MUST SEE PHOTOS: Ernie Adams Breaks Down The Huddle At His Final Patriots Practice

Jun 20, 2021 at 9:08 pm ET 1 min read 2.5k views

1 min read Patriots Photos

The New England Patriots concluded their mandatory minicamp sessions this past week but made sure to give “Football Research Director” Ernie Adams one final send off as he enters retirement following 21 years working alongside Bill Belichick in Foxborough.

At the end of practice Wednesday, Adams was given the special honor of breaking down the huddle.

“An invaluable asset to the Patriots organization with a passion for football that’s second to none. Thank you & congratulations, Ernie Adams!”, the Patriots wrote in a post to their Instagram page.

Check out the following photos captured from the moment below.

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Also on Wednesday, Adams had his first ever media availability session and finally explained just what his job actually was for the Patriots.

“Basically, my job is to figure out as many things as I can to help the New England Patriots win football games,” Adams said. “In the end, that’s what we’re all about here. That’s what we do.”

Adams, now 68, contributed to all six of the Patriots Super Bowl championships and explained how much he loved the flexibility and openness of his role with the team.

“Whether it’s strategy, personnel or anything else. The thing that’s been great about my job is I’ve never really had any constraints put on me,” Adams said. “I could go in any area I thought would help us and, hopefully, I’ve made some positive contribution.”

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy later shared a tribute to Adams over his Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/KVN_03/status/1405638642303909891?s=20

Enjoy retirement Ernie! Unfortunately we may never know the true meaning of “Pink Stripes”.