There was a time, in what seems like a distant past, when a Patriots fan would skim through the NFL record books hoping to find something – anything – held by the home team.
The 1978 Patriots still hold the NFL single-season rushing record (3,165 yards) and Steve Grogan’s 12 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in 1976 was a record until Cam Newton broke it. Steve Nelson’s three fumble recoveries in a 1978 game remains a record.
But there wasn’t much – if anything – else.
How times have changed. Today, the record books are filled with Patriots. Quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick lead the way, but players like James White, Randy Moss, Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Allen and Willie McGinest have also left their marks.
The Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon – in an effort to celebrate and honor the record success experienced over the last six decades – has opened a new exhibit titled Recording Artists.
“This new exhibit showcases our players’ amazing accomplishments from throughout history,” Hall executive director Bryan Morry said. “The Patriots emphasize a team-first mentality and individual accolades and record-setting performances typically follow team success. We have Super Bowl trophies on display that do a great job honoring the team’s success. This exhibit looks mostly at individual records while also celebrating the 40-year anniversary of the 1978 team’s rushing record.”
Brady and Belichick highlight the exhibit as both have established themselves among the greatest in their profession. Belichick is now third all-time in wins by a head coach, but no head coach has won more Super Bowls than his five. Brady holds so many records – many related to winning – that it’s difficult to keep track. They are the conductors standing at the front of the orchestra while Robert Kraft oversees the record label.
“We applied a music theme to the exhibit, showcasing the players’ records on graphics of old LPs,” Morry added. “Jon Bon Jovi is close to Coach Belichick and Robert Kraft and was inducted into the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame recently; so it seemed like a great way to theme an exhibit about records. I have to imagine that all three men will be Hall of Famers someday. So we even worked in a picture of the three men together.”
With that being the case, the five-time Super Bowl champion Patriots have gone platinum. The team’s dynastic success is unprecedented. Because of that, the NFL record books are now filled with Patriots.
