May 18, 2023 • 45 mins
Tune-in for our conversation with former Patriots GM Scott Pioli. This is part two of our interview. Among the highlights include: Scott discussing his very humble beginnings to a multiple executive of the year award winner, how he was affected by the curse of success, his unique insights into the last back-to-back Super Bowl champions and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to Patch from the Past podcast. It's time
now for part two of our conversation with Scott Peoley.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
So the overhaul happens. You know, it's a twenty one
free agent so.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Twenty three h word Vrabel.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The list goes on Mike Compton. I mean, there's there's
a million, even million one of the most important free
agent signings of all of our years. I liked Mike Compton,
Love Mike. I wanted to talk. Matt and I were
talking about this earlier in the week. You know, just
is it just a matter of we need to just
cast a wide net, We need to get some players
in here, we need to get some competition on this roster,
(00:47):
or is it more Mike Compton has some of these
characteristics that we're looking for.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And I think he might be able to carve out
a role for us. I'm not telling you he's going
to be our starting guard, but these guys.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
He's got some abilities that I think can help.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Probably different for different you know, David Patten, different case
than Mike Compton, and it's probably different for a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Of those guys. So so quick background on the types
of guys things didn't work out in Cleveland, and there
were some really really good people in Cleveland on the roster,
and then some that weren't Bill's kind of guys Bill had.
Bill had his signs in Cleveland. Three rules, beyond time,
pay attention, work hard, that's it. And I remember having
(01:28):
a conversation with Bill there, you know, at near the
end and saying, you know, I feel like we have
a lot of guys that can't be on time, pay attention,
work hard. And I'm a slappy and I mean, that's sincerely.
And because I was confused, I needed to ask that
question to understand. I didn't understand the contradiction. And it
became this long conversation that that that Bill and I had,
(01:52):
and and Bill's leadership is unique, and you know, people he's, oh,
he's this crazy disciplinarian. You know, I bristle at that
because you know, I remember this conversation with Bill in
a scouting meeting when he kind of shouted down a
scout and again, I was a slappy listening and this
(02:13):
guy was talking about this player being undisciplined, because yeah,
you know he he's not. He's got these tattoos and earrings.
And Bill goes, whoa whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, he goes.
I don't give an f If a guy has tattoos
ears that has nothing to do with discipline. Can he
be on time? Can he be dependable? And it was
(02:34):
one of those moments. And there was times when Bill
would sometimes speak and if you I feel this way
about life, if you listen to leaders speak when you
know they're being authentic, right, because there's a lot of
leaders speak. They have to give leaders speak that isn't
necessarily but if you listen at the right times, you
get truth. Paul, I say that because when we plan
(02:56):
to come here and we built this thing, one of
the reasons we only had fifth D one players and
not fifty three was one of the promises we made
when we got here was that we were not going
to have people that weren't going to live to our
standard or our code. And it didn't make them bad people,
didn't make us arrogant, it didn't make it, you know,
it just it wasn't going to work, and it was going.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
To be you're not going to compromise.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yeah. And one of the things and I will you know,
because I remember this conversation in our in our second
year in the old Foxboro Stadium, and there was this
moment where we were having injuries and we had to
make a choice and a decision, and Bill and I
were sitting in his office alone. Bears was right outside,
(03:43):
and it was a moment where we could have compromised
to maybe improve the roster athletically, and Bill and I
sat there and had this conversation about we said, hey,
that we said we're going to do it a certain
way this time. And the promise was that we're going
to go and we're going to surround ourselves throughout the
organization with people that we were aligned with and that
(04:08):
we would rather if we were going to fail, We're
going to go down in flames doing things the way
we truly and genuinely believed in team that we weren't
going it wasn't going to feel like it felt in Cleveland.
And part of that, Paul, is we started looking for
guys like that. We wanted guys who had Here's the
thing about players, you know a lot of people talk
(04:30):
about versatility. They talk about the skills and the tools
and the intelligence to be versatile players like Mike Compton,
who before we signed because again, remember I had pro
personnel background. That's one of the reasons we signed twenty
three free agents that year. Mike Compton. I knew that
player inside out. Here's what I knew. He had started
games at left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle.
Over the course of his career at the Lions. He
(04:52):
had started every position. You know, how smart you have
to be and to be able to be that thoughtful.
Mike Compton is football brilliant. He's just a smart guy.
You know, he was an academic All American West Virginia.
People see him and hear him and they they're they're
thrown off by his you know, his drawl, his land.
Dude is smart and when we signed him. Here's what
(05:13):
people forget. When we brought him in that two thousand
and one season, every time we were in shotgun, Mike
Compton was a center when we because Damien Wood he
couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
It, couldn't do it.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
It was a chuck nablock thing, right, and the selflessness,
the amount that no one, no one cared. Everyone was
just there to do their job. So we were finding
people that that was you know, they were a certain way.
And all those guys again, Matt Stevens and Twine Smith.
(05:48):
They were you know, we had this, you know saying
in personnel too. I used to say to that, it's
all the scout's listen, hey, one man's trash is another
man's treasure. Let's find out. Scouts love to talk about
out what players can't do. That's the old way of scouting.
It actually goes on now too. I sit in scouting rooms,
you know now with teams where I've got friends, and
I listen, well, he can't do this, he can't. And
(06:10):
our thing was, Okay, what can he do? We have
fifty three spots. We can put forty six guys on
the game roster. Bill will figure it out, Bill, Ernie, Rack, Charlie,
they will figure it out. On you find good football
players that can do at least a couple of things
and can deal with Bill's leadership style, which again I
(06:33):
go back. Bill's leadership style is really very easy. Guys.
People think it's complicated. Think it's not. If you could
be on time, pay attention, to work hard, it's a
spot fory and and yeah is it demanding? Hell yeah,
it's demanding. Success in life is demanding. And if that's
not for you, again, that's.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Wa ain't mad, right, right, So you've got all the
got me worked out here. So now you're start you're
starting to accumulate program guys, you're starting to build your culture.
And you tell me if I have this right, But
two thousand happens two thousand and one influx of all
these people. Is it you going into the bubble? Is
(07:16):
it you driving by the bubble in the winter of
two thousand and one and seeing the lights on and
going who's in the bubble here in March or who's
you know, what's going on here? Because there was a
kid that was trying to improve at that point in time.
Was he by himself?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Scott?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
The construction was going on. Yes, you could see the
lights of the bubble were on, and you know, we
talked about how you're raised. My dad is still My
dad's eighty four. He's still that guy. If you leave
a room and you leave a light on, you get it.
You're getting it, not only pissed, you're probably getting a
shot in the back of the head, right, you know,
just the way that my dad used to have this
sign you got stalking orange and rock right, and Orange
(07:54):
and Rock them was the utility companies. So you always
turn off lights. And it's funny. I remember Robert, Robert
and I had a conversation early on because when I
came here, Robert really we didn't know one enough sure, right,
And it was complicated for Robert and I too, because
Robert knew that Bill really wanted me here, but this
guy's parcels son in law, and I don't think there
(08:18):
was a lot of trust there. But as we were
getting to know that, one of the things Robert would
see me when we would I always turned off, you know,
and it wasn't it was just automatical. It was instant.
It wasn't like I stopped. I'd walk out and he
I'll never forget. Early on it was one of the
things he brought up to me, he says, you know,
he asked me what I was. You know why he
because Robert, Robert is so smart and so humanly smart, right,
(08:45):
he reads people. And it became one of those things
that Robert and I bonded on because you know, Robert, yes,
Robert has become a billionaire. It's and you know Robert.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Was by.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, but he he appreciates people that are respectful. Just
because you have it doesn't mean you have to spend it, respect,
respect the money that you have and how you use it.
It's you know, I want to go back just mentioned Robert.
I want to mention the players and the type of
players that we brought in. Then we'll get back to
the bubble story. One of the other things that was
(09:22):
really really cool about coming here was, you know, Bill
and I had this idea and this plan and how
we wanted to do things and people are going to
and what the culture was going to be and the
types of people. The thing that was in place here
clearly not just because of Robert, but because of Myra
(09:45):
in terms of who they wanted representing their brand. You know,
I used to make jokes about the word the brand,
right football guys the market people talking about, but this
did become a brand, and part of that brand was
it It was known. Not only did Bill and I
want to pay attention to who we were bringing in
this building, we knew that we were aligned with ownership,
(10:08):
not just Robert, but Robert and Myra of who they wanted.
And when you have that kind of support, here's what
we knew. We were never going to receive pressure from
an owner to possibly sign someone and bring someone in
like maybe we did in Cleveland. You know, there wasn't
(10:29):
going to be that. And again it wasn't just it
was Robert and Meira. Anyways, that was an important part
of us being able to do with things the way
he wanted to. But that night, I was leaving the
office and you know, the lights are on in the
bubble and I was like, oh my gosh, who did that?
And it was a Friday night. I was last one here,
(10:50):
but it was close to the draft and I remember
going over there and I remember, you know, Bledsoe had
helped Brady, who was a sixth round pick, get a
car deal. But the car deal that he helped him get,
and I still don't know to this day if it
was intentional or not, but Brady had a yellow jeep.
I don't know if you guys remember that. He had
this all great and it was remember it. You know,
(11:11):
yellow is a cool color now, but.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Two thousand and one, no.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
So sure enough he was over there working out. And
you know, I've told that story a million times because
it was it was. It was just more reinforcement of
who he was. Because when as I turn around to
leave and we talked real quick. I'll never forget. The
only reason I ended up telling that story is because
Tommy finally gave me permission to tell the story, because
when I was leaving that night, he said, it's like, Scott,
(11:40):
don't tell, don't tell anyone you saw me here. Please.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So that's not like it was an Aha moment. Here's
this guy, he's you know, working on this Friday night.
But it validated maybe what you had witnessed after going
through two thousand with them and him not dressing for
several games and everything like that fourth on the depth chart. Okay,
let's see what you're gonna do, and maybe you then
saw those qualities and that sort of I don't know
(12:03):
if epitomized is the right word, but like this sort
of validates what we think that this kid's gonna work.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Here's Matt. Here's what it is is. So you know,
one of the blessings I had in my time working
here was I was still relatively young, and even though
I was in this position, you know, I worked out.
I worked down the weight lift in the weight room
in the evenings or at different times oft times when
players weren't there. And if you remember in the old
(12:33):
Fox Sport saying you had to go down that step.
You know, you walk in the door. Bills office was
straight straight ahead, you walk down that stairwell, and when
you got to the stairwell, that what we call the
weight room right was right there, and then to the
right was was Ron's office, the you know, the uh
the training room, and then you're right in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
You turn, you go through a curtain and you're in
a locker room.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
And so I would go down and work out later
in the evenings. Now there was also some stations down
there where you could watch film, like Pepper Johnson had
his d line room and that would remember the defense
was in the way back, which is the door the
players go out to come out to the field, and
that's that's where the rats lived. Pepper had the rats
named he had to. It was kind of like you
(13:15):
know the Jackson five that had the mice with things.
You know, Pepper had his rats named. And uh, what
I'm saying is I would go down there to workout.
And I would say almost every evening when I was
down there working out, everyone was gone. Brady would come
down and it would be getting a workout or he'd
(13:36):
be doing stretching stuff. Now you look at that and
you say, okay, you know I'm the vice president player person.
Is this guy? Is this in act? What is this?
Is he down here because he wants to be seen?
You know how some people youre right? Is right? So
so exactly. But when it happens almost every day or
(13:57):
every night or multiple times, and then that's how Tommy
and I started to cultivate our relationship. I'd go down there.
I always want to go down by myself because I
could control the music. I'd listen to what I want.
That's what I found out a lot about Brady's really
really really bad music selection. You know cold Well, because
I know, I know that was when he had got
(14:18):
that was good. I was okay with Coldplay. The Coldplay
wasn't even around in two thousand. But I'll never get
this moment. I had this this mixtape on or as
a CD at the time, and Brady goes, wow, who's that?
And uh, I go the Rolling Stones. He goes yeah,
I like I He said yeah, and it was the
(14:40):
Beast of Beast of Burden And anyway, it was like
He's like he learned I excuse me, he learned music,
A lot of all music and then we end up
sharing music and he would keep me update. Anyway, he
was there almost every night. But here's the other thing
that I found out and realized, because he would go
(15:00):
back and watch tape sometimes in Pepper's space and he
would come in and he would and the reason I
gave the layout of the room. He would come in
that front door and immediately go down the stairs, go
in through the offensive locker room, back into the defensive
locker room in the d line room and watch film
back there. So no one knew he was in the building.
(15:21):
Eventually someone got him a key to the building, so
he getting out and got him a key to the
indoor facility, and so it was one of those moments
in the indoor facility. I knew it was authentic, right
because I had seen this other pattern of behavior. And
as I always told our scouts, listen, people are going
(15:41):
to do things. I mostly talk about it in terms
of when they make mistakes, and we're evaluating character and
if guy smokes dope, or if a guy gets popped,
or you know, is that who he is? Is that
a one off or is it a two offers a
three off? Or is that a pattern of behavior? Brady
had this pattern of behavior that would authentic, that was real,
and he was really trying. He didn't He honestly did
(16:04):
not want people to know. I think it was a
little embarrassed at times that he had to work so
hard and others didn't, you know what I mean. There
were other people who were more naturally talented than him
that didn't work as hard for whatever their reason. And
not to say that they didn't work hard. But he
(16:26):
was maniacal, and he was over there not He wasn't
over there brown nosing, right.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I think we can still see absolutely.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
He wasn't up there kissing up to the bosses. He
was actually coming over to hide.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
So Scott, let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
You know, uh, through a terrible thing that happened with Drew,
an opportunity and you throw him into the fire, and
and it's an unbelievable magical season. Are you of the
opinion that if Drew doesn't get hurt, that somehow, some
way Tom still would have there would have been a way,
or he would have found a way to create another opportunity.
(17:02):
This one, you know, comes up and it was fantastic.
Do you believe it wasn't just circumstances that got him
to where he is. He would have found another way
to get there.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
He would have found his way on the field with
the New England Patriots in time. There's a reason again
we talked about we only had fifty one players on
the roster in two thousand, but we kept four quarterbacks,
you know, Drew, John Freese, Michael Bishop and Tommy There
was a reason we didn't keep put him on the
practice squad and try to play. We were afraid because
(17:32):
we knew there was something there. There was something We
knew it wasn't perfect, we knew it had a long
way to go, but we also knew he also had
this ability. The players genuinely respected him, and there was
a here's the other reality you talk about the salary cap.
(17:52):
That was a reality that back then we were all
still learning the salary cap, right and even and part
of the fakeness that you mentioned in the salary cap,
I'll give you the explanation of what makes it appear,
you know, not a hard cap. Back then, we knew
(18:15):
that the NFL was a good money making venture, right,
and we knew that the salary cap was built on
a percentage of revenues. There was revenue coming in, but
a lot of the people didn't. Necessarily the way the
system was set up was and the way that the
revenues were coming in. There was a steady, slow and
(18:39):
small increase of the salary cap early on, if you remember,
and then all of a sudden, this league exploded, and
it had exploded, but there was revenue coming in in
volumes where teams were getting themselves in salary cap jail.
We used to sit every year and wait, oh boy,
(19:00):
the Colts blew it this year in the salary cap
because they had barred they had kicked the can down
the road where they did those you know, the signing bonus,
converted the base to signing bonus. They're going to have
to pay at some point in time. We refused to
do that because early in salary cap years, the teams
that did that had to pay the piper, and they
had a couple of seasons where they were down. Well,
(19:20):
that started to change, and that's what you're talking about.
The revenues increased so much that teams can kick the
can down the road and put themselves in salary cap trouble.
And then they get this, you know, get out of
jail free pass. But we the reason that we signed
all those free agents that year was this. Remember in
two thousand when we arrived, the salary cap was only
(19:42):
I want to say it was like forty million dollars
or some something outrageously low like that. And we were
ten and a half million dollars over the salary cap,
and we only had forty one players under contract or
the rights to forty one players being restricted free agents
and their tenders, and we had to do the fake borrowing.
(20:04):
I think it was on Drew and maybe one or
two other players, and Bill and I did not want
to do it. It was like one of the things
we are not going to borrow against cap, and we
ended up having to do it that year and to
get under the cap. We got unto the cap and
we only had thirty nine players. That's part of the
reason we went out and we signed that. You know,
that next year, so many guys. I think the first year,
(20:27):
the only free agent we signed, maybe the first year
was it was Eric Bjornson, remember the tight year out
of Dallas, and and then we started signing all these
players that were you know, it was the Anthony Pleasants.
It was the Bobby Hamilton's, it was the Roman Piffers,
the Mike Vrabels, that Larry is as all of those guys.
You know, Vrabel was not a full time starter. He
(20:48):
was a special teams player. I think Larry is a
may have been one of the highest profile players even
though no one knew him. We knew him because he
was a Pro Bowl special teams player. I think we
gave him two hundred and fifty to sign on a
two or three your deal. And all of these other
players were guys that we knew that we could. They
were the makeup and the type of player that we're
(21:10):
going to fit our locker room, our system offensively, defensively,
and culturally. And I know I kind of veered back.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
To so when did you when did you sort of know,
Like so Matt asked the question about, you know, Brady
would have gotten a shot eventually. But so now we're
sitting there and there's still some ups and downs even
with Tom Okay, and there was no there were no
indications that you guys were going to do what you
were going to do as late as Thanksgiving. When did
(21:41):
when did you first get an idea?
Speaker 4 (21:42):
You know what? Well, I even think during the playoff run,
we didn't know because he was doing some really good things,
but you meaning Tom him, but it wasn't perfect him specifically.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
But winning the super Bowl mean you guys, you take
all of these things that you're you just talked, you know,
for a half hour about all of these different guys
that we had a in and all of these different
basically a complete overhaul. Bill has called it on the record,
I think a waiver wire team you're five and five, Like,
was there ever an indication that you guys were gonna.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Do what you did? No? No, not my mind, even
because in the moments that you're winning those games, and
I can think that the way that we are built
and part of the culture again for better or worse,
is Okay, we just won that one, but look what
we got to do next week. And that was part
of it, and that was that wasn't fabricated, that was
just it. It's kind of where you know, that was
(22:36):
our reality as well, and that became part of the
you know, can you guys just enjoy this is like, no,
it was no, because it's funny. Another funny story is
after we win that super Bowl, I will never forget
I had never been to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I had.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Bill had been that deep in the playoffs and gone
to a super Bowl, and you know, you've got We're
in the super Bowl. I had gone to the you know,
the All Star Games by myself. Bill didn't go. None
of the coaches went that year. And you know, but
we get done with the Super Bowl. Well, we hadn't
had the All Star Games yet, but we were having
draft meetings and and and I'll never forget we got
(23:14):
on that plane leaving New Orleans and my heart I
was happy. I was like, don't get me wrong, I
was so excited. But all I could think about is
how far behind we were. We were so far behind.
And and you know, none of the coaches do any
of the players, you know, And this is this is
where I think, you know, there's this other real Bill
(23:34):
hadn't looked at one college player, you know, and or
a free agent. Yeah, he saw some of the free
agents as the years went. During during the season, he
kept notes on certain guys. Okay, who the free agents
were playing against with the Jets this week or what.
But but the work hadn't been done. And but that
was part of our whole thing. Paul. It's a great
question because we never thought and then at the end
(23:55):
of that season, we're like, oh my gosh, you got
to prove this way to do it again.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I'll never forget. And that is I was.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I wasn't working here yet, but I was working at
a at one of the local TV stations and we
were doing the Coaches Show and it was after the parade,
and so it was a it was a bit of
a tussle.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Hey, can we get Bill? Can we get Bill?
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Okay, I guess and he comes in and I'm telling you,
you would have thought that you just got smoked the
next the day before, forty two to nothing. And I'm
looking at you, know, this is my first experience with
this as you're living.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It, and he's miserable.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
And it's like, dude, there was a million, as Robert
would like to say, a million and a half people
on a freezing February day that was coronating you for
doing this.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
And he's going, well, what's the story today? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
You're the most you know, unlikely super Bowl champion in
thirty six years.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
And it was I'm so far behind.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
This is this is taking this is taking time away
what I really should be doing.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
I don't have time for this, so good lessons.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Two really important I mentioned earlier in talking about some
of the people that I hired and mentored, and how
I and we could be exhausting at times, emotionally exhausting.
Bill felt that way. I remember being in panic on
the plane and I sat with Bill, you know his
(25:15):
wife at the time, Debbie. She moved and Bill and
I sat there and we were going through this list.
The other thing we had to do was the expansion
Draft was coming and we had to decide what players
that just helped us win a world championship that we
were going to expose. I mean, you want to talk
about wanting to throw up in your mouth. Here are
these guys that just gave it to you, man, and
you're talking about having to let them go. And that
(25:38):
was our mentality. We always felt like we were behind
and it wasn't fabricated. It wasn't Bill. Here's the thing
is people say that Bill did this. No, there was
this group of people that are all built the same
way I'm built the same way Bill was. You know,
Ernie is and was Charlie, and it was and I
(25:59):
think that was part of the power. But also it
was exhausting. It was exhausting for the people, not just
I don't mean for us, you say, Bill was exhausted.
We wore people out. Not intentionally, of course it was.
It was intentional in the sense that we had a mission,
we had a job. But and here's the second part
of the story. I want to I'll never ever forget
(26:19):
that week Nancy Meyer, who I adored Nancy. She is family,
she's I love her.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
We do as well.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Oh, I'm getting emotional now, the greatest that week, I'd say,
I'm getting like after the super Bowl and they're planning
the parade, we're talking, you know, Nancy had to ask
me questions, you know, just for help logistics, and and
I'm like, I'm not going. I told Nancy I'm not going.
She's like what And she was serious. And this is
(26:49):
the beauty of mine and Nancy's relationship. I never felt
like Nancy, she said one one time she worked for me.
Nancy worked with me. I worked with Nancy. I love
her and respect her. This organization is a different place
without Nancy, no question about it. And she said, are
(27:11):
you kidding me? I'm like, Nancy, look at where we're at,
we're behind. I've got to do this. I've just got
to get all this stuff ready for the coaches were
and I have coaches meetings now and I'll never forget.
She looked at me like dead in the eye and
she's not always an eye stare right, you know, say,
And she looked at me. She says, you have got
to be kidding me. She goes, we may never ever
ever have this chance again. And she said, you may
(27:33):
never go even go to another super And she was like,
she was borderline. Nancy has this great way of some
of suppressing when she's angry, but you can tell when
she was angry, and she was borderline mad at me,
and she's like, you will regret this for the rest
of your life if you don't go to this parade.
So Scott and I went because Nancy talked me into it.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
The obsessiveness and the onto the next thing. I don't
know if obsessed with is the right word. You can
correct me on that.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
But no obsessing because it's dysfunctional.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
But that's in your DNA and likely one of the
reasons why this team and this organization became so successful.
But with that, there's the curse, and the curse is
are you enjoying it enough? Are you going to the parade?
Are you understanding that you may never come here again.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
That's got to be a tough thing.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
It's awful. Yeah, it's awful. And you know, I also
look back at the eighteen and one season, you know what,
and in one way you say I was not enjoying
the I don't know if any of us enjoyed that
eighteen and one season, leaving the one out into the moment.
And and to me, there's the sick part. That's you know,
(28:43):
in my mind, I can sometimes say to myself, that's
why you can enjoy it. You might go eight and
oh and then go zho to one and it's not healthy,
it's not good. It's you know, there's this there's this
forever balance of accomplishment and dysfunction and those things. It's
it's like it's you know, Parcels long ago called it
(29:04):
an addiction. He says, you know, this game is an
narcotic and there is an element of and again coming
from a family of addicts, I understand it and I
can relate to it in the sense that there's something
exceedingly and remarkably dysfunctional about it, even though it can.
(29:25):
You know, you you you let go of a lot
of things and people when you become obsessive about it,
and you know it's it's trying to find that balance.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Man, did you have to fail?
Speaker 1 (29:42):
And you've talked openly here about failing?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
You know?
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Oh yeah, I think is the word the right?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
But do you do you have to fail Scott in
order to see that other side? Do you know what
I mean?
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Like, I don't know if you have to, but it's
certainly it certainly helps. I'm trying to find a better
word than helps, because help is a positive thing. Is
it necessary? Because it's like anything in life. You know,
how much do you know that you love something until
(30:15):
you lose it? Rights, It's this idea that when you
have success and you win, human nature is to complacent
is too strong of a word. It's this mix of complacency, entitlement.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Credit, who's getting the creditor.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
And not necessarily Again, human nature is to let your
guard down and to think that things got easy. And
sometimes you forget the process and the path. It happens
so quickly here, but I'll never forget. In meetings, Bill
and I in private, and it was after that. First
of all, Bill said it was just Bill and I
and he says, people will never ever ever understand how
(31:01):
difficult this was and what we had to do and
what we had to put up with.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
So you mentioned earlier when we were talking about the aftermath,
you know, once you win and then like, holy bleep,
what do we do now? And you said you mentioned
the word we had to show it wasn't a fluke.
So now you go to you go to O two
and there was a lot of talk. You know, Tom
ends up, you know, signing the deal, and you know
he's the guy. You know, you trade Drew, which was
(31:26):
to me a pretty obvious move. As much as Matt
will tell you, I absolutely loved Drew to this day.
And you have to say, good man, what what what
happens in O two that causes you to fall short
of of your goals?
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I think that it was a commodation of things. I
think we going back to the Super Bowl. We were
a great team that won the Super Bowl, and we
were still a team that was developing. Right. We had
a lot of those free agents that we signed were
(32:02):
it was going to be temporary. Some were older and
going to be leaving. Some were young and Mike Rabel
was still developing. Right, We still had some players and
you know, part of what happens in this game that
because it is a team game, it's you know, there's
also this thing that's real, that's momentum sometimes, and we
(32:25):
had a lot of momentum in that season, and we
had belief, and we had you know, we didn't have
we didn't have time to stop and think that, Okay,
this is the greatest show on turf. Right, we didn't
have better to think that, you know how good the
Steelers were and and and you know, our quarterback was
still developing. You know, Tommy had he had a terrific seaton.
(32:50):
But you know what, we had a great defense. And
you know, I'll say this part we respectively, and even
in the I say retrospectively, in the moment, I do
get frustrated. I did get frustrated, and I get frustrated
even more now looking back retrospectively at how many really
(33:11):
good football players we had on this team, particularly on defense.
Our defense carried us and people say, well, look at
the statistics, Well this isn't just about analytics. We were
opportunistic you have to look at some of the timing
of the things that happened, some of the turnovers, some
of the special teams plays, some of the moments, the
key things that happened that went in our favor, that
(33:32):
our defense took care of, that our special teams took
care of, you know, I mean even those field goals
by Adam you know, those were special moments. I mean,
those were that wasn't just you know, too often and
too frequently this organizational success gets reduced down to too
(33:52):
few And Willie McGinnis was not a good player. He
was a great player. Rodney Harrison was a great player.
Corey Dillon had a great season. You know, there was
greatness all around us. And then you know, things like
Randall Gay stepping up right, you know, I mean we
(34:12):
didn't win a Super Bowl that year, but there were
times where people just stood up. Mike Compton was a
terrific Go look at how many seasons Mike Compton played,
you know, Joe and Drewsy was a good football player,
and I and then we go through that defense. Teddy
Bruski was a I don't care what anyone says, Teddy
(34:33):
Bruski was a great football player. He'll likely now to
end up in Canton. I don't you know. But you
know what, he was a great football player, even though
he was a great teammate. And when you say great
football player, people want to say they want to reduce
it down to on field talent and stats only. But
one of the things I go back to about those
(34:55):
football teams in that early success was, and you talk
about the culture here, there are a lot of things
that the leaders, meaning Bill, the coaches didn't have to
deal with because that locker room took care of itself.
(35:15):
That locker room ran people off. If you weren't all in,
you were out. And when you have a team that's
locker room led like that, it gives you an ability
to focus on the important stuff because the key to
leadership is eliminating distractions, right And because this way, when
you eliminate distractions, all your performers can perform. It means
(35:39):
Charlie's not distracted. Rack's not distracted. No, you know, Brad
Seely's not distracted, Dante's not distracted. They're just coaching ball.
Bill's preparing, you know. And that locker room took care
of a lot of nonsense.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Yeah, I remember you know watching you know, William particular.
I just think back, you're talking about all those players,
and I know that the game has changed a lot
in the twenty but like you know, you had like
that old style three four defense. Yeah, the two gaps,
you have like four linebackers, right, they had six, right
like you you look at the way they play now
(36:12):
when some teams kind of play without really any traditional
linebackers maybe one they had they had Ted Johnson, Teddy Bruski,
Roman Fighter, William McGinnis, Mike Rabel, who's my other one?
Who am I missing? Rosie when he came? It was
like I used to say, like that they had three
(36:33):
for two spots inside and outside, like three studs, you know.
And again I think, I know it's it's played different.
You don't play that old school, you know, with the
the three pound two gappers up front, you know, in
every spot like we had with you know, with Ty
Warren and and Vince and Richard Seymour, trailer, Ted Washington
(36:54):
like what Scott's talking about, Like, I don't know how
you ever scored on that defense, right.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
And so thy law and think about the secondary Ty
Law Rodney, I mean a lawyer and then Rody, Yeah,
I mean it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
So we're getting close to he's gonna we're gonna get
yelled at. Yeah, we're gonna get yelled at for keeping
it for too long. But you know, I just wanted
to kind of maybe one of the last ones here
is you know, you talk about being able to accomplish anything,
the incredible high of two thousand and one, maybe back
to reality in two thousand and two, but as you
look at your career, Scott, you know you can proudly say,
(37:30):
you know, I was part of the last back to
back championships in the NFL, And I know everybody wants
to crown the Chiefs and they're a dynasty. Let's see
what they can do for a little time, because, as
you know better than anybody, it's hard.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
What does that accomplishment mean to you to know that
as we're sitting here right now, you guys did it
and you are the last two to do it. And
those are arguably the two of the greatest teams in
Patriot history.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
Those two teams are because they were great. Two thousand
and one was a great team. The back to back
teams were great teams. With more with mature talent. And
again I'm not taking away from the two thousand and
one team. It was a different kind of talent. Again,
(38:20):
a lot of those guys had matured and more in
the primes of their career.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
And you knew you were going to beat the other team.
You you know, the Old four team in particular. And
we joke about this, Scott and yeah do we get spoiled?
Speaker 4 (38:31):
Did bat?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
And I, you know, being along for the ride with
Fred kurrischh who I sure you remember? I would sit
in We had a joke. I would sit in the
press box and when I thought that the game was over,
I would give Fred the not I just look at
him and go like that. The all time record was
in Cleveland and four when Bethel Johnson returned the opening
kickoff for a touchdown fifteen seconds in. I said, this
(38:51):
game is over. It's over. That's how good that defense was,
and that's how good that team. That to me, the
Old four team was the epitome of the pinnacle. You
asked that, you asked us how you want us to
beat you today? You want us to put thirty five
on you? We could do that.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
See, we never thought like that that's so funny, but
that we weren't had the ability to beat you.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
You could throw the ball fifty times by design.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Fourteen yards from Dylan or whatever.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
You could run it down the throat like you did
to Indy in the in the playoff game here. I
think in the divisional round we had Troy Brown just
get the ball out. So many ways to win.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
I think what I think about that and feel about that.
To me, that was the amount of selflessness that that took.
And you look across the board, the amount of selflessness
that it took. We built a team for for and
(39:54):
it was buying from everyone, right. Rack had opportunities to
go that, Charlie had opportunities to go before that, I
had opportunities to go from that, all bunch of you know,
we were losing people. People were going, but the players
that chose to stay and and you know the stories
are out there about Tommy, you know not you know,
(40:17):
Tommy always got paid well, he refused to be a pig.
And there were other players that wanted to stay here
and wanted to be here and maybe could have been.
It was it was this genuine selflessness and it was
you know everyone, everyone talks about what everyone got out
(40:42):
of it. Everyone gave to it so we could get
out of it. Everyone there's not a person. And again
we talk about the players, we talk about you know,
the trainers, the equipment people, the staff, the football operations organization,
the number of people I you know, I gave a
lot of talk about Nancy, and she deserves it, and
(41:04):
there were so many of the people. You know, one
of the people that doesn't get talked about. You know,
we jokingly talked about Bears before. The amount that that
man has given to this franchise and what he gave
during those times people have no idea. You talk about
the number of hidden figures, and you talk about the
four the you know, those two teams, the three and
o four teams. Man the number of people that gave
(41:27):
of themselves, and I'm getting emotional because it's just what
do I think about. I think about how how many
people gave for one another, not just to the principles involved.
And it wasn't just the principles giving. It was It's
(41:49):
what you dream about when you want to build a
football team, what you dream about when you're sixteen years
old and you win the first championship of your life.
You know, I don't know if you guys got a
chance to see the NFL Films documentary on my high
school coach.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
And he did. It was a tremendous piece, Scot.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
That's what that great piece. So to me, that's the kid,
you know. To me, that's what I think about it. It
was like this greater good, you know, and these people
that were hidden figures that didn't care and they gave.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
So you're so when you're bowled over with sixteen thousand
dollars and your and your record amount of rides back
and forth to the airport in Cleveland, and then you
can fast forward and.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
Getting cigarettes for domine eliot yet and then.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Can you fast forward to say, you know what it
was worth it?
Speaker 4 (42:32):
It was worth it. It was worth it. You know,
yes it was. And again but you know, I looked
through it because you know, I'm I got out of
this young I you know, I finished in twenty nineteen
and I've chosen not to be back in and you
look at a different perspective, a different through a different lens,
and yeah, I was it worth it? Are there certain
(42:53):
things I look back and say, Wow, I sacrificed that
or that relationship or that moment within that relationlationship. You know,
that's some of the stuff I think all of us,
that all of us that were here and other places
in this game. I'm looking at you, two guys. I'm
guaranteeing you there are moments and things that your families
(43:13):
and relationships that you had to sacrifice. And you look
at those moments sometimes and talk to me on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I'm aut right. The schedule came out yesterday, yeah, right, yeah,
And and.
Speaker 4 (43:26):
And there's is it worth it? Yeah? And and and
everything in life there is trade offs.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
You gotta believe that you're in something that's for the
greater good, and there's got to be buying.
Speaker 4 (43:37):
And that, and you know, to that point, that's what
I feel, that that I've been able to take this
the platform that this place and group of people that
we were all a part of, I now use it
in a different way. Do I do I miss Sundays?
Hell yeah, But I just feel like this other stuff
(43:59):
I'm supposed to be doing and I feel like I'm
doing it. And part of it is even like on the
TV stuff, it's it's again not because I'm smart, because
I have experiences I'm able to share with people that
love the game right, and it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
You got anything. No, Scott can't thank you enough of
your time. We probably abused that time privilege, but that's
all right. This was felt like it was a little
not only was it informative, entertaining, a little emotional, a
little bit of self help.
Speaker 3 (44:30):
I feel I feel better about the world.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
This was great, long overdue as well.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Feel I had a great appreciation for the first part
of the Dynasty, you know, the one to zero four championships.
Just talking about it and and watching Scott's reaction to it,
it's even more there's a greater appreciation. Time goes by,
you sort of forget things right, you know, but then
you go back and you sort of remember just how
(44:56):
dominant and and to me it's still for is to
me the best team and team here. It will remain
that way. But just watching Scott get worked up talking
about it, yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Makes it all worthwhile and people will enjoy this listening
a lot of scars. It's not without penalty, it's not
without hardship. But I don't know that anything that's ever
really worthwhile. You got to suffer through it in the
same man time right, Scott, Thank you very much for
your time, continue success down the road.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
Thank you. Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple,
google Play, and everywhere else you listen. Like the show,
please rate and review us. Listener comments and ratings help
keep us high on the podcast rankings so new listeners
can find us.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Be sure to check patriots dot com for more news
and more podcasts.
Welcome back to Patch from the Past podcast. It's time
now for part two of our conversation with Scott Peoley.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
So the overhaul happens. You know, it's a twenty one
free agent so.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Twenty three h word Vrabel.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The list goes on Mike Compton. I mean, there's there's
a million, even million one of the most important free
agent signings of all of our years. I liked Mike Compton,
Love Mike. I wanted to talk. Matt and I were
talking about this earlier in the week. You know, just
is it just a matter of we need to just
cast a wide net, We need to get some players
in here, we need to get some competition on this roster,
(00:47):
or is it more Mike Compton has some of these
characteristics that we're looking for.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And I think he might be able to carve out
a role for us. I'm not telling you he's going
to be our starting guard, but these guys.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
He's got some abilities that I think can help.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Probably different for different you know, David Patten, different case
than Mike Compton, and it's probably different for a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Of those guys. So so quick background on the types
of guys things didn't work out in Cleveland, and there
were some really really good people in Cleveland on the roster,
and then some that weren't Bill's kind of guys Bill had.
Bill had his signs in Cleveland. Three rules, beyond time,
pay attention, work hard, that's it. And I remember having
(01:28):
a conversation with Bill there, you know, at near the
end and saying, you know, I feel like we have
a lot of guys that can't be on time, pay attention,
work hard. And I'm a slappy and I mean, that's sincerely.
And because I was confused, I needed to ask that
question to understand. I didn't understand the contradiction. And it
became this long conversation that that that Bill and I had,
(01:52):
and and Bill's leadership is unique, and you know, people he's, oh,
he's this crazy disciplinarian. You know, I bristle at that
because you know, I remember this conversation with Bill in
a scouting meeting when he kind of shouted down a
scout and again, I was a slappy listening and this
(02:13):
guy was talking about this player being undisciplined, because yeah,
you know he he's not. He's got these tattoos and earrings.
And Bill goes, whoa whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, he goes.
I don't give an f If a guy has tattoos
ears that has nothing to do with discipline. Can he
be on time? Can he be dependable? And it was
(02:34):
one of those moments. And there was times when Bill
would sometimes speak and if you I feel this way
about life, if you listen to leaders speak when you
know they're being authentic, right, because there's a lot of
leaders speak. They have to give leaders speak that isn't
necessarily but if you listen at the right times, you
get truth. Paul, I say that because when we plan
(02:56):
to come here and we built this thing, one of
the reasons we only had fifth D one players and
not fifty three was one of the promises we made
when we got here was that we were not going
to have people that weren't going to live to our
standard or our code. And it didn't make them bad people,
didn't make us arrogant, it didn't make it, you know,
it just it wasn't going to work, and it was going.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
To be you're not going to compromise.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yeah. And one of the things and I will you know,
because I remember this conversation in our in our second
year in the old Foxboro Stadium, and there was this
moment where we were having injuries and we had to
make a choice and a decision, and Bill and I
were sitting in his office alone. Bears was right outside,
(03:43):
and it was a moment where we could have compromised
to maybe improve the roster athletically, and Bill and I
sat there and had this conversation about we said, hey,
that we said we're going to do it a certain
way this time. And the promise was that we're going
to go and we're going to surround ourselves throughout the
organization with people that we were aligned with and that
(04:08):
we would rather if we were going to fail, We're
going to go down in flames doing things the way
we truly and genuinely believed in team that we weren't
going it wasn't going to feel like it felt in Cleveland.
And part of that, Paul, is we started looking for
guys like that. We wanted guys who had Here's the
thing about players, you know a lot of people talk
(04:30):
about versatility. They talk about the skills and the tools
and the intelligence to be versatile players like Mike Compton,
who before we signed because again, remember I had pro
personnel background. That's one of the reasons we signed twenty
three free agents that year. Mike Compton. I knew that
player inside out. Here's what I knew. He had started
games at left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle.
Over the course of his career at the Lions. He
(04:52):
had started every position. You know, how smart you have
to be and to be able to be that thoughtful.
Mike Compton is football brilliant. He's just a smart guy.
You know, he was an academic All American West Virginia.
People see him and hear him and they they're they're
thrown off by his you know, his drawl, his land.
Dude is smart and when we signed him. Here's what
(05:13):
people forget. When we brought him in that two thousand
and one season, every time we were in shotgun, Mike
Compton was a center when we because Damien Wood he
couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
It, couldn't do it.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
It was a chuck nablock thing, right, and the selflessness,
the amount that no one, no one cared. Everyone was
just there to do their job. So we were finding
people that that was you know, they were a certain way.
And all those guys again, Matt Stevens and Twine Smith.
(05:48):
They were you know, we had this, you know saying
in personnel too. I used to say to that, it's
all the scout's listen, hey, one man's trash is another
man's treasure. Let's find out. Scouts love to talk about
out what players can't do. That's the old way of scouting.
It actually goes on now too. I sit in scouting rooms,
you know now with teams where I've got friends, and
I listen, well, he can't do this, he can't. And
(06:10):
our thing was, Okay, what can he do? We have
fifty three spots. We can put forty six guys on
the game roster. Bill will figure it out, Bill, Ernie, Rack, Charlie,
they will figure it out. On you find good football
players that can do at least a couple of things
and can deal with Bill's leadership style, which again I
(06:33):
go back. Bill's leadership style is really very easy. Guys.
People think it's complicated. Think it's not. If you could
be on time, pay attention, to work hard, it's a
spot fory and and yeah is it demanding? Hell yeah,
it's demanding. Success in life is demanding. And if that's
not for you, again, that's.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Wa ain't mad, right, right, So you've got all the
got me worked out here. So now you're start you're
starting to accumulate program guys, you're starting to build your culture.
And you tell me if I have this right, But
two thousand happens two thousand and one influx of all
these people. Is it you going into the bubble? Is
(07:16):
it you driving by the bubble in the winter of
two thousand and one and seeing the lights on and
going who's in the bubble here in March or who's
you know, what's going on here? Because there was a
kid that was trying to improve at that point in time.
Was he by himself?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Scott?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
The construction was going on. Yes, you could see the
lights of the bubble were on, and you know, we
talked about how you're raised. My dad is still My
dad's eighty four. He's still that guy. If you leave
a room and you leave a light on, you get it.
You're getting it, not only pissed, you're probably getting a
shot in the back of the head, right, you know,
just the way that my dad used to have this
sign you got stalking orange and rock right, and Orange
(07:54):
and Rock them was the utility companies. So you always
turn off lights. And it's funny. I remember Robert, Robert
and I had a conversation early on because when I
came here, Robert really we didn't know one enough sure, right,
And it was complicated for Robert and I too, because
Robert knew that Bill really wanted me here, but this
guy's parcels son in law, and I don't think there
(08:18):
was a lot of trust there. But as we were
getting to know that, one of the things Robert would
see me when we would I always turned off, you know,
and it wasn't it was just automatical. It was instant.
It wasn't like I stopped. I'd walk out and he
I'll never forget. Early on it was one of the
things he brought up to me, he says, you know,
he asked me what I was. You know why he
because Robert, Robert is so smart and so humanly smart, right,
(08:45):
he reads people. And it became one of those things
that Robert and I bonded on because you know, Robert, yes,
Robert has become a billionaire. It's and you know Robert.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Was by.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, but he he appreciates people that are respectful. Just
because you have it doesn't mean you have to spend it, respect,
respect the money that you have and how you use it.
It's you know, I want to go back just mentioned Robert.
I want to mention the players and the type of
players that we brought in. Then we'll get back to
the bubble story. One of the other things that was
(09:22):
really really cool about coming here was, you know, Bill
and I had this idea and this plan and how
we wanted to do things and people are going to
and what the culture was going to be and the
types of people. The thing that was in place here
clearly not just because of Robert, but because of Myra
(09:45):
in terms of who they wanted representing their brand. You know,
I used to make jokes about the word the brand,
right football guys the market people talking about, but this
did become a brand, and part of that brand was
it It was known. Not only did Bill and I
want to pay attention to who we were bringing in
this building, we knew that we were aligned with ownership,
(10:08):
not just Robert, but Robert and Myra of who they wanted.
And when you have that kind of support, here's what
we knew. We were never going to receive pressure from
an owner to possibly sign someone and bring someone in
like maybe we did in Cleveland. You know, there wasn't
(10:29):
going to be that. And again it wasn't just it
was Robert and Meira. Anyways, that was an important part
of us being able to do with things the way
he wanted to. But that night, I was leaving the
office and you know, the lights are on in the
bubble and I was like, oh my gosh, who did that?
And it was a Friday night. I was last one here,
(10:50):
but it was close to the draft and I remember
going over there and I remember, you know, Bledsoe had
helped Brady, who was a sixth round pick, get a
car deal. But the car deal that he helped him get,
and I still don't know to this day if it
was intentional or not, but Brady had a yellow jeep.
I don't know if you guys remember that. He had
this all great and it was remember it. You know,
(11:11):
yellow is a cool color now, but.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Two thousand and one, no.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
So sure enough he was over there working out. And
you know, I've told that story a million times because
it was it was. It was just more reinforcement of
who he was. Because when as I turn around to
leave and we talked real quick. I'll never forget. The
only reason I ended up telling that story is because
Tommy finally gave me permission to tell the story, because
when I was leaving that night, he said, it's like, Scott,
(11:40):
don't tell, don't tell anyone you saw me here. Please.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So that's not like it was an Aha moment. Here's
this guy, he's you know, working on this Friday night.
But it validated maybe what you had witnessed after going
through two thousand with them and him not dressing for
several games and everything like that fourth on the depth chart. Okay,
let's see what you're gonna do, and maybe you then
saw those qualities and that sort of I don't know
(12:03):
if epitomized is the right word, but like this sort
of validates what we think that this kid's gonna work.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Here's Matt. Here's what it is is. So you know,
one of the blessings I had in my time working
here was I was still relatively young, and even though
I was in this position, you know, I worked out.
I worked down the weight lift in the weight room
in the evenings or at different times oft times when
players weren't there. And if you remember in the old
(12:33):
Fox Sport saying you had to go down that step.
You know, you walk in the door. Bills office was
straight straight ahead, you walk down that stairwell, and when
you got to the stairwell, that what we call the
weight room right was right there, and then to the
right was was Ron's office, the you know, the uh
the training room, and then you're right in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
You turn, you go through a curtain and you're in
a locker room.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
And so I would go down and work out later
in the evenings. Now there was also some stations down
there where you could watch film, like Pepper Johnson had
his d line room and that would remember the defense
was in the way back, which is the door the
players go out to come out to the field, and
that's that's where the rats lived. Pepper had the rats
named he had to. It was kind of like you
(13:15):
know the Jackson five that had the mice with things.
You know, Pepper had his rats named. And uh, what
I'm saying is I would go down there to workout.
And I would say almost every evening when I was
down there working out, everyone was gone. Brady would come
down and it would be getting a workout or he'd
(13:36):
be doing stretching stuff. Now you look at that and
you say, okay, you know I'm the vice president player person.
Is this guy? Is this in act? What is this?
Is he down here because he wants to be seen?
You know how some people youre right? Is right? So
so exactly. But when it happens almost every day or
(13:57):
every night or multiple times, and then that's how Tommy
and I started to cultivate our relationship. I'd go down there.
I always want to go down by myself because I
could control the music. I'd listen to what I want.
That's what I found out a lot about Brady's really
really really bad music selection. You know cold Well, because
I know, I know that was when he had got
(14:18):
that was good. I was okay with Coldplay. The Coldplay
wasn't even around in two thousand. But I'll never get
this moment. I had this this mixtape on or as
a CD at the time, and Brady goes, wow, who's that?
And uh, I go the Rolling Stones. He goes yeah,
I like I He said yeah, and it was the
(14:40):
Beast of Beast of Burden And anyway, it was like
He's like he learned I excuse me, he learned music,
A lot of all music and then we end up
sharing music and he would keep me update. Anyway, he
was there almost every night. But here's the other thing
that I found out and realized, because he would go
(15:00):
back and watch tape sometimes in Pepper's space and he
would come in and he would and the reason I
gave the layout of the room. He would come in
that front door and immediately go down the stairs, go
in through the offensive locker room, back into the defensive
locker room in the d line room and watch film
back there. So no one knew he was in the building.
(15:21):
Eventually someone got him a key to the building, so
he getting out and got him a key to the
indoor facility, and so it was one of those moments
in the indoor facility. I knew it was authentic, right
because I had seen this other pattern of behavior. And
as I always told our scouts, listen, people are going
(15:41):
to do things. I mostly talk about it in terms
of when they make mistakes, and we're evaluating character and
if guy smokes dope, or if a guy gets popped,
or you know, is that who he is? Is that
a one off or is it a two offers a
three off? Or is that a pattern of behavior? Brady
had this pattern of behavior that would authentic, that was real,
and he was really trying. He didn't He honestly did
(16:04):
not want people to know. I think it was a
little embarrassed at times that he had to work so
hard and others didn't, you know what I mean. There
were other people who were more naturally talented than him
that didn't work as hard for whatever their reason. And
not to say that they didn't work hard. But he
(16:26):
was maniacal, and he was over there not He wasn't
over there brown nosing, right.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I think we can still see absolutely.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
He wasn't up there kissing up to the bosses. He
was actually coming over to hide.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
So Scott, let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
You know, uh, through a terrible thing that happened with Drew,
an opportunity and you throw him into the fire, and
and it's an unbelievable magical season. Are you of the
opinion that if Drew doesn't get hurt, that somehow, some
way Tom still would have there would have been a way,
or he would have found a way to create another opportunity.
(17:02):
This one, you know, comes up and it was fantastic.
Do you believe it wasn't just circumstances that got him
to where he is. He would have found another way
to get there.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
He would have found his way on the field with
the New England Patriots in time. There's a reason again
we talked about we only had fifty one players on
the roster in two thousand, but we kept four quarterbacks,
you know, Drew, John Freese, Michael Bishop and Tommy There
was a reason we didn't keep put him on the
practice squad and try to play. We were afraid because
(17:32):
we knew there was something there. There was something We
knew it wasn't perfect, we knew it had a long
way to go, but we also knew he also had
this ability. The players genuinely respected him, and there was
a here's the other reality you talk about the salary cap.
(17:52):
That was a reality that back then we were all
still learning the salary cap, right and even and part
of the fakeness that you mentioned in the salary cap,
I'll give you the explanation of what makes it appear,
you know, not a hard cap. Back then, we knew
(18:15):
that the NFL was a good money making venture, right,
and we knew that the salary cap was built on
a percentage of revenues. There was revenue coming in, but
a lot of the people didn't. Necessarily the way the
system was set up was and the way that the
revenues were coming in. There was a steady, slow and
(18:39):
small increase of the salary cap early on, if you remember,
and then all of a sudden, this league exploded, and
it had exploded, but there was revenue coming in in
volumes where teams were getting themselves in salary cap jail.
We used to sit every year and wait, oh boy,
(19:00):
the Colts blew it this year in the salary cap
because they had barred they had kicked the can down
the road where they did those you know, the signing bonus,
converted the base to signing bonus. They're going to have
to pay at some point in time. We refused to
do that because early in salary cap years, the teams
that did that had to pay the piper, and they
had a couple of seasons where they were down. Well,
(19:20):
that started to change, and that's what you're talking about.
The revenues increased so much that teams can kick the
can down the road and put themselves in salary cap trouble.
And then they get this, you know, get out of
jail free pass. But we the reason that we signed
all those free agents that year was this. Remember in
two thousand when we arrived, the salary cap was only
(19:42):
I want to say it was like forty million dollars
or some something outrageously low like that. And we were
ten and a half million dollars over the salary cap,
and we only had forty one players under contract or
the rights to forty one players being restricted free agents
and their tenders, and we had to do the fake borrowing.
(20:04):
I think it was on Drew and maybe one or
two other players, and Bill and I did not want
to do it. It was like one of the things
we are not going to borrow against cap, and we
ended up having to do it that year and to
get under the cap. We got unto the cap and
we only had thirty nine players. That's part of the
reason we went out and we signed that. You know,
that next year, so many guys. I think the first year,
(20:27):
the only free agent we signed, maybe the first year
was it was Eric Bjornson, remember the tight year out
of Dallas, and and then we started signing all these
players that were you know, it was the Anthony Pleasants.
It was the Bobby Hamilton's, it was the Roman Piffers,
the Mike Vrabels, that Larry is as all of those guys.
You know, Vrabel was not a full time starter. He
(20:48):
was a special teams player. I think Larry is a
may have been one of the highest profile players even
though no one knew him. We knew him because he
was a Pro Bowl special teams player. I think we
gave him two hundred and fifty to sign on a
two or three your deal. And all of these other
players were guys that we knew that we could. They
were the makeup and the type of player that we're
(21:10):
going to fit our locker room, our system offensively, defensively,
and culturally. And I know I kind of veered back.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
To so when did you when did you sort of know,
Like so Matt asked the question about, you know, Brady
would have gotten a shot eventually. But so now we're
sitting there and there's still some ups and downs even
with Tom Okay, and there was no there were no
indications that you guys were going to do what you
were going to do as late as Thanksgiving. When did
(21:41):
when did you first get an idea?
Speaker 4 (21:42):
You know what? Well, I even think during the playoff run,
we didn't know because he was doing some really good things,
but you meaning Tom him, but it wasn't perfect him specifically.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
But winning the super Bowl mean you guys, you take
all of these things that you're you just talked, you know,
for a half hour about all of these different guys
that we had a in and all of these different
basically a complete overhaul. Bill has called it on the record,
I think a waiver wire team you're five and five, Like,
was there ever an indication that you guys were gonna.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Do what you did? No? No, not my mind, even
because in the moments that you're winning those games, and
I can think that the way that we are built
and part of the culture again for better or worse,
is Okay, we just won that one, but look what
we got to do next week. And that was part
of it, and that was that wasn't fabricated, that was
just it. It's kind of where you know, that was
(22:36):
our reality as well, and that became part of the
you know, can you guys just enjoy this is like, no,
it was no, because it's funny. Another funny story is
after we win that super Bowl, I will never forget
I had never been to a Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
I had.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Bill had been that deep in the playoffs and gone
to a super Bowl, and you know, you've got We're
in the super Bowl. I had gone to the you know,
the All Star Games by myself. Bill didn't go. None
of the coaches went that year. And you know, but
we get done with the Super Bowl. Well, we hadn't
had the All Star Games yet, but we were having
draft meetings and and and I'll never forget we got
(23:14):
on that plane leaving New Orleans and my heart I
was happy. I was like, don't get me wrong, I
was so excited. But all I could think about is
how far behind we were. We were so far behind.
And and you know, none of the coaches do any
of the players, you know, And this is this is
where I think, you know, there's this other real Bill
(23:34):
hadn't looked at one college player, you know, and or
a free agent. Yeah, he saw some of the free
agents as the years went. During during the season, he
kept notes on certain guys. Okay, who the free agents
were playing against with the Jets this week or what.
But but the work hadn't been done. And but that
was part of our whole thing. Paul. It's a great
question because we never thought and then at the end
(23:55):
of that season, we're like, oh my gosh, you got
to prove this way to do it again.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I'll never forget. And that is I was.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I wasn't working here yet, but I was working at
a at one of the local TV stations and we
were doing the Coaches Show and it was after the parade,
and so it was a it was a bit of
a tussle.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Hey, can we get Bill? Can we get Bill?
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Okay, I guess and he comes in and I'm telling you,
you would have thought that you just got smoked the
next the day before, forty two to nothing. And I'm
looking at you, know, this is my first experience with
this as you're living.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It, and he's miserable.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
And it's like, dude, there was a million, as Robert
would like to say, a million and a half people
on a freezing February day that was coronating you for
doing this.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
And he's going, well, what's the story today? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
You're the most you know, unlikely super Bowl champion in
thirty six years.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
And it was I'm so far behind.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
This is this is taking this is taking time away
what I really should be doing.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
I don't have time for this, so good lessons.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Two really important I mentioned earlier in talking about some
of the people that I hired and mentored, and how
I and we could be exhausting at times, emotionally exhausting.
Bill felt that way. I remember being in panic on
the plane and I sat with Bill, you know his
(25:15):
wife at the time, Debbie. She moved and Bill and
I sat there and we were going through this list.
The other thing we had to do was the expansion
Draft was coming and we had to decide what players
that just helped us win a world championship that we
were going to expose. I mean, you want to talk
about wanting to throw up in your mouth. Here are
these guys that just gave it to you, man, and
you're talking about having to let them go. And that
(25:38):
was our mentality. We always felt like we were behind
and it wasn't fabricated. It wasn't Bill. Here's the thing
is people say that Bill did this. No, there was
this group of people that are all built the same
way I'm built the same way Bill was. You know,
Ernie is and was Charlie, and it was and I
(25:59):
think that was part of the power. But also it
was exhausting. It was exhausting for the people, not just
I don't mean for us, you say, Bill was exhausted.
We wore people out. Not intentionally, of course it was.
It was intentional in the sense that we had a mission,
we had a job. But and here's the second part
of the story. I want to I'll never ever forget
(26:19):
that week Nancy Meyer, who I adored Nancy. She is family,
she's I love her.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
We do as well.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Oh, I'm getting emotional now, the greatest that week, I'd say,
I'm getting like after the super Bowl and they're planning
the parade, we're talking, you know, Nancy had to ask
me questions, you know, just for help logistics, and and
I'm like, I'm not going. I told Nancy I'm not going.
She's like what And she was serious. And this is
(26:49):
the beauty of mine and Nancy's relationship. I never felt
like Nancy, she said one one time she worked for me.
Nancy worked with me. I worked with Nancy. I love
her and respect her. This organization is a different place
without Nancy, no question about it. And she said, are
(27:11):
you kidding me? I'm like, Nancy, look at where we're at,
we're behind. I've got to do this. I've just got
to get all this stuff ready for the coaches were
and I have coaches meetings now and I'll never forget.
She looked at me like dead in the eye and
she's not always an eye stare right, you know, say,
And she looked at me. She says, you have got
to be kidding me. She goes, we may never ever
ever have this chance again. And she said, you may
(27:33):
never go even go to another super And she was like,
she was borderline. Nancy has this great way of some
of suppressing when she's angry, but you can tell when
she was angry, and she was borderline mad at me,
and she's like, you will regret this for the rest
of your life if you don't go to this parade.
So Scott and I went because Nancy talked me into it.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
The obsessiveness and the onto the next thing. I don't
know if obsessed with is the right word. You can
correct me on that.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
But no obsessing because it's dysfunctional.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
But that's in your DNA and likely one of the
reasons why this team and this organization became so successful.
But with that, there's the curse, and the curse is
are you enjoying it enough? Are you going to the parade?
Are you understanding that you may never come here again.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
That's got to be a tough thing.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
It's awful. Yeah, it's awful. And you know, I also
look back at the eighteen and one season, you know what,
and in one way you say I was not enjoying
the I don't know if any of us enjoyed that
eighteen and one season, leaving the one out into the moment.
And and to me, there's the sick part. That's you know,
(28:43):
in my mind, I can sometimes say to myself, that's
why you can enjoy it. You might go eight and
oh and then go zho to one and it's not healthy,
it's not good. It's you know, there's this there's this
forever balance of accomplishment and dysfunction and those things. It's
it's like it's you know, Parcels long ago called it
(29:04):
an addiction. He says, you know, this game is an
narcotic and there is an element of and again coming
from a family of addicts, I understand it and I
can relate to it in the sense that there's something
exceedingly and remarkably dysfunctional about it, even though it can.
(29:25):
You know, you you you let go of a lot
of things and people when you become obsessive about it,
and you know it's it's trying to find that balance.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Man, did you have to fail?
Speaker 1 (29:42):
And you've talked openly here about failing?
Speaker 3 (29:44):
You know?
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Oh yeah, I think is the word the right?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
But do you do you have to fail Scott in
order to see that other side? Do you know what
I mean?
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Like, I don't know if you have to, but it's
certainly it certainly helps. I'm trying to find a better
word than helps, because help is a positive thing. Is
it necessary? Because it's like anything in life. You know,
how much do you know that you love something until
(30:15):
you lose it? Rights, It's this idea that when you
have success and you win, human nature is to complacent
is too strong of a word. It's this mix of complacency, entitlement.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Credit, who's getting the creditor.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
And not necessarily Again, human nature is to let your
guard down and to think that things got easy. And
sometimes you forget the process and the path. It happens
so quickly here, but I'll never forget. In meetings, Bill
and I in private, and it was after that. First
of all, Bill said it was just Bill and I
and he says, people will never ever ever understand how
(31:01):
difficult this was and what we had to do and
what we had to put up with.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
So you mentioned earlier when we were talking about the aftermath,
you know, once you win and then like, holy bleep,
what do we do now? And you said you mentioned
the word we had to show it wasn't a fluke.
So now you go to you go to O two
and there was a lot of talk. You know, Tom
ends up, you know, signing the deal, and you know
he's the guy. You know, you trade Drew, which was
(31:26):
to me a pretty obvious move. As much as Matt
will tell you, I absolutely loved Drew to this day.
And you have to say, good man, what what what
happens in O two that causes you to fall short
of of your goals?
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I think that it was a commodation of things. I
think we going back to the Super Bowl. We were
a great team that won the Super Bowl, and we
were still a team that was developing. Right. We had
a lot of those free agents that we signed were
(32:02):
it was going to be temporary. Some were older and
going to be leaving. Some were young and Mike Rabel
was still developing. Right, We still had some players and
you know, part of what happens in this game that
because it is a team game, it's you know, there's
also this thing that's real, that's momentum sometimes, and we
(32:25):
had a lot of momentum in that season, and we
had belief, and we had you know, we didn't have
we didn't have time to stop and think that, Okay,
this is the greatest show on turf. Right, we didn't
have better to think that, you know how good the
Steelers were and and and you know, our quarterback was
still developing. You know, Tommy had he had a terrific seaton.
(32:50):
But you know what, we had a great defense. And
you know, I'll say this part we respectively, and even
in the I say retrospectively, in the moment, I do
get frustrated. I did get frustrated, and I get frustrated
even more now looking back retrospectively at how many really
(33:11):
good football players we had on this team, particularly on defense.
Our defense carried us and people say, well, look at
the statistics, Well this isn't just about analytics. We were
opportunistic you have to look at some of the timing
of the things that happened, some of the turnovers, some
of the special teams plays, some of the moments, the
key things that happened that went in our favor, that
(33:32):
our defense took care of, that our special teams took
care of, you know, I mean even those field goals
by Adam you know, those were special moments. I mean,
those were that wasn't just you know, too often and
too frequently this organizational success gets reduced down to too
(33:52):
few And Willie McGinnis was not a good player. He
was a great player. Rodney Harrison was a great player.
Corey Dillon had a great season. You know, there was
greatness all around us. And then you know, things like
Randall Gay stepping up right, you know, I mean we
(34:12):
didn't win a Super Bowl that year, but there were
times where people just stood up. Mike Compton was a
terrific Go look at how many seasons Mike Compton played,
you know, Joe and Drewsy was a good football player,
and I and then we go through that defense. Teddy
Bruski was a I don't care what anyone says, Teddy
(34:33):
Bruski was a great football player. He'll likely now to
end up in Canton. I don't you know. But you
know what, he was a great football player, even though
he was a great teammate. And when you say great
football player, people want to say they want to reduce
it down to on field talent and stats only. But
one of the things I go back to about those
(34:55):
football teams in that early success was, and you talk
about the culture here, there are a lot of things
that the leaders, meaning Bill, the coaches didn't have to
deal with because that locker room took care of itself.
(35:15):
That locker room ran people off. If you weren't all in,
you were out. And when you have a team that's
locker room led like that, it gives you an ability
to focus on the important stuff because the key to
leadership is eliminating distractions, right And because this way, when
you eliminate distractions, all your performers can perform. It means
(35:39):
Charlie's not distracted. Rack's not distracted. No, you know, Brad
Seely's not distracted, Dante's not distracted. They're just coaching ball.
Bill's preparing, you know. And that locker room took care
of a lot of nonsense.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Yeah, I remember you know watching you know, William particular.
I just think back, you're talking about all those players,
and I know that the game has changed a lot
in the twenty but like you know, you had like
that old style three four defense. Yeah, the two gaps,
you have like four linebackers, right, they had six, right
like you you look at the way they play now
(36:12):
when some teams kind of play without really any traditional
linebackers maybe one they had they had Ted Johnson, Teddy Bruski,
Roman Fighter, William McGinnis, Mike Rabel, who's my other one?
Who am I missing? Rosie when he came? It was
like I used to say, like that they had three
(36:33):
for two spots inside and outside, like three studs, you know.
And again I think, I know it's it's played different.
You don't play that old school, you know, with the
the three pound two gappers up front, you know, in
every spot like we had with you know, with Ty
Warren and and Vince and Richard Seymour, trailer, Ted Washington
(36:54):
like what Scott's talking about, Like, I don't know how
you ever scored on that defense, right.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
And so thy law and think about the secondary Ty
Law Rodney, I mean a lawyer and then Rody, Yeah,
I mean it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
So we're getting close to he's gonna we're gonna get
yelled at. Yeah, we're gonna get yelled at for keeping
it for too long. But you know, I just wanted
to kind of maybe one of the last ones here
is you know, you talk about being able to accomplish anything,
the incredible high of two thousand and one, maybe back
to reality in two thousand and two, but as you
look at your career, Scott, you know you can proudly say,
(37:30):
you know, I was part of the last back to
back championships in the NFL, And I know everybody wants
to crown the Chiefs and they're a dynasty. Let's see
what they can do for a little time, because, as
you know better than anybody, it's hard.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
It's hard.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
What does that accomplishment mean to you to know that
as we're sitting here right now, you guys did it
and you are the last two to do it. And
those are arguably the two of the greatest teams in
Patriot history.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
Those two teams are because they were great. Two thousand
and one was a great team. The back to back
teams were great teams. With more with mature talent. And
again I'm not taking away from the two thousand and
one team. It was a different kind of talent. Again,
(38:20):
a lot of those guys had matured and more in
the primes of their career.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
And you knew you were going to beat the other team.
You you know, the Old four team in particular. And
we joke about this, Scott and yeah do we get spoiled?
Speaker 4 (38:31):
Did bat?
Speaker 2 (38:31):
And I, you know, being along for the ride with
Fred kurrischh who I sure you remember? I would sit
in We had a joke. I would sit in the
press box and when I thought that the game was over,
I would give Fred the not I just look at
him and go like that. The all time record was
in Cleveland and four when Bethel Johnson returned the opening
kickoff for a touchdown fifteen seconds in. I said, this
(38:51):
game is over. It's over. That's how good that defense was,
and that's how good that team. That to me, the
Old four team was the epitome of the pinnacle. You
asked that, you asked us how you want us to
beat you today? You want us to put thirty five
on you? We could do that.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
See, we never thought like that that's so funny, but
that we weren't had the ability to beat you.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
You could throw the ball fifty times by design.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Fourteen yards from Dylan or whatever.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
You could run it down the throat like you did
to Indy in the in the playoff game here. I
think in the divisional round we had Troy Brown just
get the ball out. So many ways to win.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
I think what I think about that and feel about that.
To me, that was the amount of selflessness that that took.
And you look across the board, the amount of selflessness
that it took. We built a team for for and
(39:54):
it was buying from everyone, right. Rack had opportunities to
go that, Charlie had opportunities to go before that, I
had opportunities to go from that, all bunch of you know,
we were losing people. People were going, but the players
that chose to stay and and you know the stories
are out there about Tommy, you know not you know,
(40:17):
Tommy always got paid well, he refused to be a pig.
And there were other players that wanted to stay here
and wanted to be here and maybe could have been.
It was it was this genuine selflessness and it was
you know everyone, everyone talks about what everyone got out
(40:42):
of it. Everyone gave to it so we could get
out of it. Everyone there's not a person. And again
we talk about the players, we talk about you know,
the trainers, the equipment people, the staff, the football operations organization,
the number of people I you know, I gave a
lot of talk about Nancy, and she deserves it, and
(41:04):
there were so many of the people. You know, one
of the people that doesn't get talked about. You know,
we jokingly talked about Bears before. The amount that that
man has given to this franchise and what he gave
during those times people have no idea. You talk about
the number of hidden figures, and you talk about the
four the you know, those two teams, the three and
o four teams. Man the number of people that gave
(41:27):
of themselves, and I'm getting emotional because it's just what
do I think about. I think about how how many
people gave for one another, not just to the principles involved.
And it wasn't just the principles giving. It was It's
(41:49):
what you dream about when you want to build a
football team, what you dream about when you're sixteen years
old and you win the first championship of your life.
You know, I don't know if you guys got a
chance to see the NFL Films documentary on my high
school coach.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
And he did. It was a tremendous piece, Scot.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
That's what that great piece. So to me, that's the kid,
you know. To me, that's what I think about it. It
was like this greater good, you know, and these people
that were hidden figures that didn't care and they gave.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
So you're so when you're bowled over with sixteen thousand
dollars and your and your record amount of rides back
and forth to the airport in Cleveland, and then you
can fast forward and.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
Getting cigarettes for domine eliot yet and then.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Can you fast forward to say, you know what it
was worth it?
Speaker 4 (42:32):
It was worth it. It was worth it. You know,
yes it was. And again but you know, I looked
through it because you know, I'm I got out of
this young I you know, I finished in twenty nineteen
and I've chosen not to be back in and you
look at a different perspective, a different through a different lens,
and yeah, I was it worth it? Are there certain
(42:53):
things I look back and say, Wow, I sacrificed that
or that relationship or that moment within that relationlationship. You know,
that's some of the stuff I think all of us,
that all of us that were here and other places
in this game. I'm looking at you, two guys. I'm
guaranteeing you there are moments and things that your families
(43:13):
and relationships that you had to sacrifice. And you look
at those moments sometimes and talk to me on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I'm aut right. The schedule came out yesterday, yeah, right, yeah,
And and.
Speaker 4 (43:26):
And there's is it worth it? Yeah? And and and
everything in life there is trade offs.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
You gotta believe that you're in something that's for the
greater good, and there's got to be buying.
Speaker 4 (43:37):
And that, and you know, to that point, that's what
I feel, that that I've been able to take this
the platform that this place and group of people that
we were all a part of, I now use it
in a different way. Do I do I miss Sundays?
Hell yeah, But I just feel like this other stuff
(43:59):
I'm supposed to be doing and I feel like I'm
doing it. And part of it is even like on the
TV stuff, it's it's again not because I'm smart, because
I have experiences I'm able to share with people that
love the game right, and it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
You got anything. No, Scott can't thank you enough of
your time. We probably abused that time privilege, but that's
all right. This was felt like it was a little
not only was it informative, entertaining, a little emotional, a
little bit of self help.
Speaker 3 (44:30):
I feel I feel better about the world.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
This was great, long overdue as well.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
Feel I had a great appreciation for the first part
of the Dynasty, you know, the one to zero four championships.
Just talking about it and and watching Scott's reaction to it,
it's even more there's a greater appreciation. Time goes by,
you sort of forget things right, you know, but then
you go back and you sort of remember just how
(44:56):
dominant and and to me it's still for is to
me the best team and team here. It will remain
that way. But just watching Scott get worked up talking
about it, yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (45:05):
Makes it all worthwhile and people will enjoy this listening
a lot of scars. It's not without penalty, it's not
without hardship. But I don't know that anything that's ever
really worthwhile. You got to suffer through it in the
same man time right, Scott, Thank you very much for
your time, continue success down the road.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
Thank you. Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple,
google Play, and everywhere else you listen. Like the show,
please rate and review us. Listener comments and ratings help
keep us high on the podcast rankings so new listeners
can find us.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Be sure to check patriots dot com for more news
and more podcasts.
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