New England Patriots
“At the time, I thought we owned the Raiders, and you know what? Thanks to Tom [Brady], we actually do.”
FOXBOROUGH — Before Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and Co. hosted the Raiders at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, the Patriots honored the team that ushered in a two-decade dynasty in Foxborough — and the start of the most fruitful chapter in Boston sports history.
New England honored the 2001 Patriots in a pregame ceremony, saluting the team on the 25th anniversary of the season that started it all for this franchise.
Foxborough was filled with nostalgia. Not only did New England don its throwback red jerseys with “Pat Patriot” helmets, but the pageantry was bookended by a halftime ceremony honoring kicker Adam Vinatieri — who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
As part of the event, Vinatieri received his Hall of Fame ring.
“That sure is a pretty ring, but we have a lot of rings around here, don’t we? … It is a true honor being back here with my teammates, an honor to receive this ring, and an honor to always be a part of Patriot history.” Vinatieri said, speaking on a stage that also featured three Vince Lombardi trophies and his bronze bust from Canton.
Dozens of players and coaches from that championship squad were in attendance, including: Vinatieri, Ty Law, Troy Brown, Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, Lawyer Milloy, Tedy Bruschi, Matt Light, Antowain Smith, Kevin Faulk, Ted Johnson, Stephen Neal, Patrick Pass, Tebucky Jones, Matt Chatham, Lonie Paxton, Jermaine Wiggins, Charlie Weis, Dante Scarnecchia, Ivan Fears, Joe Andruzzi, Marc Edwards, Otis Smith, Tom Ashworth, Kole Ayi, Jimmy Farris, Bobby Hamilton, Antwan Harris, Drew Inzer, Andy Katzenmoyer, Brandon Mitchell, Marty Moore, David Nugent, Anthony Pleasant, and Ken Walter.
Vrabel — who played an integral role on three Super Bowl-winning defenses in New England — kicked off the festivities with a video message saluting his former teammates.
Roughly 30 minutes before kickoff between the Patriots and Raiders, New England welcomed that sizable contingent of former players and coaches out on the field. As U2’s “Beautiful Day” blared over the speakers, the group emerged from the tunnel at Gillette Stadium, much like the 2001 Patriots taking the field in New Orleans as one unit in Super Bowl XXXVI.
The Patriots also paid tribute to those lost 25 years after 9/11, with former Patriots offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi and his three brothers—Jimmy, Billy, and Marc—stepping onto the field with American flags and New York City Fire Department helmets.
Andruzzi’s three brothers were FDNY firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center during the tragic events of that day. In the Patriots’ first game after the attacks, Andruzzi ran onto the field at Foxboro Stadium holding a pair of American flags.
“Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 — who performed the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVI — played as former Patriots and coaches continued to salute the sizable contingent of fans in their seats ahead of kickoff.
Before the current Patriots took the field, Bruschi and several teammates served as the “Keepers of the Light”— ringing the bell high atop the lighthouse at Gillette Stadium — while Vinatieri, donning a gold Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket, rang a bell on the field.
A matchup against the Raiders in Foxborough was a fitting backdrop to Sunday’s ceremony.
While the 2001 Patriots’ Cinderella run was stamped by Ty Law’s pick-six at the Superdome, Tom Brady’s two-minute march downfield, and Vinatieri’s championship-clinching kick, that playoff push began with a thriller against the Raiders at snow-swept Foxboro Stadium in the AFC Divisional Round.
The “Tuck Rule” might draw most of the discourse from New England’s 16-13 win. But a pair of clutch kicks from Vinatieri in blizzard conditions — a 45-yard equalizer with 27 seconds to go and a game-winning boot from 23 yards out— kept the Patriots’ season alive.
During his speech, Vinatieri twisted the knife against the Raiders—given both the misery he inflicted on them over the years and their shifting ownership hierarchy over the last few years.
“It’s really special to be back here in New England, especially on a day like today. Seeing those Raider jerseys takes me way back,” Vinatieri said. “Takes me back to that snowy night when we beat Oakland [on the way to] win Super Bowl XXXVI. Then years later, I was fortunate enough to be the [NFL’s] all-time leading scorer. We did that in Oakland as well.
“At the time, I thought we owned the Raiders, and you know what? Thanks to Tom [Brady], we actually do. I guess, if you can’t beat them — join them, right?”
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