Today in Patriots History

[jmt57]

Happy Birthday, Don "Corky" Calhoun, 65 (4/29/1952)
Patriots FB, 1975-1981
Uniform #44
Yet another K-State alum who made a big contribution here, 'Houn was a role player who made it a starring role when he got the chance.

Don's versatility as a blocker and receiver as well as rushing made him a big value player in his era; and his ability was appreciated by players and coaches alike.

As noted above, Don Calhoun highlights the April 29 birthdays.

Don Calhoun, 65 (4/29/1952)
Patriot RB, 1975-1981
Uniform #44
Calhoun was a teammate of Steve Grogan's at Kansas State and drafted by the Bills in the tenth round (249th) in the 1974 draft. He may be the first in a long tradition of Buffalo castoffs to find success in Foxboro. Calhoun was a vital part of the Chuck Fairbanks era Patriots that were robbed of a Lombardi Trophy and set an NFL record for rushing yardage in a single season. When called upon to fill in for Sam Cunningham or Andy Johnson, Calhoun delivered so well that fans lobbied for him to be given more snaps. At the time he ranked third in franchise history in rushing yardage (6th now) and rushing touchdown (9th now), and his 4.1 yards per carry is second most in team history for a player with as many rushes (820) as he had.

Sid Blanks, 77 (4/29/1940)
Patriot HB, 1969-1970
Uniform #22
As a Houston Oiler rookie, Blanks led the AFL in rushing touchdowns in 1964. He caught on with the Pats as a backup at the end of his career, appearing in all 28 games with 20 carries for 74 yard, and seven receptions for 65 yards.


From the New England area:
Justin Cross, 58 (4/29/1959)
Cross grew up in Portsmouth NH, was an OT for the Bills from 1982-86, and then became a commercial airline pilot.


Other notable NFL players born 4/29:
- Bernie Parrish, 81; Browns CB from early 60s had 31 career interceptions.
- **** Lynch (4/29/36-9/24/08); twice led NFL in interceptions in early 60s.
- Josh Brown, 38; scumbag K enabled by Mara and Giants.
- Tommie Harris, 34; 3x Pro Bowl DT for the Bears.
- Jim Hart, 73; 4x Pro Bowl QB with St Louis Cardinals.
- Jay Cutler, 34, free agent QB formerly with Denver and Chicago.
- Browning Nagle, 49. In Largo FL the unofficial city motto is 'at least we are not Pinellas Park', so it is fitting that the pride of Pinellas Park would eventually be a bust with the Jets. Nagle transferred from West Virginia (where he was stuck behind Major Harris) to Louisville. The Cardinals culminated their 1990 season by crushing Alabama 34-7 in the Fiesta Bowl, handing the Tide one of their worst bowl losses in school history. Nagle went 20/33 for 451 yards and three touchdowns, and his draft stock skyrocketed.

The Jets selected Nagle early in the second round (34th overall) in the 1991 draft, one pick after Brett Favre. He became the starter in his second season, throwing 17 picks with only 7 touchdowns, completing fewer than 50% of his passes with a 3-10 record as their starting QB. Nagle then bounced around the NFL as a backup for a couple of years before finishing his pro football career in the Arena League.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

On October 1, 1971 the Patriots traded RB Rocky Bleier to Pittsburgh for Clark

We could have had Noll and Bleier and, well, let's face it, the whole Steeler team with Noll calling the shots.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Patriot birthdays.

Hmmm, today we have

and

 

[jmt57]

Dave Meggett, 51 (April 30, 1966)
Patriot RB/KR, 1995-1997
Uniform #22
Dave was an outstanding NFL and Patriots player who had his best season in '96, recording 1,966 all-purpose yards, earning his second trip to the Pro Bowl, and helping us make it to Super Bowl XXXI. Of his 14,005 all-purpose yards, his 3,708 punt return yards are currently the second most in NFL history. He also completed four of eight passes for 114 yards and four touchdowns.

Sadly, after retiring he was involved in two assault cases, and is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for burglary and criminal sexual conduct. Tragic, for a former Walter Payton Award winner (1988).


On a lighter note, John Denvir (born 4/30/1938) played left guard in the AFL for, yes, the Broncos, wearing #65, in 1962.

I think it's just stupid for the Pats, or any team, not to come out and practice in the higher altitude for the week leading up to a game there.

I'm still playing catchup, so other than Dave Meggett (and Denver's John Denvir), here is the remainder of April 30.

Ron Hall, 80 (4/30/1937)
Patriot FS, 1961-1967
Uniform #23
Hall was a late draft pick by Pittsburgh in 1959, and then caught on with the Patriots two years later. For a long time Hall held the franchise record for career interceptions (29), and even now he ranks third in that category behind Raymond Clayborn and Ty Law. His 11 picks in 1964 is still a single season team record, and it ranks as the 14th most in pro football history.

Hall also had six interceptions in 1966, was an AFL All-Star in 1963, first team All Pro in 1964, and member of the Patriots All-Decade team for the 1960s. After retiring Hall was a high school phys ed teacher and football coach.

For more on Hall and the AFL, check out this Q&A: Email from the AFL: Boston Patriots Ron Hall.


Edmund Nelson, 57 (4/30/1960)
Patriot DE, 1988
Uniform #65
Nelson was a 7th round (177th overall) pick by the Steelers in 1982. Pittsburgh released him in the second week of the '88 season and he was picked up by the Pats to play for Raymond Berry's squad. Nelson does not have fond memories, stating that "I hated the Boston area and they didn’t treat me very well". Part of that may have been the insult added to injury when the Patriots released him and he was picked up by the Browns for the last week of the season. That was the end of Nelson's NFL career. Nelson appeared in twelve games for the Patriots, with one start.

Since then Nelson worked as a State Farm insurance agent for over two decades, for the NFL with game day compliance (Uniform Inspector), and for 18 years doing Steeler preseason broadcasts, pre and post-game shows.


Paul Lindquist (4/30/1939-11/6/2003)
Patriot DT, 1961
Uniform #67
Lindquist was born in Brockton and grew up in Abington. He went to UNH where he was on the track and football teams, and was an eighth round (99th overall) draft pick by the Vikings in 1961. He played in two games for the Patriots in 1961. At the time of his death at age 64 Lindquist was living in Hanover and was a manager at the Wal-Mart in Abington.



April 30, 2012: Patriots sign a pair of undrafted rookie free agents: WR Matt Roark (Kentucky) and DL Marcus Forston (Miami).



One other player with New England ties:

Mark MacDonald, 56 (4/30/1961)
MacDonald was born in West Roxbury, went Catholic Memorial High School, and then Boston College. At BC he was an offensive tackle who blocked on the famous Hail Flutie touchdown pass to Gerald Phelan to beat Miami. MacDonald was a fifth round (115th overall) pick by the Vikings in 1985; over four seasons he appeared in 44 NFL games as a guard, with four starts. MacDonald was inducted into BC's Hall of Fame in 2002.

Augie Lio (4/30/1918-9/3/1989)
Born in East Boston, Lio was a kicker and offensive lineman from 1941-47 for the Lions, Boston Yanks, and Eagles. Lio was named to two Pro Bowls and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.


Other notable NFL players born 4/30:
- Jerry Stovall, 76; 3x Pro Bowl safety later became LSU head coach.
- Al Toon, 54; 3x Pro Bowl WR had 517 career receptions for 6605 yards, but career was cut short due to concussions.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Augie Lio (4/30/1918-9/3/1989)
Born in East Boston, Lio was a kicker and offensive lineman from 1941-47 for the Lions, Boston Yanks, and Eagles. Lio was named to two Pro Bowls and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Augie played for the Hoyas at Georgetown

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Edmund Nelson, 57 (4/30/1960)
Patriot DE, 1988
Uniform #65
Nelson was a 7th round (177th overall) pick by the Steelers in 1982. Pittsburgh released him in the second week of the '88 season and he was picked up by the Pats to play for Raymond Berry's squad. Nelson does not have fond memories, stating that "I hated the Boston area and they didn’t treat me very well".

Edmund is a complete die-hard Steeler and Steeler fan, obviously. His obvious contempt for the Patriots and Boston clearly had everything to do with his perceived 'mistreatment' here.

One guy who was unfairly scapegoated in Boston is Bob McAdoo. None of what the franchise endured during his time here was his fault.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Ron Hall, 80 (4/30/1937)
Patriot FS, 1961-1967
Uniform #23
Hall was a late draft pick by Pittsburgh in 1959, and then caught on with the Patriots two years later. For a long time Hall held the franchise record for career interceptions (29), and even now he ranks third in that category behind Raymond Clayborn and Ty Law. His 11 picks in 1964 is still a single season team record, and it ranks as the 14th most in pro football history.

Hall also had six interceptions in 1966, was an AFL All-Star in 1963, first team All Pro in 1964, and member of the Patriots All-Decade team for the 1960s. After retiring Hall was a high school phys ed teacher and football coach.

For more on Hall and the AFL, check out this Q&A: Email from the AFL: Boston Patriots Ron Hall.

The Patriots were very good in 1964. Only a loss to the Bills on the last day at Fenway kept them out of the title game, and likely revenge on the 'Bolts for the prior year (the West was weaker that season).

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I'm still playing catchup

I like Ketchup, or catsup. Whassup?
Check out the Pats...of...the Sixtieeeeeeeeees!:
The Patriots in the 1960s (Photo 1 of 18) - Pictures - The Boston Globe

Aaaaaaaaaaand somebody please explain to me how Jamie Collins was born on 10/20/89 AND 5/2/90.

Was BB holding a white cat when he said to Jamie after trading him, "You only live twice, Mr. Collins..."

"...this organisation does not accept failure, number Ninety-One..."

 

[supafly]

Aaaaaaaaaaand somebody please explain to me how Jamie Collins was born on 10/20/89 AND 5/2/90.

You could ask him yourself, but I'm wondering if he'd actually know the...never mind.

 

[jmt57]

Edmund is a complete die-hard Steeler and Steeler fan, obviously. His obvious contempt for the Patriots and Boston clearly had everything to do with his perceived 'mistreatment' here.

One guy who was unfairly scapegoated in Boston is Bob McAdoo. None of what the franchise endured during his time here was his fault.

The John Y Brown era/error was truly difficult for Celtic fans for endure. McAdoo was unfortunately a symbol of Brown's basketball ignorance, and the mind-boggling logic of obtaining a player because his young trophy wife liked him. McAdoo was a great player, but he was most certainly not worth three first round draft picks. Auerbach would have used those picks to much greater productivity.

Even more illogical was Brown apparently believing that because he was a successful CEO of a fast food restaurant chain, that he was a better basketball talent evaluator than Red Auerbach. The wrath towards McAdoo was exacerbated by the underwhelming performances of Curtis Rowe and Sidney Wicks.

Yes, McAdoo was a scapegoat - but it was because he was a symbol of John Y Brown's meddling, and the reaction was really just a way for the fans to voice their displeasure with Brown.

 

[jmt57]

The Patriots were very good in 1964. Only a loss to the Bills on the last day at Fenway kept them out of the title game, and likely revenge on the 'Bolts for the prior year (the West was weaker that season).

Yeah, that final game of the '64 season was not only for the AFL East title, it was the de facto AFL championship game. Patriots had already beaten the Bills and were expected to win, but did themselves no favors with some over confident comments in the week leading up to that game. On the first play from scrimmage Cookie Gilchrist took the ball and rather than evade a tackle he ran right over Chuck Shonta and knocked him out. From that point on the Bills dominated the game, the Pats scoring late to make it respectable.

Buffalo ran all over San Diego the next week to win the title. They were champions again the next season - and haven't won it all since. Forty one years and counting. I can picture Erie County kids asking, 'Grandpa, tell me the fairy tale about the time the Bills won the championship'...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Yeah, that final game of the '64 season was not only for the AFL East title, it was the de facto AFL championship game. Patriots had already beaten the Bills and were expected to win, but did themselves no favors with some over confident comments in the week leading up to that game. On the first play from scrimmage Cookie Gilchrist took the ball and rather than evade a tackle he ran right over Chuck Shonta and knocked him out. From that point on the Bills dominated the game, the Pats scoring late to make it respectable.

Buffalo ran all over San Diego the next week to win the title. They were champions again the next season - and haven't won it all since. Forty one years and counting. I can picture Erie County kids asking, 'Grandpa, tell me the fairy tale about the time the Bills won the championship'...

It's significant to have won it at one point. One or two titles is infinitely larger than zero. Philly did win the title, albeit before a lot of us were born, and prior to the merger. For all the generations of frustration, the Sox and Cubs did win the WS at the beginning of the twentieth century.

I believe that season- and title-ending loss to the Bills was the day that the players had to help clear the snow off the field and stands at Fenway, delaying the start almost half an hour. I can hear Kraft saying now "That would never happen under my ownership..." Okay Robert, we know. Thanks for reminding us. Have a nice day.

 

[jmt57]

Still lagging behind, here is May 1:

Wes Welker, 36 (May 1, 1981)
Patriot WR/PR, 2007-2012
Uniform #83
During six seasons with the Pats, Welker was an All-Pro twice, selected to the Pro Bowl five times, and led the NFL in receptions three times. Though the Pats did not win a Superbowl during that time, they did go 74-20 (.787) with two conference championships during that span. Welker holds the franchise record for career receptions (672), is second in receiving yards (7,459) and eighth in TD receptions (37). He not only holds the team's single season record for receptions (123), he also ranks 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in that category. Welker ranks 21st all time in NFL history with 903 career receptions, and 17th with 16,797 career all-purpose yards.

Curtis Martin, 44 (May 1, 1973)
Patriot RB, 1995-1997
Uniform #28
In just three years with New England, Martin rushed for 3799 yards (4th in team history) and 32 touchdowns (4th at the time, 6th now), accumulating 4689 yards from scrimmage and 37 total touchdowns. He retired with 14,101 career rushing yards, fourth most in NFL history. Martin was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.


Elsewhere in the NFL, three other Hall of Famers were born May 1:
- Ollie Matson; All Pro RB for Chicago Cardinals in each of his first five NFL seasons.
- Chuck Bednarik; 8-time Pro Bowl LB/C for Eagles known for his vicious hits, including one that knocked Frank Gifford out of the NFL for a year and a half.
- Cliff Battles; tailback for the Boston Braves in the 1930s.

On the subject of the Boston Braves, a few others that played for long forgotten New England pro football teams:
- Erny Pinckert: wingback for Boston Braves was named to two Pro Bowls.
- Jackson Keefer: tailback for the 1926 Providence Steamrollers, who is also an alumnus of Brown University.

More players with New England roots born today:
- Rudy Romboli; born and raised in Everett, Romboli was a fullback in the 1940s for the Boston Yanks.
- Bob Marques; the Medford born Marques grew up in Everett and was a Boston University graduate before playing six games at linebacker in the AFL's inaugural season for the New York Titans.
- Terry Rennaker; born in Newport, Rennaker appeared in 15 games for the Seahawks in 1980.
- Bruce McGonnigal; born in Cambridge, the TE played in two games for the Browns in 1991.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

here is May

May the Fourth be with you, young Patriots fan...

Henry (Hank) Thomas "Honolulu" Hughes, Jr. (May 4, 1907 – December 27, 1963) played running back in the NFL right here in Boston with the Braves in 1932. He played college ball at Oregon State University.

"Sheesh, lucky dude was born in Honolulu! I was born in Seattle..."

Arthur Vincent "Pop" Williams (May 4, 1906 – February 6, 1979) is another back who played five seasons in the NFL, the first four with the Providence Steam Roller, winning the title there in '28. Pop went to Connecticut Agricultural College (present day UConn).

The Giants won it in '27, and the Packers won in '29...Guess it's good we only count Super Bowls today, or we'd really be behind, huh?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Bill Belichick, 65 (4/16/1952)
Patriot assistant HC and DB coach, 1996
Patriot HC and GM, 2000-
GOAT
Five Lombardi trophies with Patriots. 7 time AFC champion. 14 division titles, including the last eight in a row. 201-71 (.739) regular season record with Pats. NFL-record 26 playoff wins. 25-9 (.735) playoff record with Patriots.

We should really get Bill a white cat, a Persian with a cubic zirconia collar (necklace). Maybe Kraft will chip in and get a diamond one. I know we're the good guys, but hey, there's a little evil genius in each of us, right?

 

[jmt57]

May 2:

Jamie Collins, 27 (5/02/1990)
Patriot OLB, 2013-2016
Uniform #91
Collins was selected in the second round (52nd overall) out of Southern Miss by the Pats in the 2013 draft. In three-plus seasons he appeared in 58 regular season games with 49 starts, with five interceptions, 10.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. He also started seven playoff games, with three sacks and two interceptions, both off Andrew Luck. Collins was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015, and played in every snap in the Super Bowl 49 victory over Seattle. After too much freelancing, Collins was traded to Cleveland on October 31, 2016, for a third round draft pick (which was in turn part of the Brandin Cooks trade).

Despite blowhard John Tomase's proclamation that "the deal makes the Patriots worse in 2016, and that's what matters", it was a case of addition by subtraction. The Pats not only went on to win the Superbowl, they also received a compensatory draft pick in return a year sooner than they would have if Collins had left via free agency - and that's assuming the Pats would even get a comp pick, since we don't know if a potential free agent signing may have offset that departure.


Steve Beauharnais, 27 (5/02/1990)
Patriot ILB, 2013
Uniform #58
The Rutgers alum was taken in the seventh round (235th overall) in the 2013 draft. In his rookie season he was typically inactive on gamedays, appearing in two games that year. Beauharnais was cut at the end of the following training camp and spent most of 2014 bouncing between Washington's practice squad and their active roster (appearing in three games). In August of 2015 he was signed by San Francisco, but did not survive final cuts. When he made an attempt to showcase himself in a final effort to make an NFL roster two months ago, Beauharnais may have done himself no favors by publicly calling out Rutgers for not permitting him to take part in their pro day.


Vinny Ciurciu, 37 (5/02/1980)
Patriot ILB, 2009
Uniform #50
The former BC Eagle appeared in 103 NFL games from 2003-2010, primarily as a special teams ace. As a rookie he played in Super Bowl 38 for Carolina, in their loss to the Patriots. The Pats signed Ciurciu in May of 2009, but he was part of the final roster cuts and was never with the club for any regular season games.



May 2, 2012: Jason Licht, Director of Pro Personnel for the last three seasons, resigns to accept the same position with the Arizona Cardinals.

May 2, 2012: Patriots sign three players.
- UDFA Brandon Bolden, a RB fromm Ole’ Miss.
- UDFA Justin Francis, a defensive end from Rutgers.
- Veteran free agent WR Jabar Gaffney, who had just been cut by Washington. The son of Jet WR Derrick Gaffney ('78-'87) and cousin of Eagle Lito Sheppard (NFL CB '02-'11) had 85 receptions for the Pats in 2006-08. He did not survive roster cuts and retired after playing in three games for the Dolphins in 2012.



Other NFL players with New England roots born May 2:
- Sio Moore, 27; LB from West Haven and UConn has played for four NFL teams, most recently with Arizona.
- Bill Cregar, 92; G/LB from Holy Cross played for Pittsburgh in 1947-48 before becoming an assistant FBI director.
- Frank Gaziano; born in Waltham and a grad of Holy Cross, Gaziano was a guard with the Boston Yanks and Washington Redskins in the '40s.. He then worked his way up from being a salesman for Annheuser-Busch to owning one of their distributorships.
- Pike Johnson; raised in Everett, he was the left tackle on the NFL's first championship team, the 1920 Akron Pros.
- Jim Karcher, RG for the 1936 Boston Redskins.


Also, Hall of Fame guard Russ Grimm was born May 2, 1959.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

blowhard John Tomase

...that guy is still around here?

Can't he move away somewhere to...anywhere? He'd probably be liked wherever. He can live in the small cottage adjacent to Marshall Faulk's mansion, and they can reminisce daily about phony filming etc....

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Beauharnais may have done himself no favors by publicly calling out Rutgers for not permitting him to take part in their pro day.

Well he sure didn't score any points with Bill, that's for sure...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

May

May 5:

'04 UFA/LSU

 

[jmt57]

Not much for May 3

Joseph Addai, 34 (May 3, 1983)
Patriot RB, 2012
Uniform #29
One of the running backs to go in the first round of the 2006 draft that the Patriots should have selected rather than Laurence Maroney, Addai totaled 5901 yards from scrimmage and 48 touchdowns in six seasons with the Colts. After being cut by Indy the Pats signed him on May 6, 2012. Addai reportedly struggled with his conditioning test at the start of training camp and just quit the drill, which resulted in Bill Belichick cutting Addai.


May 3, 2012: National scout Kyle O’Brien, who had been with the Pats for 12 years leaves the club. For 10 seasons (2002-11), O’Brien served in various roles within the New England Patriots player personnel department. The Patriots elevated O’Brien to national scout in his final two seasons (2010-11) in New England after his time as an area scout that covered five seasons (2002, 2006-09). In 2004-05, he was the Patriots’ pro personnel scout.

A graduate of Harvard where he lettered in lacrosse, O’Brien originally joined the Patriots as a player personnel intern in 2000 and continued those duties during the Patriots’ first Super Bowl season in 2001 while still attending Harvard. O'Brien went on to serve as a regional scout for the Chiefs in 2012, and then became the director of college scouting for Jacksonville from 2013-15. In 2016 the Detroit Lions hired him to be their Vice President of Player Personnel.



Other players with New England area ties born May 3:
- Ron Monaco, 54: not to be confused with Ron Mexico, Monaco was born in New Haven and grew up in Hamden CT. The linebacker played in 17 games in '86-87 with the Rams and Packers.
- Tom McCauley, 70: born in Worcester, the FS/PR was a 10th round 1969 draft pick by the Vikings who appeared in 32 games for Atlanta from 1969-71.
- Bernard Buzyniski: the Holy Cross grad was a linebacker who appeared in all 14 games for Buffalo in the AFL's inaugural 1960 season.
- Bob Davis: tackle for the 1948 Boston Yanks.
- Jack Cronin: wingback, PR, KR, P and K for the Providence Steamrollers from 1927-30, Cronin was born in Hingham and went to Dean and then BC. His brother and nephew also played in the NFL.
- Johnny Scott: the Exeter NH native was a back for the Buffalo All-Americans from 1920-23 who in one season scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on an interception.

Hall of Famer born today:
- Dave Robinson, 76; Packer Pro Bowl linebacker won rings for Superbowls I and II.

Aside from Bernard Buzyniski, other tongue-twister football players born today include Cliff Thrift and Stan Sytsma, a Saints seventh round selection in '79.