The New England Patriots witnessed a former player find out that he is headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
At the NFL Honors on Thursday, February 9, Darrelle Revis found out that he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“For me, it was just surreal,” Revis said via the New York Post. “I think in your mind a lot of thoughts play back, just all the hard work, the hours you put in, the highs, the lows, the failures, the successes, coming from the neighborhood that you come from, just really persevering through things. … It’s amazing, man. I never thought I would be a Hall of Famer. For me, it was about winning and trying to win championships, as many as I could.”
Patriots legend Ty Law delivered the news to Revis with the two cornerbacks hailing from the same hometown.
Darrelle Revis Had an Amazing NFL Career
Revis is more than deserving of the first-ballot nod. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro an additional four times.
While Revis only spent one season with the Patriots, it was a memorable one. Along with winning a Super Bowl, the cornerback tallied two interceptions with New England, per Pro Football Reference.
Even though Revis won a Super Bowl, he doesn’t remember his time with the Patriots fondly.
“You know, I’m happy for the grind and the hustle of winning Super Bowl 49,” Revis said on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast. “But you know waking up every day and walking into the facility and having to deal with the tension, you see why they’ve been to 10 Super Bowls. You see the hustle and the grind of it, but at the end of the day, there’s other philosophies to win and it doesn’t have to be that way.
“Nobody likes it in the locker room,” Revis added. “Just being honest, nobody likes it.”
Adam Vinatieri Reflects on Time With New England Patriots
The former Patriots kicker is out in Arizona for the Super Bowl and spoke with NBC Sports Boston about his career with New England.
“I think when you’re in that organization, and we accomplished what we accomplished, I feel like I’ll always be a Patriot in some facet,” Vinatieri said. “I feel like I was fortunate enough to play two full careers. I really did. Twenty-four years is a long time. A lot of guys don’t play 10 years anyway. So playing 10 years in New England and being part of a team that won three Super Bowls at the time, all my teammates and stuff. Some of my best friends are still guys I played with there.
“So don’t ask me, ‘Which team is more important to you?’ because they’re equally as important to me, but no doubt those memories, those times, those experiences there are burned into my heart,” the kicker added. “There’s absolutely no way I would deny that. I still feel like I’m a Patriot to some facet. I still feel like I’m a Colt to a facet too. No disrespect to anybody. Whenever you win a Super Bowl or achieve what those teams achieved, that team is my family as much as my blood relatives are.”
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Legendary Cornerback, Patriots Super Bowl Winner Headed to Hall of Fame