May 5 Patriot birthdays:
Clarence Scott, 73 (5/05/1944)
Patriot SS, 1969-1972
Uniform #26
Acquired as a free agent, Scott played in all 14 games in his rookie season and became a starter in 1970. Injuries however limited him to 15 games and ten starts over his next/final two NFL seasons. Scott then worked for IBM for twenty years, and was
inducted to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Overall Scott played in 43 games with 24 starts for the Pats, collecting six fumble recoveries. He had this to say about his playing days at Morgan State and with the Pats.:
“I played with Leroy Kelly, Willie Lanier, George Nock and (John) ‘Frenchy’ Fuqua. I was Leroy’s fullback. I played both ways from my freshman year to my senior year. I played fullback and left linebacker on defense.”
Scott played pro football with the great Jim Nance who was a big, hard running fullback.
“He was a good running back,” Scott said. “I’m glad he was on my team. He wasn’t the kind of guy you could tackle. He was a good friend of mine.”
Randall Gay, 35 (5/05/1982)
Patriot CB/S, 2004-2007
Uniform #21
The Pats signed Gay as an undrafted rookie out of LSU in 2004. With injuries to Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, Gay started nine games that year as well as all three playoff games; in the SB 39 victory over Philly he had 11 solo tackles. He played only eight games the next two years, going on IR both seasons. In 2007 Gay played in all 16 games with three starts, used primarily as a nickel back. In the following offseason he signed as a free agent with New Orleans, and earned a second SB ring with the Saints in 2009. A concussion landed him on IR for a third time in 2010, and he retired after failing a physical for training camp in 2010. Gay appeared in 39 games with 14 starts over four seasons with the Pats, with five interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
Jon Bostic, 26 (5/05/1991)
Patriot LB, 2015
Uniform #58
The Pats acquired Bostic after Week 3 of 2015 from Chicago, in exchange for a 6th round draft pick. Bostic appeared in 11 games for the Pats with one start, playing primarily on special teams. After the 2016 draft the Patriots traded Bostic - who was unlikely to make the final roster and had close to a $1 million cap number - to Detroit for a 7th round pick. Bostic spent all of 2016 on IR with a foot injury.
Terrance Wheatley, 32 (5/05/1985)
Patriot CB, 2008-09
Uniform #22
The second round (62nd overall) selection in 2008 draft from Colorado played in only 11 games for the Patriots, with one start. His rookie season was derailed by a wrist injury that put him on IR, and he was unable to play or practice for the first five weeks of 2009 due to a foot injury. After being a healthy scratch in week 8 he was waived, ending a
disappointing tenure in Foxboro. Jacksonville signed Wheatley but he got in to only one game for the Jags, again finishing the season IR. Wheatley was later signed to Buffalo's practice squad for a brief time, and his NFL career was over.
Michael LeBlanc, 55 (5/05/1962)
Patriot RB, 1987
Uniform #27
No relation to the bad actor named Matt, this LeBlanc was a replacement player from the CFL in '87. He carried the ball 35 times for 146 yards in a victory over Buffalo, and stuck around for one extra game after the strike ended.
May 5, 2012: Patriots sign free agent RB
Joseph Addai. See the May 3rd entry for more details on the former Indianapolis Colt.
Other pro football players with New England connections:
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Matt Lawrence, 32: born in Hartford, Lawrence grew up in Bloomfield and went to UMass. The RB got five touches in eight games for the Ravens in 2009, then spent all of the next two seasons on IR with knee injuries.
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Darvell Huffman, 50: born in Boston, Huffman went to Newton South High School and Boston University. The wide receiver was a late (232nd overall) pick by the Colts in 1990, and appeared in three games for Indy in 1991 with 3 receptions. Huffman also played in the CFL and Arena league, and coached high school football for 13 years.
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Bob Davis (5/5/1914): HB/FB/PR/KR for the Boston Yanks 1944-46, he led the NFL in punt returns (22) and PR yardage (271) in 1944.
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Pug Manders (5/5/1913): aside from having a great football name, Manders was a FB for the 1945 Boston Yanks. The 11th overall pick in the 1939 draft, he was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. He played nine NFL seasons and led the league in his 1941 All-Pro season with 486 yards rushing. Manders scored touchdowns rushing (35), receiving, passing, and on one of his 11 interceptions.
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Jim Musick (5/5/1910): fullback for the Boston Braves/Redskins led the NFL in 1939 with 173 carries and 809 yards rushing (67.4 yards per game). After a knee injury ended his football career he joined the Marines and later served as Orange County (CA) sheriff, elected to office seven times from 1946-1975.
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Oscar Johnson (5/5/1901): born and raised in Lynn, Johnson went to Lynn English and the University of Vermont. He was a fullback for the 1924 Chicago Bears.
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Bruno Haas (5/5/1891): Haas grew up in Worcester and depending on which website you believe he either went to Worcester Boys Trade High School (now known as Worcester Tech) or Worcester Academy. He spent two years as a tailback with the Akron Pros, Cleveland Indians and Dayton Triangles in the early '20s. Haas was also a minor league baseball player who, in his brief time in the big leagues, tied an American League record with most walks in a game (15).
Also born on May 5:
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Tony Canadeo (5/5/1919): "The Gray Ghost of Gonzaga" was a QB/HB/TB/KR/DB
for Green Bay from 1941-1952. He threw 16 touchdown passes, caught five TDs. and rushed for 26 more. Canadeo - who was
only the third player in NFL history to rush for 1000 yards - was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974 (
unlike Houston Antwine or Jim Nance with the Pats HoF, while Canadeo was still able to enjoy it before his death).