Spirit of '76 on Patriots.Com

[italian pat patriot]

30 years later a look back on the 'famous' 1976 NE Patriots

i LOVE those articles !

pity, as we know, the end of the season...

 

[NoCal Patriot]

Thanks for the Head's Up ! I really enjoyed the article.

 

[Murphys95]

Good stuff!

 

[italian pat patriot]

i think that 1976 and 1985 teams were and are still appreciated today

but the real W arrived for us only later

still i like to read about those years a lot

i hope the Pats will make a DVD about the history of the team - i would love it

 

[NoCal Patriot]

Mike Felger's book,"Tales From The Patriots Sidelines" even with all of it's mistakes is still an enjoyable read.You should check it out.There are many stories about 1976 and 1985.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Can anyone have a copy or remember the name of the book that Mike Holovak wrote about Patriots in the '60s?

 

[italian pat patriot]

Mike Felger's book,"Tales From The Patriots Sidelines" even with all of it's mistakes is still an enjoyable read.You should check it out.There are many stories about 1976 and 1985.

i have it and i have read it 4-5 times...
beautiful book imho

Bob Gladieux 'story' was the best

 

[ilduce06410]

i love '76, but '85?

i think that 1976 and 1985 teams were and are still appreciated today
but the real W arrived for us only later
still i like to read about those years a lot
i hope the Pats will make a DVD about the history of the team - i would love it

the '85 team/ irving fryar, "champaign" tony eason, tony collins?
yeah there was hannah and tippett.
i don't remember all the starters from '85-86,tho


'76:
the k-state backfield: grogan, donnie calhoun, mini-mack herron, then sam bam.
OL: leon gray, hannah, pete brock, can't remember the right side
TE: the "all-world tight end", as someone used to say, russ francis. don hasselbeck too.
WRs: darryl stingley, 2 others
DL: julius adams, sugar bear hamilton, 2 others
LBs: steve nelson, clayton weishuhn, donnie blackmon, rod shoate (fastest LB in history). i think george webster was on that team too.
DBs: mike haynes, nasty raymond clayborne, rick sanford, roland james

what a freakin' team.

 

[Murphys95]

Re: i love '76, but '85?

the '85 team/ irving fryar, "champaign" tony eason, tony collins?
yeah there was hannah and tippett.
i don't remember all the starters from '85-86,tho


'76:
the k-state backfield: grogan, donnie calhoun, mini-mack herron, then sam bam.
OL: leon gray, hannah, pete brock, can't remember the right side
TE: the "all-world tight end", as someone used to say, russ francis. don hasselbeck too.
WRs: darryl stingley, 2 others
DL: julius adams, sugar bear hamilton, 2 others
LBs: steve nelson, clayton weishuhn, donnie blackmon, rod shoate (fastest LB in history). i think george webster was on that team too.
DBs: mike haynes, nasty raymond clayborne, rick sanford, roland james

what a freakin' team.

Wow, that would have been a cool team to watch! Here's a rundown of the starters (keep in mind, some of them did not start for the entire season)....

'76 defense:

DL: Lunsford, Adams, & Hamilton
LB: Nelson, Zabel, Hunt, & Barnes
DB: Haynes, Howard, McCray, & Fox

'85 defense:

DL: Adams, Williams, Veris (replaced injured Sims)
LB: Tippett, Blackmon, Nelson, McGrew (Weishuhn was injured in '85)
DB: Clayborn, Lippett, James, Marion

'76 offense:

Backs: Grogan, Johnson, Cunningham
WR: Vataha, Stingley (only 28 catches between them!)
TE: Francis
OL: Hannah, Gray, Lenkaitis, Adams, McKay

'85 offense:

Backs: Eason, Collins, James
WR: Morgan, Fryar (Starring started in the playoffs)
TE: Dawson
OL: Hannah, Holloway, Brock, Wooten, Moore

 

[RayClay]

Re: i love '76, but '85?

the '85 team/ irving fryar, "champaign" tony eason, tony collins?
yeah there was hannah and tippett.
i don't remember all the starters from '85-86,tho


'76:
the k-state backfield: grogan, donnie calhoun, mini-mack herron, then sam bam.
OL: leon gray, hannah, pete brock, can't remember the right side
TE: the "all-world tight end", as someone used to say, russ francis. don hasselbeck too.
WRs: darryl stingley, 2 others
DL: julius adams, sugar bear hamilton, 2 others
LBs: steve nelson, clayton weishuhn, donnie blackmon, rod shoate (fastest LB in history). i think george webster was on that team too.
DBs: mike haynes, nasty raymond clayborne, rick sanford, roland james

what a freakin' team.

LOL:woohoo: :woohoo: :enranged:

 

[SpiritOf76]

Nice!

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Pats Fanatic]

Here is a link in case it goes off the front page of patriots.com soon.
http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=latestnewsdetail&pid=24095&pcid=48

 

[italian pat patriot]

what i loved about 1985 team was the amazing and beautiful (and we were the first NFL team to do that) 3 road victories to reach the Super Bowl

but i agree the 1976 teams was one of the best we ever had

pity that i was unable to SEE them (also because i was quite young on that year too, without internet, without pay tv, etc etc)

 

[NoCal Patriot]

One correction,Ray Clayborn did not play for The 1976 Patriots.He was drafted in The 1st Round of the 1977 Draft.The Guys I remember on that Defense were at Defensive Ends,Julius Adams and Tony McGee.At Nose Tackle,Ray Hamilton and Richard Bishop. Linebacers were Steve Zabel,Steve Nelson,Sam Hunt, and Rod Shoate,Defensive Backfield was Mike Haynes,Tim Fox,Prentiss McRae.The Offense was Steve Grogan at QB,Andy Johnson and Sam Bam Cunningham and Horace Ivory at Running Back. Russ Francis at Tight end.The Offensive Line was Leon Gray,John Hannah,Bill Lenkitis Sam Adams and Tom Neville.Wide Outs included Daryl Stingley.It was a very good Team.