Today in Patriots History
Old News
May 21, 1981:
The NYS Historic Newspapers
nyshistoricnewspapers.org
"New England Patriots signed Tony Sidor, tight end, Timothy Golden, linebacker and Michael Bush, wide receiver"
Golden left training camp after three days, then was re-signed on April 26, 1982. A DE at Florida, he beat out Bill Matthews and Bob Golic (who went on to play 11 more years for the Browns and Raiders) for a roster spot as a LB. Golden played in 40 games with the Pats from 1982-84, primarily on special teams - far less impactful than Golic - then finished his NFL career with the Eagles in 1985.
1983 Patriots Media Guide
Sidor, from Syracuse University, never played in the NFL but had a very successful business career in upstate New York; he retired in 2023.
LinkedIn -- Tony Sidor
May 21, 1982:
The Patriots sign free agent LB
Mike Woods, who had played for the Baltimore Colts from 1979-1981. The back and knee problems he suffered through in '81 would turn out to be the least of Woods' problems. He would never play for the Patriots: a few days after signing with the Pats he would be shot and paralyzed in a robbery gone bad, when he went to pick up his father from a late night poker game. Woods was paralyzed; the 17-year old gunman/piece of **** was convicted of not only that crime - but also unrelated rape charges.
Professional Football Player. He played at the linebacker position for three seasons (1979 to 1981) in the National Football League with the Baltimore Colts. Born Michael Jay Woods, he attended Benedictine High School in Cleveland. After transferring from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa and...
www.findagrave.com
Michael Jay Woods 1954-2009 Survivors: Wife, Milyn McDowell Woods; children, Shaun Woods of University Heights, Anissa Hamilton of Euclid, Pasia Woods of Richmond Heights and Royce Woods of Richmond Heights; seven grandchildren; a great-grandson; and a sister Funeral: 11...
www.cleveland.com
A man in Ohio has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder 27 years after he fired a gunshot that investigators say caused a former NFL player's kidney-infection death this year.
www.espn.ph
May 21, 1983:
Cornerback
Ronnie Lippett, an 8th round draft pick from the University of Miami, signs his rookie contract.
Originally viewed as a player on the roster bubble, perhaps a special teamer, Lippett was thrust into a starting role as a rookie due to Mike Haynes holding out and forcing a trade. Lippett went on to be an eight-year starter for the Patriots, with 24 interceptions in the regular season, and two more against the Raiders in the 1985 postseason.
Lippett was particularly effective against Dan Marino, twice having two-pick games against the Hall of Famer, plus a pick-six for the deciding points in a 1987 comeback victory. When Lippett retired he ranked sixth for most interceptions in franchise history (now tenth), with 24. On a side note, Lippett hated Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins due to an incident when he visited a Dolphins training as a college student. Of his 24 career interceptions, six of them were on Dan Marino passes.
"They were allowing us to come over and watch, and that's what we did. We were standing on the sidelines and (then-Head Coach) Don Shula was having a bad day or something. He started telling us to get off the field and yelling at us. So we left and from that point on I wanted to be drafted by a team that would play against the Dolphins. I hated them after that."
Alumni Spotlight: Ronnie Lippett (2008 column)
Former Pats corner Ronnie Lippett, a Miami native, started 111 games for the Patriots from 1983 - 1991. He played some of his best games against the Miami Dolphins.
Looking at former corner back Ronnie Lippett today, it's tough to believe he's the same guy who started 111 of 122 games over nine seasons with the Patriots (1983-91). Almost too small at 5-11, 180-pounds, Lippett played big. He terrorized receivers and quarterbacks across the league and is still tied with Patriots Hall-of-Famer Nick Buoniconti as the eighth-leading interceptor in franchise history (24 picks).
Sitting in a dimly lit corner of Gillette Stadium with friends, Ronnie is easy going and relaxed. He's got a signature smile, and although he turned 47 this year, he doesn't look a day over 35. After he retired, Lippett chose to remain in New England rather than return to his home state of Florida. He currently lives in South Easton, Mass. with his wife, Sheryl. They have three grown children, and are active foster parents.
The Ronnie Lippett of Patriots lore, on the other hand was an aggressive defender, recognized not only for his closing speed, but also for his physical style of play and ferocity as an open-field tackler. Perhaps he wasn't intimidating in stature, but he made up for it with aggressive play – mostly directed toward the Miami Dolphins.
Lippett started three years at the University of Miami under coach Howard Schnellenberger. When he was a senior Ronnie attended a Dolphins camp at St. Thomas University, where they were practicing against the Saints. He and his teammates were unexpectedly asked to leave.
"They were allowing us to come over and watch, and that's what we did. We were standing on the sidelines and (then-Head Coach) Don Shula was having a bad day or something. He started telling us to get off the field and yelling at us. So we left and from that point on I wanted to be drafted by a team that would play against the Dolphins. I hated them after that."
Selected by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft, Ronnie immediately had Hall-of-Fame-sized shoes to fill. His predecessor was All-Pro corner Mike Haynes, who left for the Los Angeles Raiders following a contract dispute during Training Camp.
Lippett started every game that year. The Patriots made it to the AFC Championship, their first playoff appearance since 1978, and Ronnie led the team in passes defensed (26), holding his own by focusing on not getting beat on deep routes.
When he joined the Patriots secondary, Lippett was playing opposite All-Pro corner Raymond Clayborn, who made the Pro Bowl that year, and again in '85 and '86. If forced to choose between the two, any quarterback in the league would obviously take his chances with the undersized rookie.
Teams like the Broncos and Dolphins game planned for the young corner. It wasn't always pretty.
"It's not as easy to pick on one man as it used to be," said Shula after Ronnie's first meeting with the Dolphins, a 34-24 loss at Miami. "But we'd obviously rather throw to Lippett's side than Clayborn's."
It wasn't always that way, however. Of his 24 career interceptions, 7 came from the hands of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.
"When we played against those guys, you had [wide receiver] Mark Clayton who would talk so much. He and I got into a verbal altercation that ended up spilling out onto the field," said Lippett, a hint of the old tenacity in his voice. "You don't want it to spill over to the point where you'll get a 15-yard penalty, but you do want to be jacked up to the point where you can use that adrenaline to help you run a little faster and hit a little harder."
Lippett's good friend and fellow Patriots alumni Fred Marion was also his teammate at the University of Miami. That's where the two defensive backs met Clayton.
"We were playing against (Louisville) and I had two interceptions in the game, one for a touchdown. Fred intercepted another ball and Clayton made the tackle. Clayton went and kicked Fred in the head," he said emphatically. "[Marion] had a concussion so bad he was walking around the dorm with a teddy bear one night. Ever since then we were trying to find a way to get at him. Then when he ended up being on the Dolphins, that was another reason for us to hate the Dolphins."
Playing opposite of Clayton was Mark Duper.
"I bumped into Duper two years ago up in New York at a golf tournament. We were supposed to be sitting at the same table and I was coming towards him. I thought, "Oh no. That's Duper, we're about to fight," said Lippett, only half joking. "We began to talk and he said, 'Man we used try to tell Mark (Clayton) to shut up, because he was going to get you started. We couldn't get him to shut up.' I said, 'Yeah man, that's over with.' We ended up being friends after that, but I never thought that could ever happen because I hated those two guys."
Lippett's favorite memory of playing against Dan Marino and the duo of Marks involves a bit of prediction.
"(Marino) called me and asked me if I would come on his television show and I said sure. When I came on his show, he was kind of joking around. I said, 'Well Dan, if you don't mind throwing me two interceptions, I'd really appreciate it.'" Lippett smiled thinking of the interview. "As it turned out, he did."
In an Oct. 5, 1986 meeting at New England, Lippett opened the game with an interception from Marino, stealing the pass away from Duper. In their previous meeting, the Patriots "Squished the Fish" in the divisional round of the 1985 playoffs on their way to Super Bowl XX.
"I just stayed with him and looked at his face," Lippett told reporters after the game. "He strained to stop in front of me, so I stopped and stepped in front of him. He started talking as soon as I had the ball and mumbled all the way off the field."
Ronnie grabbed a second interception before the 34-7 trouncing was through, this time from Clayton.
"It was an out move, so I went in and hit the ball," he said at the time. "[Clayton] started screaming at the official about interference even before I caught the ball. That was great."
Clayborn had another pick before the game was over, and Ronnie was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He finished the '86 season with a league-leading eight interceptions for 76 yards.
Lippett played in 13 games against the Dolphins, including their meeting in the 1985 playoffs. The rivalry was stronger then, and the Patriots stole eight wins in those games. As divisional opponents, the Pats and the Phins still meet twice a year. Ronnie always enjoys watching the rivalry play out.
"I think the best times I had were playing against the Dolphins and Dan Marino. I have seven interceptions from him."
Biography page for University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame member, Ronnie Lippett
www.umsportshalloffame.com
During the 1980's the University of Miami's football program took a significant turn in an upward direction. Though the talent on offense was a major key to this success, the Canes defense was not to be sold short. neither was Sebring, Florida native Ronnie Lippett was a three-year starter and letter-winner during his days at UM, and began the great tradition of defensive backs at Miami, including All-Americans Bennie Blades, Bubba McDowell, and Daryl Williams. His ten career interceptions still rank eighth on Miami's all-time list. He also finished with 49 tackles and three interceptions during his senior year. Among his greatest achievements was a 66-yard interception return in 1981 that helped set up Miami's winning score in a 21-20 victory over arch-rival Florida.
While the University of Miami in the 1980s was sometimes called “Quarterback U,” its defense was known for its speed and its intensity. And a major part of that was because of the play of Ronnie Lippett. [...]
spacecoastdaily.com
Very detailed story starting on page 1 of the Boston Globe about Ronnie and his struggles. Denied benefits, delayed payments, and the bureaucratic roadblocks of the NFL’s concussion settlement Perhaps most glaring, only six of the 1,108 players who had filed monetary claims for diagnoses of...
www.patsfans.com
Get Ronnie Lippett Career game log for regular season and playoff games on Pro-football-reference.com.
www.pro-football-reference.com
The trusted source for pro football information about Ronnie Lippett. Get statistics, transactions. biographical data and more at Pro Football Archives.
www.profootballarchives.com
May 21, 1992:
The New England Patriots begin two-year deal with WLVI-TV (Channel 56) that gives the station the right to televise the team's preseason games, as well as a weekly in-season Patriots magazine show. The slogan used by Channel 56 for their Patriots broadcasts and promotional merchandise that year was "Whatever It Takes".
1992 New England Patriots Team Season Highlights "Time To Build A Champion"
25:27 "Highlight" (?) / 1993 Preview Video:
