Today in Patriots History
Matt Light Retires
May 7, 2012:
Matt Light officially retires after
11 seasons with the Patriots.
Happy 56th birthday to Mike Arthur
Born May 7, 1968 in Minneapolis
Patriot C, 1993-1994; uniform #65
Claimed off waivers from Cincinnati on September 1, 1993
Mike Arthur grew up in Houston and went to Texas A&M. He was drafted by Cincinnati and started at center for three years with the Bengals before heading to Foxborough. Arthur started 24 games at center during Drew Bledsoe's first two seasons with the Patriots, replacing Gene Chilton at that position. After the Pats drafted Dave Wohlabaugh in the fourth round of the 1995 draft, Arthur became expendable and was traded to the Packers. He then finished his NFL career as a backup offensive lineman the next two years in Green Bay, earning a ring with the Packers in their Superbowl 31 victory over the Patriots.
Happy 59th birthday to Tim Gordon
Born May 7, 1965 in Ardmore, Oklahoma
Patriot safety, 1991-1992; uniform #41
Claimed off waivers from Atlanta on December 21, 1990
After four years in Atlanta, Gordon joined the Patriots late in 1990, then missed the first five games of 1991 due to a knee injury. From 1991-1992 he played in 21 games for the Patriots at both free and strong safetym with 15 starts. In his final NFL season in '92 he had 39 tackles (25 solo) with two passes defensed. Gordon played in 67 games with 41 starts over six NFL seasons, with eight interceptions and four fumble recoveries (two with the Pats).
Happy 22nd birthday to Kayshon Boutte
May 7, 2002 in New Iberia, Louisiana
Patriot WR, 2023-present; uniform #80
Sixth round selection of the 2023 draft (187th overall), from LSU
Kayshon Boutte was on the field for 55 offensive snaps in the season opener, with zero receptions on four targets. He was inactive for the next nine games of the 2023 season, and 13 overall. Boutte finished the season with two receptions on seven targets, getting on the field for 61 snaps in those four other games.
Rare appearance in the slot. Quick throw to Thornton in right flat. Boutte was lined up on left side. Crosser where it looks like he’s trying to find a space between the CB and LB. Not going to win awards for the route.
www.bostonsportsjournal.com
Happy 52nd birthday to Chris Hayes
Born May 7, 1972 in San Bernardino, California
Patriot FS, 2002; uniform #29
Signed as an unrestricted veteran free agent on March 13, 2002
Hayes was signed as a veteran free agent five weeks before the 2002 draft, but was released at the end of training camp. The
Pats re-signed him in early December and he played in the final four games of the 2002 season. As a rookie Hayes was a teammate of Mike Arthur in Green Bay for their Superbowl 31 victory over the Patriots. Hayes played in 84 NFL games from 1996-2002, and played for Bill Belichick with the Jets prior to playing for the Patriots.
Happy 61st birthday to Benton Reed
Born May 7, 1963 in Baton Rouge
Patriot DE, 1987; uniform #71
Signed as a replacement player in late September of 1987
A 10th round pick out of Ole Miss in 1986 by Tampa Bay, Reed appeared in the three replacement games in the '87 season. Reed is now a
commercial sales manager in the lumber and building material industry for McCoy's Building Supply in Texas.
Happy 34th birthday to A.J. Francis
May 7, 1990 in Washington DC
Patriot DT, 2013; uniform #69
Claimed off waivers from Miami on September 1, 2013
A day after final roster cuts in 2013 the Patriots acquired four players off waivers, one of whom was Maryland rookie
A. J. Francis. He was
released on September 7 to make room for Josh Kline, and then signed to the practice squad. In late November
the Dolphins signed Francis to their 53-man roster, ending his stint in New England without ever having played in a game for the Pats.
Since then Francis has been signed and cut by Seattle, Tampa Bay, Washington and finally by the Giants in 2018. He appeared in nine NFL games, with 20 tackles. Of his 192 NFL defensive snaps, 164 came with Washington in 2017.
In his post-NFL career Francis became a pro wrestler on WWE's Smackdown, and has released three albums.
May 7, 1981:
The New England Patriots Thursday announced the signing of four free agents players, bringing the team's total roster to 58.
www.upi.com
FOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots Thursday announced the signing of four free agents players, bringing the team's total roster to 58.
Thursday's signings include 5-foot-11, 197-pound running back Richard Villella from Brown; 6-3, 252-pound guard Stephen Foster from Springfield College; 5-11, 185-pound Connecticut wide receiver Reginald Eccleston; and John Webb, a 6-1, 184-pound UConn defensive back.
May 7, 1982:
New England signs four undrafted rookies: Northwestern QB
Mike Kerrigan, Long Beach State TE Jim Donnelly, Yale DB Pat Conran and Cal State-Fullerton QB Tom St. Jacques.
Kerrigan was on the Pats roster from 1982-84, appearing very briefly as a backup QB; the three others never played in the NFL.
Lassen High School has had an impressive football team for more than two decades and that is in no small part due to its head coach, Tom St Jacques. The multi-titled coach has announced that this 2…
www.lassennews.com
May 7, 1992:
The Patriots re-sign DT
Tim Edwards.
Edwards was a 12th round pick in 1991, released at the end of preseason. He played in 14 games with one start for **** MacPherson's sad 2-14 '92 team, then finished his NFL career being waived by Bill Parcells as part of the 1993 roster cuts.
May 7, 2001:
LB John Eskridge is waived.
May 7, 2005:
Veteran free agent LB
Chad Brown is signed to a two-year contract.
Tom Brady is re-signed to a six-year contract extension.
May 7, 2012:
WR
Jabar Gaffney is signed to a two-year contract.
Gaffney had been with the Pats from 2006-08 before playing with Denver and Washington.
His second stint in Foxboro would be short; he was waived in late August.
May 7, 2013:
Rookie RB
Quentin Hines is placed on IR with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He had just signed with the Pats four days earlier.
Purdue RB
Akeem Shavers is signed in Hines' place on the roster.
May 7, 2015:
Pats release WR
Kevin Dorsey and DE
Michael Buchanan.
May 7, 2019:
New England signs veteran OT
Jared Veldheer, to start while rookie Isaiah Wynn ramps up to life in the NFL.
A few days later Veldheer announced his retirement.
May 7, 2021:
Rob Gronkowski returned to Boston on Friday — and made a splash on the banks of the Charles River. The former New England Patriots tight end is donating $1.2 million for the full renovation of the Charlesbank Playground on the Charles River Esplanade, in what officials described as “one of the...
www.boston.com
Other players with New England area connections born on May 7:
Rondell Jones, 53 (May 7, 1971)
- born in Sunderland MA, the free safety spent five seasons in the NFL with the Broncos and Ravens.
Pat McInally, 71 (May 7, 1953)
- the Harvard graduate was Cincinnati's punter and wide receiver for ten seasons, earning All-Pro honors in 1981. McInally was enshrined to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and scored a perfect 50 on the Wonderlic test.
Algy Clark (May 7, 1904 - Nov 15, 1968)
- a single wing blocking back and offensive tackle in the thirties, Clark scored one touchdown in 1932 for the Boston Braves. He also went 0-8 in his one season as an NFL head coach, for the 1934 Cincinnati Reds.
Dolph Eckstein (May 7, 1902 - June 28, 1963)
- after graduating from Brown University he was an All-Pro center for the Providence Steamroller in 1925-26.
Belf West (May 7, 1896 - Sept 11, 1973)
- the graduate of Phillips Andover Academy was an All-American tackle at Colgate who could also pass the ball 70 yards, and once kicked a 52 yard field goal -
in 1919! West was a first-team All-Pro in 1921 for the Canton Bulldogs.
Also well worth mentioning:
Johnny Unitas (born on May 7, 1933, in Pittsburgh) - one of the greatest players in NFL history.
