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Today in Patriots History
Carl Garrett
Carl Garrett
Happy 72nd birthday to Carl Garrett
Born Aug 31, 1947 in Denton, Texas
Patriot RB, 1969-1972; uniform #30
Pats 3rd round (58th overall) selection of the 1969 draft, from New Mexico Highlands
Dec 12, 1970: Carl Garrett takes a handoff from Joe Kapp
Carl Garrett | FS64
In college, Garrett set school career records with 3862 rushing yards (averaging 7.4 yards-per-carry), 69 touchdowns, and 418 points scored. He received first-team NAIA All-American honors in 1966 and was a second-team choice in ’67. Garrett was chosen by the Patriots in the third round of the 1969 AFL/NFL draft and, with his great speed, had an immediate impact, rushing for 691 yards, catching 29 passes for another 267 yards, averaging 28.3 yards on 28 kickoff returns and 13.3 yards returning 12 punts, for a total of 1909 combined yards, second-best in the league. He was a second-team All-AFL selection by the NEA and was named to the AFL All-Star Game. Garrett missed time during training camp due to military service and then suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1970, rushing for only 272 yards and accumulating an all-purpose total of 1167.
Carl Garrett runs for daylight behind Len St Jean's block against the Jets, circa 1970-72
Carl Garrett has some noteworthy Patriot trivia attached to his name. He is the player that the Patriots sent to Dallas in the bizarre 1971 Duane Thomas trade that was later rescinded after Thomas refused to take a three point stance for Pats head coach John Mazur.
Garrett was later traded to the Bears, spent some time with the Jets, and eventually became a kick returner and backup RB in Oakland. Carl Garrett was blanketed in the end zone when Ken Stabler threw a desperation fourth down pass in his direction on December 18, 1976. That was the play that will live in infamy as one of the worst calls by an official in the history of the NFL.
It was Carl Garrett who was the intended receiver on what should have been a turnover on downs in the Ben Dreith Game.
Happy birthday to Dennis Byrd
Born Aug 31, 1946 in Lincolnton, North Carolina
Died in 7/23/2010 at the age of 63
Patriot DE, 1968-1969; uniform #78
Pats 1st round (6th overall) selection of the 1968 draft, from NC State
Not to be confused with the more well known Jet Dennis Byrd, our Dennis Byrd is often considered to be one of the biggest draft busts in Patriot history. Byrd was one of the best players in NC State history and one of the best players in college football from 1965-67, constantly breaking through double teams. The problem was that he had injured his knee his senior year in a game against Duke, and attempted to return too soon.
If this type of injury happened today it would be one thing, but medical science in the area of knee surgeries and treating ACL tears was completely different fifty years ago. Superior results in arthroscopic surgery would not happen for another ten or twenty years, when benefits from flexible fiber optics began to become available.
The reality is that Dennis Byrd had no business playing football, and the Patriots were foolish to have drafted him that high - if at all. He gave it a good try, but his career had no chance. Byrd started all 14 games for the Pats in 1968, but was unable to play beyond his rookie season. He died at the age of 63 after suffering a heart attack while undergoing back surgery.
Dennis Byrd, 2007 | North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Dennis Byrd, 2010 | College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame to honor Dennis Byrd
Happy 74th birthday to Pete Barnes
Born Aug 31, 1945 in Keatchie, Louisiana
Patriot LB, 1976-1977; uniform #59
Pete Barnes was a two-time All American - in two sports, football and baseball. He spent 11 years an the AFL and NFL, with his final two seasons being in Foxborough. Barnes played in 25 games with 18 starts for the Pats, with one interception and two fumble recoveries.
In 1984 Barnes was arrested on drug charges, and a 2009 article mentioned an unconfirmed report that Barnes was homeless. Over his 11 year pro football career Barnes played in 142 games with 98 starts, tallying 15 interceptions (one for a TD) and six fumble recoveries.
Aug 28, 1977 in Foxboro: Patriot LB Pete Barnes chases Pittsburgh QB Terry Bradshaw, forcing an incomplete pass.
Happy birthday to Edgar Chandler
Born Aug 31, 1946 in Cedartown, Georgia
Died 10/17/92 at the age of 46
Patriot MLB, 1973; uniform #50
Edgar Chandler was a right tackle at the University of Georgia. He was drafted by the Bills in '68 and converted to linebacker to better utilize his speed and agility. On April 19, 1973 the Pats made an ill advised trade with Buffalo, sending Jim Cheyunski, Halvor Hagen and Mike Montler to the Bills in exchange for Chandler, Jeff Lyman and Patrick. Chandler was the only one of those three to even play for the Pats, while Buffalo received three productive players.
Chandler played for one season with the Pats, starting 11 games. A year later he bolted for better money in the World Football League, winning a championship with the Birmingham Americans. He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1988, and in his post-football career he was manager of public relations for All-American Contel Communications. Edgar Chandler died at the age of 46 from cancer.
Happy 69th birthday to Ed Jenkins
Born Aug 31, 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida
Patriot RB, 1974; uniform #30
The Holy Cross pioneer and graduate was an 11th round draft pick by Miami in 1972. Jenkins appeared in three games with the Patriots; for his career he played in 15 games, with one reception for 12 yards.
Eddie Jenkins attempting to break loose versus Dartmouth in 1969
Happy 36th birthday to Justin Rogers
Born Aug 31, 1983 in Penngrove, California
Patriot LB, 2007 offseason; uniform #51
Pats 6th round (180th overall) selection of the 2007 draft, from Southern Methodist
The Patriots traded OT Brandon Gorin to Arizona near the end of training camp in 2006. In exchange the Pats received a 2007 sixth round draft pick, which was used on Rogers. He is one of six 6th and 7th round choices from that draft that had either little or no impact with the Patriots, fueling 'Bill the GM is killing Bill the HC' hot takes on sports talk radio for a few years. Rogers went on to spend a couple seasons in Dallas, appearing in 32 games with no starts.
July 27, 2007: (L-R) Patriot rookies Mike Elgin, Justin Rogers, and Clint Oldenburg
Other pro football players born on this date with a New England connection:
Ken MacAfee (1929-2007)
Born and raised in North Easton; Oliver Ames High School
The elder Ken MacAfee is the only Oliver Ames grad to make it to the NFL. After his college playing days at Alabama, he spent six seasons in the late fifties playing tight end, mostly for the Giants. MacAfee scored 18 career touchdowns, including eight as a rookie in 1954. His son was also a tight end, and a 7th overall pick by San Francisco in the 1978 draft.
John Dorsey, 59 (1960)
UConn
A 4th round pick by Green Bay in '84, the linebacker played in 76 games over five seasons for the Packers.
Arnie Shockley (1903-1988)
The 6'2, 220 native of Oklahoma played tackle for the 1929 Boston Bulldogs.
And some other notable pro football players sharing this birth date:
Larry Fitzgerald, 36 (1983)
The future Hall of Famer has five seasons with 100+ receptions, five with 10+ touchdown receptions, and nine seasons of 1,000+ yards receiving - including four of over 1,400 yards.
Jim Finks (1927-1994)
Hall of Famer spent 27 seasons as GM of the Vikings, Bears and Saints. Prior to that he was a quarterback with Pittsburgh from 1949-1955. In 1952 Finks led the NFL with 20 touchdown passes, and in '55 he led the league in passing yards.
Gary Johnson (1952-2010)
'Big Hands' was the 8th overall pick by San Diego in '75, and a four-time Pro Bowl DT with the Chargers. At the end of his 11 year career he was traded to San Francisco. In 23 games with the 49ers he had nine sacks, a safety, three fumble recoveries and a touchdown, helping SF in the '84-85 playoff run with three more sacks, culminating with a 38-16 victory over Miami in SB 19.
Alvin Haymond, 77 (1942)
Return specialist from Southern University led the NFL in punt returns three times, punt return yardage three times, yards per punt return in 1969 (13.2), combined kick and punt return yardage three times, and kick return yardage once. Over his career Haymond had 6,749 yards on returns; at the time he retired that was second most in NFL history.
Lance Moore, 36 (1983)
Former wide receiver with the Saints had 45 career touchdowns.