The New England Patriots have announced the finalists for The Class of 2014 to be inducted into The Hall at Patriots Place this fall.
Returning as a finalist again is former head coach Bill Parcells. Parcells led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI before leaving for the New York Jets after a dispute with owner Robert Kraft over who should get to pick the team’s players.
Parcells took over in 1993 when he decided to return to coaching and leave the broadcast booth. He had retired in 1991 after leading the New York Giants to their first two Super Bowl victories. With New England Parcells was 32-32 and coached the team to one Super Bowl appearance (XXXI, lost to Green Bay) after winning the AFC East in his final season with the franchise. Under his tutelage the team went to the playoffs twice in his four seasons.
In his four years in Foxboro the team brought in several players who helped turn the fortunes of the team around under the leadership Parcells and the new ownership of the Kraft family. Among those drafted were QB Drew Bledsoe, LB Corwin Brown, WR Troy Brown, LB Chris Slade, LB Willie McGinnest, CB Ty Law, LB Ted Johnson, RB Curtis Martin, WR Terry Glenn, S Lawyer Milloy and LB Tedy Bruschi.
Parcells was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
The second finalist is former Patriots CB Ty Law, who, as stated above, was a Parcells draftee in the 1st round out of Michigan in 1995. Law played 10 of his 15 NFL seasons for the Patriots.
In 10 seasons in Foxboro he played in 141 games, starting 133 of them. He had 4 sacks, 36 INT’s, 6 of which he returned for TD’s and he defensed 45 passes. He is credited with 542 solo tackles and 96 assisted tackles for a total of 638 tackles in his New England career. As a Patriot he made 5 Pro Bowl teams and was twice a 1st Team All-Pro selection and has a chance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played in 4 Super Bowls (XXXI, lost to Green Bay) and was a three-time Super Bowl champion (XXXVI beat St. Louis, XXXVIII beat Carolina, XXXIX beat Philadelphia). He played on 6 playoff teams and for 3 head coaches as a Patriot.
The third finalist is former Patriots CB Raymond Clayborn who was drafted by the team in 1st round of the 1977 NFL Draft out of Texas. Clayborn played 13 of his 15 NFL seasons in Foxboro as a Patriot.
In those 13 years he is credited with 36 INT’s one of which he returned for a TD. He earned 3 Pro Bowl selections as a Patriot and was on the franchise’s very first Super Bowl team (XX, lost to Chicago) in 1985 under Raymond Berry. He played on 4 playoff teams and for 5 different head coaches as a Patriot.
You can vote for your selection for The Hall by visiting the team web page by May 15.
