Vince Wilfork, Mike Vrabel lead list of Patriots’ 2022 Hall of Fame nominees

 

By Bernd Buchmasser@BerndBuchmasser  Apr 7, 2022, 5:00am EDT

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

 

After a one-year hiatus caused by Covid-19, the New England Patriots Hall of Fame committee met again on Wednesday to discuss the former players, coaches or contributors worthy of consideration. The first step in the process was narrowing down the list of players to a group of nominees.

According to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, who is part of the election committee, nine players reached the next round and are now officially nominated to make it into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Those players are as follows:

DL Julius Adams: Spending his entire 16-year career with the Patriots, the late Adams was one of the best defensive linemen in franchise history. He appeared in 212 games for the club — including its first Super Bowl — and was named to its 50th Anniversary Team and Teams of the 1970s and 1980s.

Chuck Fairbanks: Fairbanks joined the Patriots in 1973 and was able to turn the team’s fortunes around. New England went 46-41 in six seasons with him as its head coach, reached the playoffs twice, and won its first division title in 15 years.

G Logan Mankins: A first-round draft pick in 2005, Mankins developed into one of the best guards in football during his nine years in New England. Along the way, he played in 147 regular season and playoff games and was voted to six Pro Bowls, the NFL’s Team of the 2010s, and the Patriots’ 50th Anniversary Team.

S Lawyer Milloy: During his seven-year career as a Patriot, Milloy appeared in 121 games and as a leader in the secondary helped the organization win its first Super Bowl. A four-time Pro Bowler, he was named to the Patriots’ Teams of the 2000s and 2010s.

Bill Parcells: The Patriots were a moribund organization when Parcells arrived in 1993, and he helped lead them back to relevance: while New England went just 34-34 during his four seasons, it reached the playoffs twice, won an AFC East title, and went to the Super Bowl. Parcells’ tenure with the team was a success, but it ended in controversy when he left to join the New York Jets.

K John Smith: A member of the Patriots’ Team of the 1970s, Smith played 118 games for the club between 1974 and 1983. While his numbers do not stand out by modern standards — he made “only” 67 percent of his field goals — he was a very good kicker back in the day.

LB Mike Vrabel: Before becoming one of the NFL’s better head coaches, Vrabel spent eight highly successful seasons as a member of the Patriots’ linebacker group. As such, he appeared in 142 games, registered 56 sacks and helped the organization win three Super Bowls. A member of its 50th Anniversary Team, Vrabel also stood out as a part-time tight end: he turned all 10 of his career receptions into touchdowns.

WR Wes Welker: Arriving via trade from the Miami Dolphins in 2007, Welker instantly turned into one of the most productive pass catchers in all of football. Over his six years as a member of the Patriots, he caught a combined 741 passes in 102 regular season and playoff games for 8,145 yards and 41 touchdowns. Welker also led the NFL in receptions three separate times and was named to five Pro Bowls while in New England.

DT Vince Wilfork: Wilfork was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2004 draft and went on to spend 11 seasons with the team. One of the best defensive tackles of his era, he appeared in a combined 179 regular season and playoff games for New England and won two Super Bowl rings. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and member of the Patriots’ Teams of the 2000s and 2010s, as well as their 50th Anniversary squad.

In a next step, that group of nominees will be reduced down to three finalists. The person out of those three receiving the most votes in a fan poll will eventually become the next inductee into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame.\

So, who will it be? Mike Vrabel and Bill Parcells have both previously reached the final round, while Vince Wilfork and Wes Welker are strong candidates to advance to the next round in their first year of eligibility. With Logan Mankins a possible outside option as well, it seems likely that the eventual winner will come from that group.

In that case, long-time team captain and fan favorite Wilfork should probably be considered the favorite.

20 Players With the Longest NFL Careers

 

by Ryan Brennan

April 6, 2022

 

Football is one of the most physically-demanding sports in the world, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the players that have enjoyed the longest NFL careers of all-time. They defied father time and overcame the physical demands year after year, all while performing at a high level. 

Most players would sacrifice anything to have a good game, let alone a good season. Those with the longest NFL careers didn’t just have a good year, they had a good two decades and likely could’ve kept playing if they didn’t have other goals and responsibilities outside of football. 

Let’s be honest, staying dedicated to any one thing for 20 years is easier said than done. And the fact that some NFL players do it during their prime years – when they can literally be doing whatever they want – is even more incredible. It’s worth celebrating and that’s what we’ll do. 

Which Players Have the Longest NFL Careers?

Steve Jacobson / Shutterstuck

 

Many football fans might be wondering which players have the longest NFL careers of all-time. It’s not something that gets discussed often, but games played is a valuable statistic that shows how dependable a player is – after all, you wouldn’t last long in the NFL if you weren’t good. 

With that said, we’re going to take a look at the top-20 longest NFL careers in terms of regular season games played. Some of the names might surprise you, but others probably won’t. In fact, one is currently active and six others are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

What’s even more interesting is that only three of the players among the top-20 longest NFL careers spent their entire career with one team and six others spent their careers with two teams. Continuity is rare in the NFL – not just among players, but coaches and front office.

8. Phil Dawson – 305 games

RT to wish @phil_dawson_4 a Happy Birthday!!! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/JK0ngSBqdR

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 23, 2021

Phil Dawson is a retired kicker that spent 20 seasons in the league – 14 with the Browns, four with the 49ers, and two with the Cardinals. He went undrafted in 1998 out of the University of Texas, but wound up playing in 305 career regular season games and just five playoff games. 

During his career, Dawson made 441 of 526 field goals (83.8%) and 518 of 531 extra points (97.6%). His longest field goal was 57 yards out and he made 42 of 60 field goals from beyond 50 yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012, his final season with the Cleveland Browns.  

Wednesday Round-Up: Austin Blythe's "Historic Wrestling Background"

 

In high school, Austin Blythe set Iowa state records and was recruited to wrestle at a NCAA Division 1 level, experience he says created more than just physical advantages.

Mar 30, 2022 at 03:16 PM

Graham Kinsinger

Seahawks.com Contributor

Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today — Wednesday, March 30 — about your Seattle Seahawks.

 

Austin Blythe's "Historic Wrestling Background"

 

A good pancake block by an offensive lineman is similar in many ways to pinning an opponent on the wrestling mat, and center Austin Blythe knows both feelings well.

 

"He's a different makeup with his historic wrestling background being from Iowa and all shows up. He's got a knack about it and how he moves and all that," head coach Pete Carroll said earlier this week at the NFL Annual Meeting.

 

When Carroll uses the word historic, he's not exaggerating. As a high school wrestler in Williamsburg, Iowa, Blythe dominated opponents on his way to three consecutive heavyweight state championships. His career record of 188-11 included 146 wins by fall, which was a state record at the time and is still the fifth most in Iowa state history more than a decade later.

 

"A lot of the skills that make a successful wrestler are what make a successful offensive lineman," Blythe said in his first press conference as a member of the Seahawks. In addition to physical similarities like hand placement, he notes that his "instincts are good and that comes from wrestling."

https://www.seahawks.com/video/welcome-to-seattle-austin-blythe

It didn't take long for the University of Iowa, just 30 minutes from his hometown, to notice both the physicality and the intangibles.

 

"The theory I developed," said Iowa football’s head coach Kirk Ferentz, "was that if a guy was a great wrestler, it didn't mean he was going to be a great football player, but rarely was he a bad football player. It's not a dealbreaker necessarily if a guy isn't a wrestler, but boy, I tell you, it's certainly a bonus."

 

So when it came to the standout athlete from Williamsburg? Blythe says he "received a written offer the day it was legal for the University to send me one." Just as Iowa was early to offer, he was early to commit, making the decision as a junior to play college football.

 

"I might be able to be good or decent in both," he said during his senior year, "but I don't think I could be great in one if I did both.

 

"I chose football because I love everything that goes along with football. I love the preparation and everyone working toward a common goal. I'm not saying they don't do that in wrestling, but just working within the team. I love that part about football."

 

He went on to excel as a member of Iowa's offensive line. A four-year starter, he was named a team captain, earned an All-American third-team selection by Associated Press, and won the program's internal Iron Hawk Award, which he says "goes to the guy who shows up day in and day out and just lifts hard."

 

Now he'll pair the spirit of that Iron Hawk accolade with Carroll's "always compete" mantra in hopes of earning a starting spot and making a difference on the offensive line.

 

Click here to read Corbin Smith's detailed piece on Blythe's readiness to compete.