Meet the Patriots F ootball coaches like to say that a winning team has heart This is true but true champions also win with their heads The New England Patriots have shown just how successful a smart team can be They don’t always have the biggest stars Yet by working together and limiting their mistakes they usually come out on top Week after week opponents leave the field wondering how they lost to New England At the end of close games the Pats are simply better prepared for victory That comes from good coaching and a lot of serious practice This book tells the story of the Patriots For most of their history they struggled to become a consistent winner Since 2000 they have been one of the best teams in football history The Patriots know the secret to championship football in the 21st century And it may be a while before everyone else catches up Rob Gronkowski and Deion Branch celebrate a touchdown in 2011 New England fans have had a lot to cheer about over the years 5
Glory Days T here are no guarantees when you own a professional sports team Billy Sullivan and his partners knew this when they started the Boston Patriots in 1960 The team was part of the new American Football League AFL No one was sure whether the AFL would be a success Even if it was many fans doubted whether pro football would survive in Boston Massachusetts Five teams had already failed there The Patriots did not want to be the sixth They were led by quarterback Babe Parilli and Gino Cappelletti who was a kicker and receiver Boston’s defense starred linebacker Nick Buoniconti and linemen Larry Eisenhauer and Houston Antwine In 1963 the team reached the AFL Championship Game but lost to the San Diego Chargers The Boston fans were hooked nonetheless 6
In 1971 the team moved to a stadium outside of Boston and renamed itself the New England Patriots They were also now a part of the National Football League NFL New England had good teams and some great players in the years that followed but the team could not make it to the Super Bowl In 1984 the Patriots hired Raymond Berry as their coach A year later he led them to their first American Football Conference AFC championship In 1996 Bill Parcells coached the team to its second AFC championship Both times however the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl Despite their long wait for a Super Bowl victory New England fans had a lot to be proud of The team had many excellent players during the 1980s and 1990s The offense was led by stars such as Russ Francis Steve Grogan Tony Eason Drew Bledsoe Curtis Martin LEFT Larry Eisenhauer led the Patriots defense in the 1960s ABOVE Drew Bledsoe passed the Pats to their second Super Bowl 7
