New England Patriots Day: Why April 16 Will Always Be Special in Team History

Getty INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 18: Head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots congratulate each other after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 18, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Patriots defeated the Colts 34-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

If there was such thing as a professional football team having a designated holiday, April 16 would be the biggest one for the New England Patriots.

Thursday marked the 68th birthday of current head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick. It’s also the 20-year anniversary future Hall-of-Famer, and now-former Patriots quarterback was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

It would take some serious digging, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another date that meant so much to the history and success of one NFL franchise.

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This should be a day Patriots fans acknowledge forever as it produced the two men most responsible for the six Super Bowl championships, and the greatest sports dynasty of this century.

The 2020 Version Could Have Been Better

While nothing will ever take away all Belichick and Brady accomplished together over two decades, it feels weird to have the 20-year-anniversary of the QB being drafted happen a month after he left the team to sign a lucrative free-agent deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The images and social media response would probably have been a little more plentiful if Brady had re-signed with the Patriots. As it is, it seems most Patriots fans are ready to move on, and Brady has seemingly already turned the page.

Belichick’s Birthday Wishes

The Patriots’ Twitter account, members of the media, and others took to Twitter to wish Belichick a happy birthday.

Tom Brady’s Draft Revisited

Watching the discussion around Brady when he came out of Michigan is surreal considering he was the 199th pick in the draft. Below there is an ESPN breakdown from draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. and several social media posts commemorating what many consider to be the best draft pick in NFL history.

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In case you’re wondering, here is a list of the players drafted ahead of Tom Brady in 2000. Pro-Bowlers are in beige and the lone Hall-of-Famer, Brian Urlacher is in gold.

1 1 Cleveland Browns Courtney Brown DE Penn State Big Ten
1 2 Washington Redskins LaVar Arrington LB Penn State Big Ten from New Orleans [R1 – 1]
1 3 Washington Redskins Chris Samuels OT Alabama SEC from San Francisco[R1 – 2]
1 4 Cincinnati Bengals Peter Warrick WR Florida State ACC
1 5 Baltimore Ravens Jamal Lewis RB Tennessee SEC from Atlanta[R1 – 3]
1 6 Philadelphia Eagles Corey Simon DT Florida State ACC
1 7 Arizona Cardinals Thomas Jones RB Virginia ACC
1 8 Pittsburgh Steelers Plaxico Burress WR Michigan State Big Ten
1 9 Chicago Bears Brian Urlacher LB New Mexico MWC
1 10 Baltimore Ravens Travis Taylor WR Florida SEC from Denver[R1 – 4]
1 11 New York Giants Ron Dayne RB Wisconsin Big Ten 1999 Heisman Trophy winner
1 12 New York Jets Shaun Ellis DE Tennessee SEC from Carolina via Washington via San Francisco [R1 – 5]
1 13 New York Jets John Abraham DE South Carolina SEC from San Diego via Tampa Bay[R1 – 6]
1 14 Green Bay Packers Bubba Franks TE Miami (FL) Big East
1 15 Denver Broncos Deltha O’Neal CB California Pac-10 from Baltimore [R1 – 7]
1 16 San Francisco 49ers Julian Peterson LB Michigan State Big Ten from New England via New York Jets
1 17 Oakland Raiders Sebastian Janikowski K Florida State ACC
1 18 New York Jets Chad Pennington QB Marshall MAC
1 19 Seattle Seahawks Shaun Alexander RB Alabama SEC from Dallas[R1 – 8]
1 20 Detroit Lions Stockar McDougle OT Oklahoma Big 12
1 21 Kansas City Chiefs Sylvester Morris WR Jackson State SWAC
1 22 Seattle Seahawks Chris McIntosh OT Wisconsin Big Ten
1 23 Carolina Panthers Rashard Anderson CB Jackson State SWAC from Miami
1 24 San Francisco 49ers Ahmed Plummer CB Ohio State Big Ten from Washington
1 25 Minnesota Vikings Chris Hovan DT Boston College Big East
1 26 Buffalo Bills Erik Flowers DE Arizona State Pac-10
1 27 New York Jets Anthony Becht TE West Virginia Big East from Tampa Bay
1 28 Indianapolis Colts Rob Morris LB BYU MWC
1 29 Jacksonville Jaguars R. Jay Soward WR USC Pac-10
1 30 Tennessee Titans Keith Bulluck LB Syracuse Big East
1 31 St. Louis Rams Trung Canidate RB Arizona Pac-10
2 32 Cleveland Browns Dennis Northcutt WR Arizona Pac-10
2 33 New Orleans Saints Darren Howard DE Kansas State Big 12
2 34 Cincinnati Bengals Mark Roman S LSU SEC
2 35 San Francisco 49ers John Engelberger DE Virginia Tech Big East
2 36 Philadelphia Eagles Todd Pinkston WR Southern Miss C-USA
2 37 Atlanta Falcons Travis Claridge G USC Pac-10
2 38 Pittsburgh Steelers Marvel Smith OT Arizona State Pac-10
2 39 Chicago Bears Mike Brown SS Nebraska Big 12
2 40 Denver Broncos Ian Gold LB Michigan Big Ten
2 41 Arizona Cardinals Raynoch Thompson LB Tennessee SEC
2 42 New York Giants Cornelius Griffin DT Alabama SEC
2 43 San Diego Chargers Rogers Beckett SS Marshall MAC
2 44 Green Bay Packers Chad Clifton OT Tennessee SEC
2 45 Denver Broncos Kenoy Kennedy SS Arkansas SEC from Baltimore
2 46 New England Patriots Adrian Klemm OT Hawaii WAC
2 47 Oakland Raiders Jerry Porter WR West Virginia Big East
2 48 San Francisco 49ers Jason Webster CB Texas A&M Big 12 from New York Jets
2 49 Dallas Cowboys Dwayne Goodrich CB Tennessee SEC
2 50 Detroit Lions Barrett Green LB West Virginia Big East
2 51 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cosey Coleman G Tennessee SEC from Carolina [R2 – 1]
2 52 Seattle Seahawks Ike Charlton CB Virginia Tech Big East
2 53 Miami Dolphins Todd Wade OT Ole Miss SEC
2 54 Kansas City Chiefs William Bartee CB Oklahoma Big 12
2 55 Minnesota Vikings Fred Robbins DT Wake Forest ACC
2 56 Minnesota Vikings Michael Boireau DE Miami (FL) Big East from Washington
2 57 Carolina Panthers Deon Grant FS Tennessee SEC
2 58 Buffalo Bills Travares Tillman FS Georgia Tech ACC
2 59 Indianapolis Colts Marcus Washington LB Auburn SEC
2 60 Jacksonville Jaguars Brad Meester C Northern Iowa Gateway
2 61 Philadelphia Eagles Bobbie Williams G Arkansas SEC from Tennessee
2 62 St. Louis Rams Jacoby Shepherd CB Oklahoma State Big 12
3 63 Cleveland Browns Travis Prentice RB Miami (OH) MAC
3 64 Washington Redskins Lloyd Harrison CB North Carolina State ACC from New Orleans
3 65 San Francisco 49ers Giovanni Carmazzi QB Hofstra Ind. (I-AA)
3 66 Cincinnati Bengals Ron Dugans WR Florida State ACC
3 67 Atlanta Falcons Mark Simoneau LB Kansas State Big 12
3 68 Tennessee Titans Erron Kinney TE Florida SEC from Philadelphia
3 69 Chicago Bears Dez White WR Georgia Tech ACC
3 70 Denver Broncos Chris Cole WR Texas A&M Big 12
3 71 Arizona Cardinals Darwin Walker DT Tennessee SEC
3 72 Pittsburgh Steelers Kendrick Clancy DT Mississippi SEC
3 73 New York Giants Ron Dixon WR Lambuth Mid South
3 74 Green Bay Packers Steve Warren DT Nebraska Big 12
3 75 Baltimore Ravens Chris Redman QB Louisville C-USA
3 76 New England Patriots J.R. Redmond RB Arizona State Pac-10
3 77 Pittsburgh Steelers Hank Poteat CB Pittsburgh Big East from Oakland
3 78 New York Jets Laveranues Coles WR Florida State ACC
3 79 Cleveland Browns JaJuan Dawson WR Tulane C-USA
3 80 Seattle Seahawks Darrell Jackson WR Florida SEC from Dallas
3 81 Detroit Lions Reuben Droughns RB Oregon Pac-10
3 82 Carolina Panthers Leander Jordan OT Indiana University of Pennsylvania PSAC
3 83 San Diego Chargers Damion McIntosh OT Kansas State Big 12
3 84 Miami Dolphins Ben Kelly CB Colorado Big 12
3 85 Kansas City Chiefs Greg Wesley FS Arkansas-Pine Bluff SWAC
3 86 San Francisco 49ers Jeff Ulbrich LB Hawaii WAC from Seattle
3 87 Chicago Bears Dustin Lyman TE Wake Forest ACC from Washington
3 88 Minnesota Vikings Doug Chapman RB Marshall MAC
3 89 Buffalo Bills Corey Moore LB Virginia Tech Big East
3 90 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nate Webster LB Miami (FL) Big East
3 91 Indianapolis Colts David Macklin CB Penn State Big Ten
3 92 Jacksonville Jaguars T.J. Slaughter LB Southern Mississippi C-USA
3 93 Tennessee Titans Byron Frisch DE BYU MWC
3 94 St. Louis Rams John St. Clair OT Virginia ACC
4 95 Cleveland Browns Lewis Sanders CB Maryland ACC
4 96 New Orleans Saints Terrelle Smith FB Arizona State Pac-10
4 97 Cincinnati Bengals Curtis Keaton RB James Madison A-10
4 98 Green Bay Packers Na’il Diggs LB Ohio State Big Ten from San Francisco
4 99 Philadelphia Eagles Gari Scott WR Michigan State Big Ten
4 100 Atlanta Falcons Michael Thompson OT Tennessee State OVC
4 101 Denver Broncos Jerry Johnson DT Florida State ACC
4 102 Arizona Cardinals David Barrett CB Arkansas SEC
4 103 Pittsburgh Steelers Danny Farmer WR UCLA Pac-10
4 104 St. Louis Rams Kaulana Noa G Hawaii WAC from Chicago
4 105 New York Giants Brandon Short LB Penn State Big Ten
4 106 Minnesota Vikings Antonio Wilson LB Texas A&M-Commerce Lone Star from Baltimore
4 107 Oakland Raiders Junior Ioane DE Arizona State Pac-10
4 108 San Francisco 49ers John Keith S Furman SoCon from Green Bay
4 109 Dallas Cowboys Kareem Larrimore CB West Texas A&M Lone Star
4^ 110 Cleveland Browns Aaron Shea TE Michigan Big Ten
4 111 San Diego Chargers Trevor Gaylor WR Miami (OH) MAC from Philadelphia
4 112 Denver Broncos Cooper Carlisle G Florida SEC from Carolina
4 113 San Diego Chargers Leonardo Carson DT Auburn SEC from Detroit via Philadelphia
4 114 Green Bay Packers Anthony Lucas WR Arkansas SEC
4 115 Kansas City Chiefs Frank Moreau RB Louisville C-USA
4 116 Seattle Seahawks Marcus Bell LB Arizona Pac-10
4 117 Miami Dolphins Deon Dyer FB North Carolina ACC
4 118 Minnesota Vikings Tyrone Carter S Minnesota Big Ten
4 119 Seattle Seahawks Isaiah Kacyvenski LB Harvard Ivy from San Francisco
4 120 Carolina Panthers Alvin McKinley DE Mississippi State SEC from Tampa Bay
4 121 Buffalo Bills Avion Black WR Tennessee State OVC
4 122 Indianapolis Colts Josh Williams DT Michigan Big Ten
4 123 Jacksonville Jaguars Joey Chustz OT Louisiana Tech Ind. (I-A)
4 124 Tennessee Titans Bobby Myers S Wisconsin Big Ten
4 125 Chicago Bears Reggie Austin CB Wake Forest ACC from St. Louis
4* 126 Green Bay Packers Gary Berry S Ohio State Big Ten
4* 127 New England Patriots Greg Randall OT Michigan State Big Ten
4* 128 Tennessee Titans Peter Sirmon LB Oregon Pac-10
4* 129 Washington Redskins Michael Moore G Troy Southland
5 130 Cleveland Browns Anthony Malbrough CB Texas Tech Big 12
5 131 New Orleans Saints Tutan Reyes G Mississippi SEC
5 132 San Francisco 49ers Paul Smith DE Texas-El Paso WAC from St. Louis
5 133 Cincinnati Bengals Robert Bean CB Mississippi State SEC
5 134 Atlanta Falcons Anthony Midget CB Virginia Tech Big East
5 135 Tennessee Titans Aric Morris S Michigan State Big Ten from Philadelphia
5 136 Arizona Cardinals Mao Tosi DT Idaho Big West
5 137 Pittsburgh Steelers Clark Haggans LB Colorado State MWC
5 138 Indianapolis Colts Matt Johnson C BYU MWC from New Orleans
5 139 St. Louis Rams Brian Young DT Texas-El Paso WAC from Denver
5 140 New York Giants Ralph Brown CB Nebraska Big 12
5 141 New England Patriots Dave Stachelski TE Boise State Big West
5 142 Oakland Raiders Shane Lechler P Texas A&M Big 12
5 143 New York Jets Windrell Hayes WR USC Pac-10
5 144 Dallas Cowboys Michael Wiley RB Ohio State Big Ten
5 145 Detroit Lions Todd Franz S Tulsa WAC
5^ 146 Cleveland Browns Lamar Chapman CB Kansas State Big 12
5 147 Carolina Panthers Gillis Wilson DE Southern SWAC
5 148 Baltimore Ravens Richard Mercier G Miami (FL) Big East from San Diego
5 149 Green Bay Packers Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila DE San Diego State MWC
5 150 San Francisco 49ers John Milem DE Lenoir-Rhyne SAC from St. Louis via Chicago
5 151 Green Bay Packers Joey Jamison WR Texas Southern SWAC from Seattle
5 152 Miami Dolphins Arturo Freeman S South Carolina SEC
5 153 Kansas City Chiefs Dante Hall WR Texas A&M Big 12
5 154 Denver Broncos Muneer Moore WR Richmond A-10 from San Francisco via Seattle
5 155 Washington Redskins Quincy Sanders S UNLV MWC from Minnesota
5 156 Buffalo Bills Sammy Morris FB Texas Tech Big 12
5 157 Tampa Bay Buccaneers James Whalen TE Kentucky SEC
5 158 New Orleans Saints Austin Wheatley TE Iowa Big Ten from Indianapolis
5 159 Jacksonville Jaguars Kiwaukee Thomas CB Georgia Southern SoCon
5 160 Tennessee Titans Frank Chamberlin LB Boston College Big East
5 161 New England Patriots Jeff Marriott G Missouri Big 12 from St. Louis
5* 162 Kansas City Chiefs Pat Dennis CB Louisiana-Monroe Ind. (I-A)
5* 163 Pittsburgh Steelers Tee Martin QB Tennessee SEC
5* 164 Arizona Cardinals Jay Tant TE Northwestern Big Ten
5* 165 Minnesota Vikings Troy Walters WR Stanford Pac-10
5* 166 New Orleans Saints Chad Morton KR USC Pac-10
6 167 Miami Dolphins Ernest Grant DT Arkansas-Pine Bluff SWAC from Cleveland
6 168 New Orleans Saints Marc Bulger QB West Virginia Big East
6 169 Cincinnati Bengals Neil Rackers K Illinois Big Ten
6 170 Chicago Bears Frank Murphy WR Kansas State Big 12
6 171 Philadelphia Eagles Thomas Hamner RB Minnesota Big Ten
6 172 Atlanta Falcons Mareno Philyaw WR Troy Southland
6 173 Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Combs DE Duke ACC
6 174 Chicago Bears Paul Edinger K Michigan State Big Ten
6 175 Seattle Seahawks James Williams WR Marshall MAC from Denver
6 176 Arizona Cardinals Jabari Issa DE Washington Pac-10
6 177 New York Giants Dhani Jones LB Michigan Big Ten
6 178 Philadelphia Eagles John Frank DE Utah MWC from Oakland
6 179 New York Jets Tony Scott DB North Carolina State ACC
6 180 Dallas Cowboys Mario Edwards CB Florida State ACC
6 181 Detroit Lions Quinton Reese DE Auburn SEC
6 182 Carolina Panthers Jeno James G Auburn SEC
6^ 183 Cleveland Browns Spergon Wynn QB Southwest Texas State Southland
6 184 San Diego Chargers Shannon Taylor LB Virginia ACC
6 185 Seattle Seahawks Tim Watson DT Rowan NJAC from Green Bay
6 186 Baltimore Ravens Adalius Thomas LB Southern Mississippi C-USA
6 187 New England Patriots Antwan Harris SS Virginia ACC
6 188 Kansas City Chiefs Darnell Alford G Boston College Big East from Miami
6 189 Denver Broncos Mike Anderson RB Utah MWC from St. Louis
6 190 Seattle Seahawks John Hilliard DT Mississippi State SEC
6 191 Baltimore Ravens Cedric Woodard DT Texas Big 12 from Minnesota
6 192 Philadelphia Eagles John Romero C California Pac-10 from Washington
6 193 Tampa Bay Buccaneers David Gibson S USC Pac-10
6 194 Buffalo Bills Leif Olve Dolonen Larsen DE Texas-El Paso WAC
6 195 New Orleans Saints Michael Hawthorne S Purdue Big Ten from Indianapolis
6 196 Jacksonville Jaguars Emanuel Smith WR Arkansas SEC
6 197 Tennessee Titans Robaire Smith DT Michigan State Big Ten
6 198 St. Louis Rams Matt Bowen SS Iowa Big Ten

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