2001: Episode One, Dawn of the Dynasty

In this episode we explore who the Patriots were entering the 2001 season, how they were built via free agency and the draft, what expectations there were and how training camp unfolded.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
The two thousand and one New England Patriots, the team
that started an NFL dynasty. In a season full of
dramatic twists and turns on and off the field, the
upstart Pats shocked the world, redefining what it meant to
be a team and a Patriot. Twenty years and six
Super Bowl championships later, we're revisiting that historic season, hearing

(00:26):
from different perspectives that were there to witness it firsthand
and tell the tale, from players to coaches, local and
national media, and even some fans, mixed with some of
the most iconic sounds that define the season. It will
be a unique six part journey back as we follow
the roots of the Patriots dynasty for the one championship
that started it all. We are all Patriots, and tonight

(00:47):
the Patriots at champions I might do so. And this
is two thousand and one a Super Bowl Sound Odyssey,
Episode one, Dawn of the Dynasty. Win receivers to the
fireside right Bloodze rolls to his right, looking up at
the field, looking up the field and a run with it.
And in the two thousand Patriots finished five and eleven

(01:08):
in their first season under head coach Bill Belichick and
quarterback Journey Bloodsoe blind wind Bloodshow. Just five short years
removed from the second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history,
the Patriots were looking to get back on the upswing,
as owner Robert Kraft prepared to unveil a new stadium
in Foxborough and just outside the gates of Fox Pearl
As a pile of dirt was transformed into the framework

(01:29):
for US State of the Yard News Stadium. Even the
NFL film's yearbook recapping the season usually wants to paint
the rosiest picture possible, saw the Patriots as a ways
off from being championship contenders. Two thousand turned out to
be a year of transition, not a title run, but
instead of breaking their spirit, the season stiffened the Patriots resolve.

(01:49):
The first major move of the off season was signing
Bledsoe to a ten year, one hundred and three million
dollars deal that appeared to cement the former first overall
pick as the long term quarterback Roblez to a ten year,
one hundred three million dollars deal the franchise quarterback in place.
Belichick and Scott Pioli set out to rebuild the team
around Bledsoe with some select veteran pieces. Scott Pioli, Patriots

(02:12):
director of player Personnel. The core philosophy was that we
were going to go out and find good players that
maybe weren't household names at you know, good contracts. What
we're going to try to do was bringing good players
that fit Bill's system that we were giving an opportunity
to and if they succeeded, we were going to reward them. So,

(02:37):
you know, the core philosophy was to go out and
get good football players that could play in Bill's system,
but also be a part of the culture that we
were creating. Because the culture is extremely demanding. Everybody, just
do your job. It's exhausting. I can't stand it. Run
it again, hold up and run it again, bright and

(02:58):
it's rewarding. Paul Perillo, Patriots Football Weekly. I think that
the team obviously needed an infusion of talent, and they
needed it across the board really on all levels. I
thought I felt like they got a little bit old.
They had that success in the nineties and they had
a young core of talent. You know, we know, we

(03:19):
know all those guys, you know, mcguinnis and that group.
Bruskie Johnson Law Bledsoe. They had you know, Troy Brown
was still there, so they had some talent to work with.
But I thought there was no real middle class. And
when you think about the Patriots over the last twenty years,
that's where a lot of people credited their success was,
you know how they really took care of the middle class.

(03:41):
Tommy current Metro West Daily News. No, Bill Belichick had
been in New York. He had been in New England previously,
and while he was in New York, he found it
very simple to Defendrew Bledsow as a defensive coordinator, and
the numbers bear that out. What the Patriots needed is
CMGI Field was being built all on the Craft's time,

(04:02):
was somebody to rally around, and after a declining post
Tuna period and then Belichick coming in and going five
and eleven, they needed stability to sell and Drew Bledso
provided that if the Patriots fully and completely believed and
Drew Bledso, they wouldn't have put so many trapdoors in
his contract, which the team was able to exercise very quickly.

(04:23):
And I'd watched bledso over the years he had become
very world weary. Patriots had cycled through offensive coordinators. They
had cycled through head coaches. He had gone post parcels
to the kind and gentle hand of Pete Carroll, and
the whole team just stacked him like he was a
substitute teacher. And Belichick coming in and the way he did,
I think Bledsoe was probably my look, not actively undermining Belichick.

(04:47):
But look, this is not I got three kids at home,
I got a wife. This is all right, I'll do
what you want, but I'm rarely not suited for an
up tempos, spread the ball around, being Steve Nash kind
of player, Greece Metro West Daily News. So the first
thing that comes to mind is new stadium, Like shovel's

(05:07):
already in the ground, and you know you got you
got this quarterback that is going to get this big contract,
right like the ten year, one hundred million, whatever the
contract was. So my first thought was like whether Belichick's here,
like the direction, like the quarterback, like this is the

(05:28):
franchise quarterback. That was the thought, Like they're gonna put
him on the stadium, Like that's the picture you're gonna
see when you're coming up to the new stadium. So
my thoughts at that time weren't so much about like Drew,
how's he gonna mesh with Bill Belichick. It was probably,
to be honest, more the reverse like like they got

(05:49):
the quarterback, hopefully the coach is gonna be okay here. Offensively,
the teammate additions at every position group to build around
Bledsoe with fullback Mark Edwards, guard Mike Compton, received David
Patton and tight end Germaine Wiggins signing on in the
initial weeks of free agency. All would play key roles
in the championship run, but the biggest impact on offense
might have come from running back Antoine Smith, a former

(06:11):
Buffalo Bill who wasn't signed until early June. Damian Woody
offensive lineman, and I probably at Smith was to me
in my opinion was it was a big addition, the
big bag that you know, we wanted to be physical
upfront and run the football and coming over from Buffalo, um,
this was a guy that that was a bruising could
and could make things happen after the after contact touchdown.

(06:40):
Scott Pioli, Yeah, well, I'll say starting with Antoine Smith,
you know, you have to remember we had been in
the Jets the three previous years so we saw him
up at Buffalo and we saw a kind of runner
what he was. We saw how strong he was, we
saw how tough he was, you know, and that was
very much what we wanted to have on the grass
in Foxborough, you know, in in old fox Sports Stadium,

(07:03):
you know, in terms of playing football in late you know,
in late November, December, hopefully January. So we got what
we hoped for out of Antoine, and quite honestly a
little bit more because he really embraced everything that we
were trying to do. Seventeen yards run in the first down,

(07:25):
Antoine Smith running back. I came in, I'll visit us
walking down the stairs and um, I see lawyers pay
five petre falling to the ground of the fifty yard
line as lawyer, I'm alloy. It was like the subject
those you might as well come on joining us, man
and don't need to go on nowhere else. So you know,
I kind of just you know, we sat down and

(07:46):
I um know how to talk to talk with me.
I'll talk with Charlie Weiss, and um, you know, they
just you know, say, well, you know you can come in.
You'll have a chance to compete, you know, for the
starting job, you know, because Robert was he was he
was hurt. Smith's power was complimented by the speed of
David Patton at wide receiver, the sure hands of tight
end Germaine Wiggins, and the throwback toughness of offensive lineman

(08:06):
Joe Andrews, all of whom would play big parts in
the championship season. Now, Antoine Smith was offset as the
right half. Three receivers to lunar side left for Brady
first in gold at the ram Ten Brady back to
throw looks, looks, fires end zone Techstown. But David Patton,
Paul Perilla, I looked right away at David Patton, and
this guy could just fly. You could see it in

(08:28):
training camp. You could see his ability to stretch the
field was going to be there. And at the time
we didn't know that Terry Glenn was going to be
such an insignificant part of that two thousand and one season.
But to have Patton there with Glenn and mister Reliable
and Troy Brown, You're like, Okay, I see what they're doing.
Now they have the makings of the receiving corps. I
thought the offense would be much better. Didn't know necessarily

(08:49):
how much better. But I thought they had a chance
to be much improved. Jermaine Wiggins tight end. What's funny
because I was with Belichick and with the Jets my
rook year, so I was able to kind of build
a relationship with him in the sense that, you know,
I was there with him every day a practice post,
sels with a head coach, you know, and so I'd

(09:10):
always ask Bill a bunch of questions about defense, you know,
to help me on offensive, to make me a better
route running determination shown by Wiggins more the touchdown. I mean,
it wasn't like I was, you know, looking at a
bunch of other teams. You know, New England gave me this,
you know, said hey, we want to resign you, and
I jumped on it. And I think at that time
it was like for the whatever the minimum was in um,

(09:30):
but for me it was just, you know, I'm gonna
have an opportunity to finally get a chance to play.
Joe Andrews offensive lineman, A workhorse guy, old schools or
my lunch pail of work, and you know, came to
work every day off season. And then when they signed you,
a bunch of guys I got around you and keep

(09:53):
working on what I can do? Do you do your
job kind of thing? Was you know, I know, Bill
you know says it, but it's prelude of what he
had there as a team. Damian Woody offensive linemen. Yeah, well,
I mean, listen, there was a quiet optimism um going
into that season because quite honestly, two thousand was man.

(10:16):
Two thousand was rough. Acts, throw bloodshow fires over the
middle of this in Oh does that intercepted by Zach
Thomas half the hands of a Patriot and picked off
by Thomas. Wow, half the hands of the intended receiver
bounced in the air and Zach Thomas made the interception
and Miami hazard around their own twenty four twenty five

(10:36):
yard line. It was rough and and you know obviously
when you you know, bringing a new coach and he
wants to set the new coach and new tempo um,
it was just a rough season. So you know, I
feel like, Okay, the table has been set, you know,
like he talks about Drewston, you know, Drewstome that you know,
one hundred million dollars deal. Um. You know, we knew

(10:57):
our defense was going to be legiti offensively. We you know,
we weren't the most skilled people on offense. But we
knew that, um, you know, we had we had pieces
on offens and obviously when you when you're stable at
the quarterback position, that's a huge that's a huge plus. Defensively,
the Patriots had a number of core pieces already, especially

(11:19):
at the second and third levels, where linebackers Teddy Bruski,
William mc ginnis, and Ted Johnson had all already played
in Super Bowl. Well, the secondary was led by Ty
law and Lawyer malloy, two of the best at their
positions in the league. Still, the defensive staff wasted no
time getting a jump on the two thousand and one offseason.
Rob Ryan linebackers coach, and I remember asking bella chick,

(11:41):
if you know, if I could go, you know, watch
Rex and the Super Bowl because he was with the Ravens,
and he's like, yeah, you know, it's a chance in
the lifetime go out there. Okay. So I remember doing that,
But I remember during the week I was working longer
in the office than Rex was, and he was getting

(12:01):
ready for the Super Bowl. The solidification of the defense
began as Mike Rabel was brought in at the start
of free agency, while Anthony Pleasant would join him shortly after.
Never ignored. The special teams were targeted as well, with
Larry Zoe and long snapper Lonnie Paxton being under the
radar signings that would go on to contribute to multiple championships,
But some of the biggest editions would come later in
the process, with Brian Cox signing at the start of

(12:24):
training camp and Roman Fife for joining him a few
days later that would prove to be a critical core
for multiple championships as a versatile front seven would become
a hallmark of the next two decades. Scott Pioli well
in addition to Roman Fifer, Mike Rabel and Brian Cox.
Remember we already had Willie McGinnis hit again and sacked
back at the fifteen yard line. The study pressure of

(12:46):
that time from Willie McGinnis. You already had ted Johnson
journey left he has met by Jed Johnson for a
loss and bringing in guys like Fife and Teddy Bruskie.
Of course Lillie Pine in the air was Jeddy Rush
all right. We brought in three more guys that had
versatility that allowed us to do so many different things,
give a lot of different looks and they were players

(13:07):
that could play outside inside. They had positioned flexibility and
it allowed Bill to do things on defense. Rob Bryant.
We kept putting all these packages in as the year
went along, and like the Calie package, the Calie package
was mcguinnis, Bruski and Fiffer together because they were all

(13:30):
from California or close enough, you know, So we put
them all on the field together. Let's go. And then
we were so multiple. We did all kinds of different
fronts and three to four and Inn four three we
had you know, Willie playing in. I mean, we kept
mixing u mixing a lot up and we had a
ton of success with that. I'd say, good job. Good

(13:52):
job for Vrabel, who would emerge as a key member
of the Patriots defense for the next eight seasons. There
wasn't much question where he was headed. Mike Rabel lineback.
The process was very easy. There weren't many suitors. Pittsburgh
was interested in bringing me back. The Packers had mentioned
something and the New England Patriots took a visit. There,

(14:13):
got the airport I think road your car with Larry
Izzo and Anthony Pleasant, went to dinner, met and decided
to went back decided to sign a contract there for
you know, I always joke about it. My signing bonus
was less than what I got when I got drafted.
But like Bill Coward told me, he wanted to have

(14:35):
me back, but then he could pay me what the
Patriots are paying me. It was just that he couldn't
give me the afford me the opportunity that the Patriots
were going to be able to present, which was an
opportunity to start and to play more significant time on defense.
And so I took the opportunity, as did a lot
of other guys. I mean, there were so many new

(14:57):
free agents and so many guys that came in. Bryan,
when we brought Rabel in, I told him this. I
brought him in. You know, we we we got in
there early. So we worked shoot every day for two months,
studying knowing what to do. Um even you know back
then you could work a little on the field stuff.

(15:17):
But he was I told him this, I said, you know,
very if you got to be a great player for us,
a starter, or we're both going to get fired. And
then he knew the defense better than anybody once we started.
But uh, and he was so vocal, he was such
a smart player typical of the Patriots Better for twenty

(15:37):
fifteen and ten yard line Matt Chatham, linebacker and special teamer.
All right, you know the old practice bubble and it
was just Rob Ryan, Um, Mike and myself. And you know,
Mike's been at another place for a few years. Uh,
you know, big time player at Ohio State and all that,
and I'm just a small town guy that you know,

(15:58):
kind of like to mix it up and by or
whatever in the football field. That's just trying to prove
he should have a gig. And they had Mike and
I going one on one, you know, non had it
was not like a real live situation, but probably more
than either of us, you know, we both are very
very competitive people. Were out in the middle of the
bubble and whatever that is in the offseason doing sort

(16:20):
of you know, just punching each other in the chest.
You know. It was just a sort of the nature
of the beast back then. Yet you're all you're all
desperately fighting for a job and you kind of understand
that nothing guaranteed. Pepper Johnson linebackers coach, Rob Ryan and
I had a great little one too. Punch Um. Rob
was like we treated We didn't treat the linebackers um separate.

(16:45):
We didn't try to We didn't meet with them separate.
We treated the inside guys an outside guys, um. You know.
We met with him in the same room. And what
Rob would do. Rob would set them up in the
first day, So the start the week, all those guys
come in and Rob would introduce them to the to

(17:06):
the game plan, to the different defenses we're calling, and
all that stuff like that. And then I would step
in and now the techniques and what we expect and
how to play this and what to look for. That
was my expertise, and that was our role soul. We

(17:28):
kind of game. They want to punch him with high
five after every meeting. After putting together a rock solid
free agent class that would only get better with further
editions in the summer, the Patriots turned their attention to
the draft, where they owned the sixth overall pick and
the chance to add an impact player. While free agency
filled many needs, adding top end talent was a must
for this. The sixty six annual NFL Selection Meeting, which

(17:53):
in English we should translate as the NFL Draft tom
e current to me, there was so much conversation about
getting weapons for Drew, weapons for Drew. Whether it be
David Terrell or there were a number of first round
wide receivers who were coming in that year who merited conversation.
I think Karen Robinson was another. But the culture was

(18:13):
changing so rapidly, and you sensed that as someone who
was around the team, whether it be in training camp,
were just covering the team in Bill Belichick's press conferences,
which if you look back and they can find them
right on Patriots dot com, they are unbelievably insightful and
detailed and open and candid. My job is to make
the decisions for the football team, and that's what I'm

(18:34):
gonna do. I thought the team was headed in a
great direction throughout the offseason, even prior to training camp,
Scott Paoli, we didn't feel like that we necessarily had
a roster full of starting caliber players, and going into
that draft was we knew that we needed to draft
young players that were going to be significant upgrades on
both sides of the line, offensive line and defensive line.

(18:57):
And you know, Richard Seymour we picked sixth overall. Richard
was a player that we spent a lot of time on.
You know, actually the two of the best defensive linemen
in that draft at the University of Georgia. He was
a player that Bill really really really liked for so
many reasons. And it was not just as a playing ability.
I mean, he was a perfect character player. He was

(19:21):
a hard worker. He had all the makeup of a
guy that you know, we wanted to have in our
locker room to develop along with some of the other
players in the field. At the forty eight guideline was
Richard Seymour. Beak. It's terrific. Look the first round draft,
Richard Seymour, defensive lineman. I was the young guy coming
in right like it was a veteran laden team. You know,

(19:41):
Willie McGinnis and Teddy and you know Rabel came in
that exact same year that I was there. You know,
Anthony plicet Um, Bobby Hamilton, oldest Oti, you know otis
like Tylaw, you know, like I could just keep going
because like those are my guys, and you know, like
I was the but like I was the young talented
guy that came in. But um, like I was just

(20:04):
able to soak up so much knowledge. You know, I
remember when I was being recruited. What I even recruited,
I don't say that being scouted out of the University
of Georgia. The pressure on him, he's gonna be sacked
and that's Seymour. Do you think that's not big for him.
He's a junior in his home Gaston, South Carolina, and

(20:25):
as a junior he was elected a team captain. That's
a big deal of the school. This big right line.
On't VI tell he comes in and he was. He
was asking me like, could you played the three four
defensive end? Because I was an interior guy my full
time at Georgia and he was asking me, because you
played the three four defensive end? And I was like, uh, yeah, sure.

(20:47):
But at the time I didn't know if I could
play that. I didn't know like what they did. I
didn't know about two gaffing. I just you know what,
if it's on the football fielding, it's on the defensive line, Yeah,
I can do it. St Poli. The second round, we
had our eyes on Matt Light and I reached out
to Matt Light in the draft room about three or

(21:08):
four picks before we were up and asked them if
he had hurt Anybody says yeah, I'm actually on the
phone with the New York Jets, and I think the
Jets were at forty nine. We were at fifty and
I in the draft room. I told Bill, and Bill
and I jump on the phones and we're calling people
as too. We could trade up ahead of the Jets,
and I was talking to Matt Millan, Matt Millen. They

(21:30):
were at one spot ahead of the jet. They fear
that Patriots will attempt to trade in front of them,
And while Matt Light was on the phone holding with
the Jets to their pick, we actually jumped up ahead
of the Jets and picked Matt Light while he was
on the phone with the Jets. And as we know,
Matt went on to be a terrific player for US,
but really a key leader along that offensive line for US.

(21:53):
Damian Woody Yarn, I mean, listen, Matt Light was you know,
Matt was a big part of it obviously, uh, you know,
just getting the offensive line stabilize. We had some some
we had some some really good veterans up from the
office line, and you know, I knew exactly how Matt
Light felt, you know, being a you know, with Matt
being a second round picking particularly playing left tackle. You know,

(22:16):
I was the first round picking and there was a
lot of veterans, and so, you know, I knew Matt
had a lot of pressure on his shoulders. But you know,
Matt was away always a level headed guy, didn't take
things too seriously and was a hard worker. So you know,
he really blended in good with the group. And I
felt like we we you know, we were pretty we
were pretty uh. I think I felt like we were

(22:37):
pretty good up from the office line. With the team
in place, the Patriots opened their final training camp at
Bryant College in Rhode Island, their training camp home since
nineteen seventy six. New facilities awaited the team in two
thousand and two, including full practice facilities. CMGI Field will
feature a main plaza, juice bowl, action video boards, and
individuals seats throughout. The final summer in Rhode Island would

(22:58):
prove to be a memorable one. Mike Reece, Well, so Bryant,
it was called Bryant College at the time. What I
remember is players on golf carts getting to and from
where they needed to go. If they still allowed it
at the time. Players riding on the back of golf carts,
They're buzzing around. Media members would be waiting outside the
cafeteria to corner the players after lunch. You know, probably

(23:22):
had some reporters complaining because we used to be able
to eat lunch with the players. I think at that
time maybe Bill Belichick put the fifth down and said,
we're not gonna do that anymore. Picture it like a
boxing match, like the year two thousand year the Patriots,
Like you just took so many uppercuts, blows and hits
because you were trying to clean up the cap and

(23:45):
the talent level. And like finally, like what I remember,
to be honest, is like they could hit back a
little bit. Like they were bringing in some players that
you know, could play professionals, and the cap was clean
end up and you know guys that had been around.
It looked more professional to me, is what I would say.

(24:08):
Rob Bryant going into Brian College that second year, you know,
we hired Romeopanelle and we got there a little bit
early for training camp, and I'm like, man, this is
such a grind. And I remember looking up and I
turned my lights off and I saw these stars all
over the ceiling. Well they were there the year before,
but we worked a damn hard. I never saw them,

(24:31):
so I was like, hell, surely this year's got to
be better than the first one. And early joint practice
with the New York Giants and training camp proved to
be an early turning point for the defense. They lost
to the Ravens that year, you know, but they were
in the Super Bowl. We're going to scrimmage them at
our place, you know, at Bryant College, and we had
an inside run period and they just mopped the flour

(24:53):
with us, and I just destroyed us. And at that
point then we had a water break and our fortune
started at turn. When you know, Lawyer was up front,
he was, you know, getting after everybody, and then Brian
Cox kind of moved him out of the way and said,
this is how it's going to be. We're not taking

(25:15):
any more ass kickings. We're going to give him out.
And when he said that, you could hear a pin drop,
like guys are like, oh shit, there's a new sheriff
in down. And his leadership was unbelievable, and uh, you know,
and so you think you've brought in a you know,
you got the biggest bully in the league. Like this
guy was a badass. And when when he stepped in

(25:38):
like that, that's exactly what we need. I thought Tommy
Hamilton and and Brian Cox were unsung. He lot that
they do not get enough credit for the change on
the guard of that team, and especially that defensive unit,
because we kind of walked into a situation and where

(26:02):
it was uncool to ask questions in the meeting, it
was uncool to to communicate in those in the meetings
and and and show like you really can't. But Brian
Cox and Bobby Hamilton took ownership and double dog dared

(26:28):
anybody that didn't agree or didn't look at it that way,
be ready for the situations. And I don't want to
hear about what any of the situations are you just playing?
In his second season, Tom Brady turned heads during training camp,
but not enough to complete the impossible task of displacing
the one hundred million dollar quarterback, but the jump by
Brady was noticeable and would give the veterans confidence when

(26:50):
Brady was thrust into action early in the season. We
were concerned about the posician just in general, but frankly
we were concerned about Drew at that point as well.
Based on preseason Tom E. Kerry, the two thousand and
one training camp was interesting because it became very clear,
very quickly that the quarterback wearing number twelve had more

(27:10):
command than the quarterback wearing number eleven. And I will
never forget watching them run sprint outs and throwing on
the run. Neither one of them is particularly a depth
at it. But Brady was so much faster, had similar velocity,
was much more accurate, and his joys the vive throughout

(27:32):
the entire camp was so obvious. Now, there were other
things going on as well. There was Terry Glenn drama
that was ongoing. Dick Raybine passed away sadly and tragically,
and that actually meant Belichick was going to spend more
time with the quarterbacks. But there was one hundred a
cent so on my part and the parts of many

(27:54):
of the beat writers who were there every day, not
the Boston columnists, maybe even the Providence columnists. People were
watching the practice every day who hadn't decided to LEDs
was anointed, were saying Brady's playing better. Nick Fitzie Stevens
Patriots fan and personality. But I remember that summer being
on Cape Cod listening to sports radio Welcome Back, and

(28:15):
reading the Boston Globe, and there was this buzz. There
was like this little positive something you couldn't put your
finger on it, but something already felt different about that season,
and it was this Tom Brady guy among the last
six picks, taken a familiar name if you're a college
football fan, Tom Brady. Little did we realize what he
was going to become at the time, but there was
just this like it wasn't even a glimmer of hope.

(28:35):
It was just there was something different. He kept hearing that,
he kept turning coaches heads and other players and teammates
thought like, this kid is special. And Belichick liked him
so much. He kept four quarterbacks the year before, and
that's a big deal, even though none of us really
know what matters about that. At the same time, it was,
you know, a worthy conversation to have during a throwaway

(28:55):
five and eleven two thousand season. This Tom Brady guy,
he might be something. He's pushing Bledsoe Belichick. Maybe Belichick's
gonna make Tom Brady his test of Verdi and Bledsoe's
gonna get the Cozar treatment. Paul Perillo, Yeah, you'd like
to say that, you know, Tom Brady coming in you know,
in preseason games and playing well was was foreshadowing things

(29:16):
to come. But I don't think any of us really
looked at it that way. We were we were all
struck by his improvement from two thousand to two thousand
and one. And um, I actually remember talking to him
in two thousand and one a little bit about, you know,
after one of the preseason games and sort of talking
to him about his performance. And I think he was
excited about it at the time. And you could see

(29:37):
some things. But again you could sit here and lie
and say, well, yeah, you know, that day is the
day I realized the Patriots were gonna you know, run
the table and beat all these teams and all these
crazy fashions and win a Super Bowl. I don't really
think anybody thought of it that way. Joe Andrewsy nobody,
nobody knew what the future was that year. Nobody knew

(29:58):
what was going to gonna happen, especially a guy named
Tom Brady didn't know what the hell is going on.
He didn't know. He's still learned how to put his
helmet on and how to get out there and uh,
you know, workhorse, but he's part of the do your
job type of atmosphere that was brought there because he
was a guy that pushed himself and made himself better

(30:23):
for you know, himself, his team and everyone around him
whenever we found our backs against So while we've responded
and the off season, King he pushed himself and worked
hard and got bigger, faster, stronger. On how much faster
he got, but you know he got bigger and bigger, stronger.
Don Dix, Goo Nikki he used to watch. We used

(30:44):
to watch film and you know watch Brady, you know,
run a little bit, he goes. Don't worry about Brady
running with the ball. He can't run or out of
site in a week. I mean, it was just like
the list of players that we had that were veterans
and kind of you know, teaching us how to be
better professionals and better football players. Was it was unbelievable.

(31:05):
Especially you know, they were on the defensive side of
the football and we kind of were built that way.
And obviously an offense, you know, it was bledsol. So
for us, I think we had high expectations that you know,
we got a lot of talent on this team. Now
we just got to put it together on the field.
And this is what training camps for for us to
show we had a great offseason working hot, and now

(31:27):
let's come together and kind of put this team together
and put a good team out on the field that
you know could compete. Nick Fitzie Stevens. It wasn't that
much optimism. I can't say Patriots fans thought two thousand
and one, this is gonna be our year. The way
that the season ultimately worked out, it played out like
one of those triumphant movies where the fans are getting together,

(31:49):
like Major League. The fans are getting together early on, like, Hey,
who are these guys? I don't know. It's something about
these guys. There's something about this team. I don't know
what these guys. It still wasn't there town. We weren't
a football town yet it was still the Red Sox
and it was a baseball town. Can you believe it?
But if the Pads could get their act together and
get their asses in gear, they could make an impact.
Little did we realize that it would take one of

(32:10):
the greatest on field impacts of all time, with arguably
one of the five greatest players in franchise history. The
medical staff immediately over to check on bloodsl Chris Berman, ESPN. Well,
nobody really expected unbelievable great things. Anybody that said they would,
I mean from the outside, will be lying. Um. But

(32:33):
here's what I did know. I had gotten to know
Bill a very little bit when he was with Coach
Parcels the Giant. Yeah, I know he was looking on
before you start telling about plays, you better, I better
tell them you worked for the hurry up. We got
a um. And then a little bit later we had
a long talk of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in

(32:54):
the late nineties, and I knew him with the Browns,
and I knew he was an outstanding football mind. The
Patriots were what five and eleven the year before, and
the league was just figuring out the whole buy the thing.
And if I'm not mistaken, the original schedule had the

(33:14):
Patriots are to buy the last week, like we don't
have that now. The last few weeks no one gets
to buy. But I'm pretty sure that the Patriots were
scheduled to play sixteen games and then you're off the
last week. And that meant that nobody thought they had

(33:35):
a chance to be a playoff team or to be
anything special, at least in the spring and the summer before.
I find that fascinating, Paul. When you saw them play
on the practice field compared to the year before, I
just thought it was night and day. There was a lot,
you know, there was a lot more talents, and there
was a lot, a lot more depth. You could see.
The improvement was apparent, and you could see that this

(33:57):
team is going to be better. I don't know how
much better, but they absolutely looked like a playoff team
when you saw them in training camp. I don't think
anybody envisioned them being the Super Bowl team, but you
could see this team putting things together and if things
broke right, they could make the playoffs. Pots champions to
fifte next time. On two thousand and one, a Super

(34:20):
Bowl sound Odyssey, the Patriots season and the country are
rocked by a national tragedy, and after a life threatening
injury to their star quarterback, things will never be the same.
Two thousand and one, a Super Bowl Sound Odyssey was
produced by Mike Dusot with audio engineer Matt Morrell for
Patriots dot Com. Can't Get Enough Patriots two thousand and
one content relive the historic year by following the Patriots

(34:41):
time Machine, a social media account twenty years after its time,
following the Patriots two thousand and one season as if
it were happening live. See daily transactions, watch game highlights,
and go back in time to the start of the
Patriots Super Bowl dynasty. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram
at Pat's time Machine.