Andruzzi injured his leg in the third quarter.​

2002 Season​

at San Diego (9/29): Started at center and played most of the game as part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack for the second time in three weeks … Helped clear the way for Antowain Smith to average 4.9 yards per carry. at Miami (10/6): Started at center and played most of the game as part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack in the second half as the Patriots attempted 24 passes. Green Bay (10/13): Inactive. Denver (10/27): Inactive. at Buffalo (11/3): Inactive. at Chicago (11/10): Stepped in for an injured Joe Andruzzi at right guard in the second half of the Patriots 33-30 win over the Bears in Champaign, Ill. … Part of a Patriots offensive line that allowed only one sack on 39 pass attempts in the second half … Helped pave the way for Brady to pick up a crucial first down on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-three on the game-winning touchdown drive. at Oakland (11/17): Saw time at right guard in the second half in place of an injured Joe Andruzzi. at Detroit (11/28): Participated on special teams and as a reserve on the offensive line in the Patriots 20-12 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving. Buffalo (12/8): Saw time at center in the second half of the Patriots 27-17 win over the Bills … Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack while paving the way for 92 yards rushing. at Tennessee (12/16): Saw action at center in the second half … Paved the way for Tom Brady’s first career rushing touchdown, a 10-yard quarterback sneak in the first quarter. N.Y. Jets (12/22): Lined up as an eligible receiver at tight end four times and participated in the kicking game.​

Grey Ruegamer

After being named the club's director of player engagement on July 31, 2017, Grey Ruegamer enters his seventh season in the role and 10th year overall in Green Bay after playing three seasons (2003-05) with the Packers as an offensive lineman.​

As the director of player engagement, Ruegamer is vital in maintaining locker-room cohesiveness and overall player health. He assists players in acclimating to their roles, both on and off the field and in the Green Bay community, and adapting to a new life in Green Bay.​

Ruegamer also oversees the Packers' wide range of programs designed to meet the needs of players and their families in today's NFL. The department provides a framework of assistance within which players and their immediate family members can address the pressures created by daily life and complicated by the demands of playing professional football. The program is also set up to get players prepared for life after football, and helps them seek educational and vocational opportunities.​

Ruegamer played 10 total seasons in the NFL on the offensive line, appearing in 124 games with 17 starts during the regular season and 12 contests with two starts in the postseason. After originally being selected by Miami in the third round (No. 72 overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft and spending one season with the Dolphins, he spent three seasons with the New England Patriots (2000-02) before spending his three seasons in Green Bay and playing the final three seasons of his career with the N.Y. Giants (2006-08). Ruegamer was a member of two Super Bowl champion teams, the 2001 Patriots and the 2007 Giants.​

Once his playing career wrapped up, Ruegamer spent three years (2009-10, 2013) as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Washington. He also earned his bachelor's degree from Arizona State in liberal studies as well as his master's degree in health and human performance from California University of Pennsylvania.​

Prior to his current role, Ruegamer was a certified wellness coach and worked at The Summit Medical Fitness Center in Kalispell, Mont., from 2014-16.​

A 1998 Walter Camp All-America honoree, first-team All-Pacific-10 selection and one of 12 finalists for the Lombardi Award, Ruegamer was a four-year starter at Arizona State (1995-98). He was inducted into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.​

A native of Las Vegas, Ruegamer currently resides with his wife in Green Bay.​

Getting To Know...Grey Ruegamer

A seasoned playoff participant, Ruegamer has now played in six postseason contests with one start -- including the Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI victory over the St. Louis Rams.​

"Grey is a good person, a great individual," says offensive line coach Larry Beightol. "He does a lot in the community, especially with schools -- he's a model guy. I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. That's the kind of person he is and he'll do whatever it takes, he puts a lot into everything."​

What were you feeling when you played your first professional game?​

I was nervous. I was just hoping that I wouldn't mess up. My first game was with New England and we played the Bengals. I was excited and nervous and just hoping that I wouldn't make an assignment error.​

Who do you think is the greatest clutch performer of all-time?​

It's got to be the Boston Red Sox last year. Everyone thought they were down and out and then they came back and proved that anything goes. You should never count anyone out. They were the perfect example of that.​

A Grey Ruegamer prank once forced Rich Seubert to sell his truck

Former New York Giants LS Grey Ruegamer once pulled a prank that forced Rich Seubert to sell his truck.

sports.yahoo.com

The 2001 New England Patriots

Grey Ruegamer Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

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

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- Grey Ruegamer Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- Grey Ruegamer Transactions

Grey Ruegamer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Ed Koontz​

Happy 79th birthday to Ed Koontz
Born June 11, 1946 in Hanover, Pennsylvania
Patriot linebacker, 1968; uniform #54
Pats 17th round (440th overall) selection of the 1968 draft, from Catawba College
Pats résumé: one season, six games


Ed Koontz is the one and only person to play pro football from Littlestown High School, a small (population 4,782) burough fifty miles northwest of Baltimore in Pennsylvania on the Maryland border. His college wasn't much bigger. Considering the size (enrollment: 1,207) and the fact that is a Division II school known for its academics, the fact that Catawba has produced 16 NFL players - eight of whom were drafted - is relatively remarkable.

Littlestown (Littlestown, PA) Alumni Pro Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Littlestown (Littlestown, PA) NFL Player Stats

www.pro-football-reference.com

Catawba Players/Alumni | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Catawba Players/Alumni

www.pro-football-reference.com

About

Catawba College is ranked #4 among the best colleges in the South. Located in historic Salisbury, NC, it is a private, coeducational liberal arts college established in 1851. Our mission is to enrich the educational experiences of students and to prepare them for productive, meaningful lives of...

catawba.edu

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/catawba-college-2914

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

www.catawbaathletics.com

Ed Koontz played in six games for the 1968 Patriots in what was the final season for Mike Holovak as the Pats head coach.

Nov 13, 2006:
Catawba Legends -- Ed Koontz

Ed Koontz played both ways for Catawba, so he figured specializing as an outside linebacker in the American Football League would be a breeze.​

"I was gonna thinking this is gonna be so easy," the affable Koontz said. "But then they started playing the games."​

"Everyone was big. Everyone was fast."​

The level of competition and an uncooperative hamstring explain why Koontz lasted just one season in the AFL. but he did start six games for the Boston Patriots as a rookie in 1968. That was over-achieving for a small-college guy taken in the 17th and final round of the draft.​

Koontz was honorable mention All-America and expected to be drafted by the the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.​

"Dallas was the team that had really shown lots of interest," Koontz said. "Then all of a sudden it was Boston. One of Boston's coaches had seen me play in an all-star game."​

​

​

Catawba Legends -- Ed Koontz, continued

The bottom line was the AFL playing fields Koontz was competing on were on par with the NFL.​

"I'm in the Patriots locker room, and I look around and see veterans like Earthquake Hunt and Houston Antwine and I knew how good the competition was," Koontz said. "I'd been watching these guys on TV for years."​

Koontz is still convinced the 1968 Patriots doomed themselves before the season started when they traded veteran quarterback Babe Parilli to the Jets for young QB Mike Taliaferro.​

With Taliaferro and undrafted free agent Tom Sherman calling signals, the Patriots started 3-3 but finished 4-10. The awful finish cost coach Mike Holovak his job.[/I]​

Many of Koontz's vivid memories are of clashes with the Jets. He intercepted a pass against New York in an exhibition game. That led to him starting both regular-season contests against them.​

"I started three times against New York - against Joe Namath," Koontz said. "That was a highlight. Playing with (Hall of Famer linebacker) Nick Buoniconti was a highlight. It was great playing with Nick before he went to Miami."​

According to the article above Ed went to work for Budweiser in 1970, and apparently stayed with them for quite a while.

Ed Koontz Career Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

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

www.pro-football-reference.com

Pro Football Archives -- Ed Koontz Player Profile

Pro Football Archives -- Ed Koontz Transactions

Ed Koontz - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
More June 11 Birthdays​

Happy 26th birthday to Olakunle Fatukasi
Born June 11, 1999 in Far Rockaway, New Jersey
Patriot linebacker, 2023 offseason; uniform #47
Signed as a free agent on January 18, 2023
Pats résumé: one offseason


Olakunle Fatukasi was a team captain his senior year at Rutgers for head coach Greg Schiano in 2020, which made it inevitable that he would someday be signed to the Patriots by Bill Belichick. After going through all the OTAs and minicamps he was let go relatively early in training camp, waived on August 12. Fatukasi appeared in 13 games for the Bucs in 2022 and one more with the Rams in 2023, exclusively on special teams.

Olakunle Fatukasi - Football - Rutgers University Athletics

Olakunle Fatukasi (3) LB - 2022 NFL Contract (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) 2021 Butkus Award Semifinalist 2021 Third Team All-Big Ten (Media) 2021 Fourth Team All-Big

scarletknights.com

Former Rutgers LB Olakunle Fatukasi signs with New England Patriots

A former Rutgers player is on the move in the NFL.

247sports.com

Patriots sign linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi to a future contract

Patriots Make A Series of Transactions

The New England Patriots announced today that they have signed RB C.J. Marable, and OL Micah Vanterpool. To make room on the roster the Patriots released LB Olakunle Fatukasi (pronounced O-la-COON-lay - fa-TOO-kah-see) and rookie free agent S Jourdan Heilig.​

Fatukasi, 24, was signed by New England on Jan. 18, 2023. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder, originally signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a rookie free agent out of Rutgers on May 13, 2022. He made the 53-man roster out of training camp and played in 13 games and registered six special teams tackles. Fatukasi was released by Tampa Bay on Dec. 13 and finished the 2022 campaign on the Denver Broncos practice squad after being signed on Dec. 16.​

Other pro football players born on this date with New England connections:

Ron Hallstrom, 66 (June 11, 1959)
Born in Holden MA
Ron Hallstrom was a 1982 first round pick by Green Bay from the University of Iowa. The 6'6 300 pounder went on to play 174 games at guard for the Packers and Eagles from 1982 to 1993.
July 28, 2010: Living the Good Life | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gary Fencik, 71 (June 11, 1954)
Yale
Converted from WR at Yale to a defensive back in the pros. Fencik played safety for the Bears from 1976 to 1987 and was named an All Pro in 1981, and Pro Bowler in '80 and '81. He collected a ring from Super Bowl 20 and is Chicago's all-time leader in interceptions (38) and tackles.

#39 Gary Fencik - Northwest

John Morelli (1923 - 2004)
Born in Revere; Revere High School, class of '42
The Georgetown grad played in 19 games on the offensive line for the 1944-45 Boston Yanks.

Matt Peart, 28 (June 11, 1997)
Governor's Academy in Byfield MA, class of 2015; University of Connecticut, class of 2020
The 6'7" Jamaican born offensive lineman was a first team all-conference at UConn. He was a third round draft pick by the Giants in 2020 and has played in 43 games over four seasons for the G-Men.

Matt Peart Drafted by New York Giants - University of Connecticut Athletics

Former UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart was selected with the 99th overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New York Giants on Friday ni...

uconnhuskies.com

Darnell Alford, 48 (June 11, 1977)
Boston College, class of 2000
A sixth round pick by the Chiefs in 2000, the offensive lineman appeared in five NFL games while bouncing between the Chiefs, Jets, Cowboys, Rams and Berlin Thunder.

1999 Spring Football Players to Watch - Boston College Athletics

Darnell Alford OL 6-4 323 Sr. Fredericksburg, VA (Chancellor) Started 9 games for the Eagles in the 1998 season after taking a year off from football for per...

bceagles.com

Four Eagles Make First Team All-Big East - Boston College Athletics

Dec. 1, 1999 CHESNUT HILL, Mass. -- Boston College defensive end Chris Hovan and safety Pedro Cirino join running back Cedric Washington and offensive tackle...

bceagles.com

There are also two June 11 birthdays that involve Pats draft day trades.

Jared DeVries, 49 (June 11, 1976)
April 17, 1999: Traded by Dolphins as 1999 3rd round pick (70th overall) to Lions for 1999 3rd round pick (72nd overall, Grey Ruegamer) and 1999 7th round pick (232nd overall, Jermaine Haley). [See the Grey Ruegamer post above]

DeVries played in 120 games for the Lions at defensive end from 1999 to 2008.


Lance Johnstone, 52 (June 11, 1973)
April 17, 1996: Traded by Raiders as 1996 2nd round pick (57th overall) to Patriots for Pat Harlow

April 20, 1996: Traded by Patriots as 1996 2nd round pick (57th overall) to Raiders for 1996 3rd round pick (76th overall subsequently traded , Ryan Stewart), 1996 4th round pick (124th overall, Kantroy Barber) and 1996 5th round pick (149th overall, Christian Peter)

Lance Johnstone played in 166 games as a defensive end for the Raiders and Vikings from 1996 to 2006.




Also born on June 11 (of 1956) was a guy with a name that sounds like a bit actor from a bad Hollywood movie: Joe Montana.

Joe Montana | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame

Joe Montana was selected in the third round of the 1979 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Learn more about the 4 time super bowl winner and one of the greatest QBs to play the game.

www.profootballhof.com

Cool Joe surprisingly does not have the most All-Pro awards for today's football birthday players. That honor would go to another Hall of Famer, FB Ernie Nevers, who was named an All Pro in every one of his five seasons in the NFL.

Ernie Nevers | Pro Football Hall of Fame

www.profootballhof.com

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
20th Century June 11 News​

June 11, 1968:
Boston Patriots trade their 1969 fourth round draft pick to Kansas City for RB Gene Thomas

Thomas lasted one season, gaining 300 yards with two touchdowns in a backup role with four starts. He was traded to the Raiders for cash on November 21.




June 11, 1970:
Patriots sign 11th round draft pick Dennis Bramlett, an OT from Texas El-Paso
Patriots sign 12th round draft pick Greg Roero, a DT from New Mexico Highlands

Both players were waived on August 31, and neither ever played in the NFL.




June 11, 1979:
Patriots sign their first round draft pick, South Carolina safety Rick Sanford

Rick Sanford - SC Football Hall of Fame | Become a life changer for our youth!

Rick Sanford is a South Carolina Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Inductee. He is from Rock Hill, SC, and became an All-American at South Carolina, and All-Pro in the NFL.

scfootballhof.org

Patriots sign their seventh round draft pick, safety Judson Flint of Memphis

Judson Flint missed all of his rookie season due to a knee injury. He was the last player waived after training camp in 1980, and was picked up by the Browns. Flint played in 38 straight games for Cleveland before being sidelined with a broken ankle, and played in only one more game after that. In his post-NFL career Judson Flint was a supervisor for the Mercer County Housing Authority in Pennsylvania until he retired in 2012. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 61.

​

June 11, 1992:
New England signs their eighth round draft pick, Penn State FB Sam Gash

Gash was a devastating lead blocker for runners like Curtis Martin, playing in 88 games with the Pats from 1992-1997. He was named to the Pro Bowl with Buffalo in 1998 and 1999, and played in a total of 177 NFL games for the Pats, Bill and Ravens over 12 seasons. Unfortunately all that leading with his head to block is resulting in a cognitive decline.

Put in da fullback, Part 2: A feature on Sam Gash

In the final segment of a two-part interview with former Penn State fullback Sam Gash, the former All-Pro fullback and assistant coach speaks frankly about the toll that the position and the way he p…

www.blueridgenow.com

Pats from the Past, Episode 16: Sam Gash

June 11, 1999:
Pats sign DE Sterling Palmer -- Patriots.com

The New England Patriots announced the signing of DE Sterling Plamer.​

Palmer, 28, played four seasons with the Washington Redskins (1993-96) before suffering a knee injury which sidelined him for the past two seasons.​

The 6-foot-5-inch, 278-pound defensive tackle started 44 of 49 games during his career with the Redskins and amassed 229 tackles and 11 sacks.​

He was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL draft (101st overall) following a career at Florida State.​

During his first three seasons he started 39 consecutive games at defensive end for Washington. Palmer led all Redskin defensive linemen with 4.5 sacks in 1993 and 90 tackles in 1994.​

Palmer's attempted comeback ended on September 9, 1999 when he was released in order to make room for the return of DE Ferric Collons.

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
21st Century June 11 News​

June 11, 2001:
Patriors claim DB Ray Hill off waivers from Buffalo

The 6-foot, 190-pound defender had recorded 28 special teams tackles during his four-year NFL career. Hill was originally signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent on April 24, 1998, but was waived and placed on the Bills practice squad. He was later activated by the Bills, but was again waived and was picked up by the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 18, 1998. Hill recorded a career-high 14 special teams tackles with the Dolphins in 1999. He was waived by the Dolphins on Oct. 25, 2000 and signed with Buffalo on Nov. 22, 2001.​

Hill suffered a knee injury during a preseason game against Carolina, spent 2001 on IR, and was unable to play in the NFL after that. In 2015 he died far too young, one day shy of his 40th birthday due to complications from colon cancer. His brother Renaldo Hill also played in the NFL, from 2001 to 2010.

Raymond Millous “Ray” Hill (1975-2015) - Find a...

Professional Football Player. Hill played in the National Football League from 1998 to 2001 with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and the New England Patriots. He was three-year starter at Michigan State where he finished with 115 solo tackles, six interceptions, and four forced fumbles...

www.findagrave.com

Former MSU cornerback Ray Hill passes away at 39

Ray Hill was a standout cornerback at MSU for Nick Saban and position coach Mark Dantonio

www.freep.com

Renaldo Hill coaches with brother's memory in heart

Former NFL player Renaldo Hill is making his way as a coach at PItt after his brother, Ray, died from cancer in August.

www.lansingstatejournal.com

June 11, 2003:
Patriots release Shane Stafford

The quarterback went to UConn where he set the school career record with a 143.4 passer rating, and at the time was tied for the most passing touchdowns (73) and was second in most passing yards with 8,829. He went undrafted and played in the arena league from 2000 to 2002. After that he was on Cleveland's practice squad briefly in 2002 before being signed by the Pats on January 7, 2003. Stafford was allocated to the Scottish Claymores of the WLAF in '03. After being signed and released by the Tampa Bay Bucs, Stafford remained in Florida for the next five years playing arema football for the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators. His final season as a player was 2010; he worked as an arena league offensive coordinator from 2016 until its final year of operation in 2019.

Patriots release Shane Stafford -- Patriots.com

News: SHANE STAFFORD HIRED AS QB COACH - National Arena League

The National Arena League (NAL) is a premier professional indoor football league delivering high-speed, high-scoring action in cities across the United Sta

www.nationalarenaleague.com

Former UConn QB Shane Stafford excited about direction Huskies are headed -- New Haven Register -- Dec 25, 2015

Shane Stafford was the starting quarterback on the 1998 UConn team that defeated Hampton in the first round of the NCAA I-AA playoffs before falling to Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals. He still owns the UConn career record with a passing rating of 143.4, and among UConn quarterbacks with at least 20 touchdown passes, he is the only one with twice as many TD passes as interceptions.​

Stafford’s class posted a 30-16 record, which was the most wins over a four-year span in UConn history. The 2010 class, which went 33-19, is the only group of Huskies to finish with more wins over a four-year span. By comparison, last year’s senior class won a total of 15 games.​

After playing for six teams during a 10-year professional career spent mostly in the Arena Football League, Stafford is making the transition to the coaching world. He was recently named the quarterbacks coach of the AFL’s Tampa Bay Storm, a team he played for from 2001-02 and 2004-06 throwing for 15,672 yards with 289 touchdown passes and 54 interceptions.​

June 11, 2008:

Pats waive 3

Rookie free agents TE Tyson DeVree, NT Henry Smith and DE Casey Tyler waived.

www.boston.com

The Patriots waived TE Tyson DeVree, NT Henry Smith and DE Casey Tyler — all of whom joined the team as rookie free agents this year — today. All three were longer shots to make the roster.​

In addition, ILB Eric Alexander officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, meaning he now counts against the 80-man roster limit.​

Tyson DeVree, Henry Smith, and Casey Tyler waived; Alexander (ERFA) re-signed

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/ Pats waive 3 Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff June 11, 2008 07:08 PM The Patriots waived TE Tyson DeVree, NT Henry Smith and DE Casey Tyler -- all of whom joined the team as rookie free agents this year -- today...

www.patsfans.com

Alexander played in 54 NFL games from 2004 to 2010, with 45 of those being with the Pats from '04 to '09.

DeVree would return to play in two games with the Patriots in 2008. Neither Smith nor Tyler ever played in the NFL.




June 11, 2009:

Patriots release Pass

The Patriots have released running back Patrick Pass a week after signing him.

www.espn.com

The New England Patriots have released running back Patrick Pass a week after signing him.​

Pass was cut Thursday, ending his bid to stick with the team he played for from 2000-06 as a backup. He was released after the 2006 season, played one game with the New York Giants in 2007 and then dropped out of football.​

Pass called coach Bill Belichick last Wednesday, had a workout and signed. He played as a running back and blocking back in his previous stint with the Patriots and started at fullback in their 2005 Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles.​

Pass was one of only seven current Patriots who were on all three of New England's Super Bowl champion teams.​

This turned out to be the end of the line for the pro football career of Patrick Pass, who played in 79 games from 2000 to 2007, with all but one for the Patriots. He also appeared in ten playoff games, and as mentioned above earned three super bowl rings.




June 11, 2010:

Patriots release three, sign one

New England has signed running back Thomas Clayton while releasing three players.

www.boston.com

New England has announced the signing of running back Thomas Clayton, a sixth-round pick of the 49ers in 2007 out of Kansas State. Listed at 5-foot-11, 222 pounds, he spent all of 2007 and most of 2008 on San Francisco’s practice squad and missed all of 2009 on injured reserve.​

At the same time, the team has released a trio of players: receiver Bryan Anderson, punter David King and quarterback Mike Teel.​

Teel was claimed off waivers on May 24 after being released by Seattle; the Seahawks drafted the former Rutgers starter late in the 2009 draft. It is a bit of a surprise to have him released already.​

The 6-foot-5 Anderson was an undrafted rookie this year out of Central Michigan; he struggled to catch the ball at times, particularly during rookie mini-camp. King was a former semi-pro Aussie rules football player who learned how to punt at camps in the American southwest. He spent much of the time at recent OTA workouts shagging for Stephen Gostkowski’s kicks while rookie punter Zoltan Mesko held.​

Clayton moved back and forth between the Browns and Patriots in 2010. He appeared in two games for Cleveland, and also had six carries for the Pats in their week 17 victory over Miami. Clayton also played in three more games with the Browns in 2011.

Teel was signed by the Bears, but never got on the field in an NFL game. Anderson and King never played again as far as I know.




June 11, 2012:

Patriots Sign Reality TV Star Jesse Holley to Replace Chad Ochocinco at Wide Receiver - NESN.com

The Chad Ochocinco experiment didn't work out in New England. But it looks like the Patriots are going to test their luck with another reality TV star. Jesse Holley, a 28-year-old receiver and winner of the reality TV series 4th and Long, signed with the Patriots on Monday. After going undrafted...

nesn.com

The Chad Ochocinco experiment didn't work out in New England. But it looks like the Patriots are going to test their luck with another reality TV star.​

Jesse Holley, a 28-year-old receiver and winner of the reality TV series 4th and Long, signed with the Patriots on Monday.​

After going undrafted out of North Carolina in the 2007 NFL Draft, Holley was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad and spent two weeks with the team before being released. Holley was out of football for nearly two years before winning the final spot on the 2009 Dallas Cowboys training camp roster by winning the competition on former Cowboys' receiver Michael Irvin's reality show.​

The Patriots also signed two other players to their roster on Monday.​

Mike Ingersoll, 24, is a second-year offensive lineman out of North Carolina. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackle signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie free agent after going undrafted in 2011. He was released before the end of training camp and ended up linking on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad for the final month of the season.​

Tight End Tyler Urban was also added to the 90-man training camp roster. Urban went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and spent a few weeks with the Buccaneers before being released in late May. Urban played both wide receiver and tight end in college at West Virginia, finishing his four year career with 37 catches, 429 yards and five touchdowns.​

Holley and Urban were two of 22 players waived as part of final roster cuts on August 31, and neither ever caught on with another NFL team.

The Patriots released Ingersoll ten days later. He spent the rest of the 2012 offseason with Tampa Bay before being waived with an injury settlement just before final cuts. Ingersoll played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL in 2013 before retiring from pro football.

As for Chad Ochocinco (who was cut by the Pats four days earlier), he was signed on this day by Miami to a one-year contract. Things didn't work out any better in south Florida than they did with Tom Brady throwing him the ball; he would be released by the Dolphins a month later.




June 11, 2014:

Patriots waive offensive lineman R.J. Mattes

The Patriots made a roster move Wednesday, waiving offensive lineman R.J.

www.nbcsports.com

The Patriots made a roster move Wednesday, waiving offensive lineman R.J. Mattes, who has had multiple stints with the club in the last year, including a practice squad role late in the 2013 campaign.​

The Patriots have worked out veteran free agents on multiple occasions this offseason, with cornerback Terrell Thomas and running back Brian Leonard among the other players who have reportedly visited. They have also shown a willingness to release and re-sign players multiple times, with Mattes and former Pats cornerback Marquice Cole among the players who jump to mind.​

Mattes was signed by Tampa Bay on August 21, and released four days later - ending his career in the NFL.




June 11, 2015:
Patriots release TE Tim Wright

The transaction came less than ten months after the Pats had traded Logan Mankins to Tampa Bay for Wright and a 4th-round draft pick.

(The team also released QB Garrett Gilbert, which would cause angst and seller's remorse on this forum a full five years later, because at that time he would get his first and only NFL start - a result of two injuries and ineffectiveness of a third Dallas quarterback.)

The Patriots offset the release of four players by signing four more, including QB Matt Flynn. He had played well in his first NFL start in a week 15 of 2010 31-27 loss at New England, admirably subbing for an injured Aaron Rodgers by throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2012 Flynn signed a three-year deal with Seattle, with $9 million guaranteed, and was penciled in to be the Seahawks starting QB. However, rookie Russell Wilson exceeded expectations and won the starting job out of training camp. Flynn was expected to be a veteran presence alongside Jimmy Garoppolo while Tom Brady served his unwarranted four-game suspension, but New England cut Flynn very early in training camp.

New England Patriots sign three undrafted rookie free agents

The New England Patriots have signed Matt Flynn and three undrafted rookie free agents. They have released Tim Wright, Garrett Gilbert and Zach D'Orazio.

www.masslive.com

June 11, 2024:

Former Ohio State Linebacker Steele Chambers Claimed by New England Patriots After Being Waived by Detroit Lions

The New England Patriots claimed former Ohio State linebacker Steele Chambers on Tuesday, one day after he was waived by the Detroit Lions.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Chambers will now look to compete for a backup linebacker job with the Patriots, where he joins a linebacker corps that includes fellow former Ohio State player Raekwon McMillan.​

Patriots claim rookie LB with an awesome name | Sporting News

One LB is out in New England, and another comes in.

www.sportingnews.com

To make room for Chambers on the roster, New England waived undrafted rookie Jay Person, who they just signed last week.​

Chambers was waived on August 26, and has remained unsigned by any NFL team since.

Person was signed by Tampa Bay, but was released before the start of the season and also remains a free agent.