A look at who Tom Brady joined in the Patriots Hall of Fame
FOXBORO -- Tom Brady is now the proud owner of a red jacket and has taken his spot inside the Patriots Hall of Fame. He did so Wednesday night in front of a packed house at Gillette Stadium on an incredibly memorable evening for New England football fans.
Robert Kraft made a special exception for the man who brought six Super Bowl titles to New England and waived the usual four-year waiting period for a player to be up for enshrinement. Fittingly, Brady went into the Hall on 6/12, symbolic of the six Super Bowls that he won with the Patriots and the 12 that adorned his jersey for 20 years.
Brady is now the 35th person enshrined at the team's Hall of Fame, joining a group of New England greats that helped build the franchise. That list includes six players who are also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and Brady will have his bust there soon enough.
Here's a look at who Brady is now sharing real estate with inside the Patriots Hall of Fame.
John Hannah
Patriots career: 1973-1985
Enshrined in 1991
Considered the greatest offensive lineman of all time, Hannah spent his entire career in New England. He was an ironman along the line and missed just five games while playing in 183 contests. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and won Offensive Lineman of the Year honors four straight years from 1978-81.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991, the same year that Hannah became the first member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Gino Cappelletti
Patriots career: 1960-1970
Enshrined in 1992
Cappelletti was beloved in New England as both a player and a broadcaster. He played wide receiver and kicker for the Patriots during their time in the AFL, and was the franchise's leading scorer until 2005. Cappelletti's 1,130 points now rank third on that list behind Stephen Gostkowski (1,775) and Adam Vinatieri (1,158).
Cappelletti was AFL MVP in 1964 and a five-time AFL All-Star. He moved to the broadcast booth in 1972 and after a three-year stint as New England's special teams coach, Cappelletti served as the Patriots' radio analyst from 1988-2011 alongside Gil Santos.
Nick Buoniconti
Patriots career: 1962-1968
Enshrined in 1992
Buoniconti, a Springfield native, was a five-time AFL All-Star linebacker during his time with the Patriots. He was named to the All-AFL team in 1970 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
Bob Dee
Patriots career: 1960-1967
Enshrined in 1993
A Quincy native who graduated from Holy Cross, Dee was a force on the defensive line for the Patriots. He scored the first touchdown in AFL history when he recovered a fumble in the end zone, and was a four-time AFL All-Star.
Jim Lee Hunt
Patriots career: 1960-1971
Enshrined in 1993
Hunt was a four-time AFL All-Star as a defensive lineman with the Patriots, and earned the nickname "Earthquake" for his disruptive play.
Steve Nelson
Patriots career: 1974-1987
Enshrined in 1993
A game-changing linebacker for New England, Nelson racked up over 100 tackles nine times on his way to three Pro Bowl nods. He finished his career with 1,776 tackles for the Patriots.
Vito "Babe" Parilli
Patriots career: 1961-1967
Enshrined in 1993
Vito "Babe" Parilli threw for over 20,000 yards during his career quarterbacking the Patriots, earning three AFL All-Star nods in the process.
Mike Haynes
Patriots career: 1976-1982
Enshrined in 1994
A stud cornerback for the Patriots over seven years, Haynes was named to six Pro Bowls with New England. He was the first Patriots player to return a punt of a touchdown, and picked off eight passes and returned two punts for a touchdown in his rookie season. He won two Super Bowls as a member of the Raiders, and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
Steve Grogan
Patriots career: 1975-190
Enshrined in 1995
An athletic -- and gritty -- quarterback, Grogan ran for 35 touchdowns during his career, including a dozen in 1976 to set a then-NFL record. He nearly got the 1976 Patriots to the AFC title game before the team's controversial loss to the Raiders in the playoffs. Grogan ranks third in Patriots team history in passing yards, second in passing touchdowns, fourth in rushing touchdowns and 20th in rushing yards.
Andre Tippett
Patriots career: 1961-1967
Enshrined in 1993
Tippett is one of the greatest linebackers to ever play the game, and spent all 12 years of his career racking up tackles and sacks for the Patriots. He was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 when he had 16.5 sacks, and got to the quarterback 100 times to set a Patriots team record. He was finally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Bruce Armstrong
Patriots career: 1987-2000
Enshrined in 2001
Armstrong anchored the New England offensive line for most of his career and started all 212 games that he played in for the Patriots. He was Rookie of the Year in 1987, made six Pro Bowls during his career and was named to the Patriots' All-1980s and All-1990s teams. His No. 78 was retired in 2001, the same year he took his place in the team's Hall of Fame.
Stanley Morgan
Patriots career: 1977-1989
Enshrined in 2007
Morgan remains New England's leader in receiving yards with 10,352 and is second in touchdowns with 67. His 19.2 yards per catch average remains an NFL record.
Morgan was a four-time Pro Bowler while in New England, and is part of the franchise's All-1970s and All-1980s teams.
Ben Coates
Patriots career: 1991-1999
Enshrined in 2008
A monster of a tight end for the Patriots, Coates ranks seventh in franchise history in receiving yards (5,471), sixth in receptions (490), and third in touchdowns (50). He was Drew Bledsoe's favorite target and led the team in touchdown receptions for six straight seasons.
Coates was a two-time First Team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowler, and is a member of the Patriots' 50th Anniversary Team.
Billy Sullivan
Patriots career: 1963-1988
Enshrined in 2009
The Patriots' original owner, Sullivan was the first person enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame as a contributor. He secured the eighth AFL franchise in 1959 and remained owner of the Patriots when the NFL and AFL merged in 1970. Under Sullivan's ownership, the Patriots made the NFL playoffs five times, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1985.
Jim Nance
Patriots career: 1965-1971
Enshrined in 2009
The MVP of the AFL in 1966 after rushing for 1,458 yards and 11 touchdowns, Nance is the franchise's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 45 and is second in rushing yards with 5,323 behind Sam Cunningham. He was named to the Patriots' All-Time Team in 2009.
Sam Cunningham
Patriots career: 1973-1979, 1981-1982
Enshrined in 2010
Sam "Bam" Cunningham is the Patriots all-time leading rusher with 5,453 yards, and his 43 rushing scores are second behind Nance. He ran for 1,015 yards in 1977 and another 738 yards in 1978 when the Patriots set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a season with 3,165 yards -- a record that stood until the Ravens passed it in 2019.
Cunningham is a member of the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team and 1970s All-Decade Team.
Drew Bledsoe
Patriots career: 1993-2001
Enshrined in 2011
The first overall pick in 1993, Bledsoe and his big arm made the Patriots relevant again after years of terrible football in Foxboro. He set numerous passing records before Brady rewrote the books in New England, and led the Pats to the playoffs four times in his first six seasons. He led the team to the Super Bowl for just the second time in franchise history in 1996.
Jon Morris
Patriots career: 1964-1974
Enshrined in 2011
A Pro Bowl center for New England in 1970 -- making him the first Patriots player to earn the honor -- Morris also made six straight AFL All-Star games before the franchise joined the NFL. The Patriots drafted the Holy Cross product in 1964, when Morris was also drafted by Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers. But he picked the Patriots, and anchored the team's offensive line for a decade.
Troy Brown
Patriots career: 1993-2007
Enshrined in 2012
Brown did everything for the Patriots over his 15-year career with the team, overcoming the odds as an eighth-round pick and a 5-foot-10 receiver/punt returner. In addition to catching a whole lot of passes -- 557, which ranks third in the franchise's record books -- he also played some defensive back during the 2004 season. His 6,366 receiving yards are fifth in team history, and he remains atop the record books with 252 punt returns.
Brown was fan favorite and the love for him only grew as he won three Super Bowls with the organization. He is on the Patriots' All-2000s team, 50th Anniversary Team, and All-Dynasty Team.
Gil Santos
Patriots career: 1988-2012
Enshrined in
Santos was the "Voice of the New England Patriots" for 36 seasons, calling 743 games on the radio. His voice is attached to some of the greatest moments in Patriots history, including Adam Vinatieri's game-winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVI that gave New England the franchise's first title.
Santos was just the second non-player to be enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Tedy Bruschi
Patriots career: 1996-2008
Enshrined in 2013
Bill Belichick called Bruschi the "perfect player" and he showed that throughout his 13-year career in New England. A third-round pick in 1996, Bruschi was a team captain seven times and helped anchor some of the league's most dominant defenses, earning three Super Bowl rings.
He always made huge game-changing plays for New England, whether Bruschi was bringing down the opposing quarterback or returning an interception for a touchdown, which he did four times in his career. Bruschi suffered a stroke in February of 2005, but he returned to play nine games that season and three more seasons for the Patriots.
Ty Law
Patriots career: 1995-2004
Enshrined in 2014
An absolute stud of a cornerback with three Super Bowl rings in New England, Law was a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All Pro during his time with the Patriots.
His 36 interceptions with the Patriots is tied with Raymond Clayborn for the franchise record, and Law owns the most pick-sixes (six) and the most interception-return yards (583) in team history.
Law made a number of huge plays for the New England defense, from his pick-six against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI for the game's first points to his three interceptions against Peyton Manning in the 2003 AFC Championship Game. He was named to the Patriots' All-1990s and All-2000s Teams, the Patriots' 50th Anniversary Team, and the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Houston Antwine
Patriots career: 1961-1971
Enshrined in 2015
Antwine appeared in 142 games over his 11 seasons with the Patriots, and led the team in sacks for three consecutive seasons from 1967-69. His 39 career sacks rank 10th on the team's all-time list.
Antwine was an AFL All-Star for six straight seasons and is a member of the Patriots' 50th Anniversary Team and 1960s All-Decade Team.
Willie McGinest
Patriots career: 1994-2005
Enshrined in 2015
A versatile defensive end/linebacker, McGinest was a beast for the Patriots after the team drafted him fourth overall in 1994. He led the team in sacks six times and his 78 sacks rank third in team history.
McGinest was a cornerstone player on three Super Bowl championship teams, and his 16 postseason sacks remain an NFL record. He was a Pro Bowler in 1996 and 2003, and is a member of New England's All-1990s, All-2000s, and All-Dynasty teams.
Kevin Faulk
Patriots career: 1999-2011
Enshrined in 2016
Faulk spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Patriots, becoming one of the most productive third-down backs -- and players -- in team history. He racked up 12,349 all-purpose yards and is the teams all-time leading return man, totaling 5,041 combined return yards.
He ranks fifth in Patriots history in rushing yards (3,607) and seventh in receptions (431), collecting three Super Bowl rings during his career. Faulk is a member of the Patriots' All-2000s Team and 50th Anniversary Team as a return specialist.
Raymond Clayborn
Patriots career: 1977-1989
Enshrined in 2017
Clayborn was an incredible defensive back and kickoff return man, earning three Pro Bowl nods over his 13 seasons with the Patriots. His 36 interceptions are tied for the most in franchise history with Law, and he's third in interception return yards behind Law and Devin McCourty.
He was a three-time First-Team All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowler, and is a member of the Patriots' All-1970s, All-1980s, and 35th Anniversary teams.
Matt Light
Patriots career: 2001-2011
Enshrined in 2018
Light protected Brady's blind side for 11 seasons, winning three Super Bowls and playing in five title games. He was named to three Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 2007, and is a member of New England's 50th Anniversary Team.
Leon Gray
Patriots career: 1973-1978
Enshrined in 2019
Along with Hannah, Gray locked down the left side of the New England offensive line for six seasons. He helped Patriots running backs rack up a then-record 3,165 rushing yards in 1978.
Rodney Harrison
Patriots career: 2003-2008
Enshrined in 2019
The Patriots' defense was already loaded when Harrison joined the team in 2003, but he made the unit all the more ferocious with his big hits and big interceptions. He helped anchor the secondary on New England's back-to-back Super Bowl championship teams in 2003 and 2004, and he came down with seven interceptions in his nine playoff games with the Patriots.
He led the Patriots in tackles in each of his first two seasons in New England, and repeated that feat in the playoffs. Harrison is the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a defensive back with 30.5, and is the only defensive back in NFL history with 30 sacks and 30 interceptions in his career.
Harrrison spend just six seasons with the Patriots, but he was named to the All-2000s, All-Dynasty, and 50th Anniversary teams.
Richard Seymour
Patriots career: 2001-2008
Enshrined in 2020
An absolute monster of a defensive end, Seymour was a force on the New England defensive line for eight seasons, making five straight Pro Bowls and earning First-Team All-Pro honors in three straight seasons. A four-time team captain, "Big Sey" helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls, and is a member of the All-2000s Team and 50th Anniversary Team.
Seymour was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Tracy Sormanti
Patriots career: 1983-2020
Enshrined in 2020
Sormanti was involved with Patriots cheerleading for 32 seasons, first as a cheerleader in 1983 and then as Cheerleading Director starting in 1994. Her squads performed in 10 Super Bowls and visited more than 30 countries, but were best known for their thousands of community appearances.
She was the first woman to be inducted in the Patriots Hall of Fame and only the third contributor. Sadly, Sormanti passed away in December of 2020 after a three-year battle with multiple myeloma.
Vince Wilfork
Patriots career: 2004-2014
Enshrined in 2022
Big Vince will go down as one of the best defensive lineman to ever play in New England, winning a pair of Super Bowls after the team drafted him in 2004. A seven-time team captain and four-time All-Pro, Wilfork played in 21 playoff games with the Patriots and did a lot of run-stuffing along the defensive line.
He's on the Patriots' All-2000s and All-2010s teams and 50th Anniversary Team.
Mike Vrabel
Patriots career: 2001-2008
Enshrined in 2023
Vrabel is viewed as one of Bill Belichick's best free-agent signings ever, helping the team win three Super Bowls upon his arrival in 2001. After he played mostly as reserve linebacker and special teams player for four years in Pittsburgh, he became a versatile force on the New England defense. He especially came through in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and not just on the defensive side of the ball.
Vrabel caught 10 passes in his career, and all 10 went for touchdowns for the Patriots. That included touchdown receptions in New England's Super Bowl wins over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
For his contributions, Vrabel is a member of the Patriots' All-2000s Team, the 50th Anniversary Team, and the franchise's All-Dynasty Team.
Dante Scarnecchia
Patriots career: 1982-1988, 1991-2013, 2016-2019
Enshrined in 2023
Coach Scarnecchia spent 34 of his 36 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, helping mold the offensive line for nearly two decades. He started in New England as a special teams and tight ends coach in 1982 under Ron Meyers. He returned to the Patriots in 1991 after a two-year stint with the Colts and then spent the next 22 years in New England, taking over the offensive line in 1999. He retired in 2014, but was back in 2016 for another run as coach of the New England offensive line for four more seasons.
Overall, Coach Scar spent 19 seasons coaching the offensive line of the Patriots, winning five championships and coaching in 10 Super Bowls. Scarnecchia worked under six different head coaches in New England and all four of the team's owners. In addition to being enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023, Scarnecchia was also awarded the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Award of Excellence.
