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Patriots announce 2020 finalists for team Hall of Fame

By David Souza
Gillette Stadium FOXBORO, MA - SEPTEMBER 9: A General view of Gillette Stadium during the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots on September 9, 2002 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots defeated the Steelers 30-14. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Al Bello/Getty Images)
By David Souza

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — On Tuesday morning, the New England Patriots announced three finalists for their 2020 team Hall of Fame induction, Bill Parcells, Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel. All three candidates have been finalists for the honor multiple times, but have yet to be elected into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Bill Parcells was head coach of the Patriots for four seasons spanning from 1993 through 1996, bringing the team to their second Super Bowl in team history during his final year. In Super Bowl XXXI, the Parcells-led Patriots fell, 35-21, to Brett Farve’s Green Bay Packers.

Parcells won Coach of the Year in New England in 1994 after the team finished 10-6, their first winning season since 1986.

PARCELLS BLEDSOE New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells, left, congratulates quarterback Drew Bledsoe after the Patriots first quarter touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during Super Bowl XXXI Sunday, Jan. 26, 1997, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (CHARLES KRUPA/AP)

During his time in New England, Parcells coached the Patriots to a 32-32 record across four seasons, with a 2-2 record in the postseason. The former head coach has now been a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame four times after being previously nominated for induction in 2011, 2012 and 2014.

Richard Seymour anchored the defensive line of the New England Patriots for eight seasons in the 2000s. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times as a Patriot, the most by any New England defensive lineman since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.

For three consecutive years - from 2003 through 2005 - Seymour was named an All-Pro as the league’s best player at his position. He has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the last two years and served as a Patriots team captain for four seasons. He was named to the NFL’s Team of the Decade for the 2000s.

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Starting in 105 of his 111 games as a Patriot, Seymour made 359 tackles and 39 sacks in New England. He also came down with two interceptions and recovered six fumbles during the course of his eight seasons with the team.

The lone defensive touchdown of his career came in 2004 when he returned a fumble 68 yards to the end zone in a 31-17 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

Richard Seymour New England Patriots' Richard Seymour (93) takes on Washington Redskins' Chris Samuels at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter in a football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007. Seymour was playing in his first game of the season. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson) (Winslow Townson/AP)

Playing in 15 postseason games with the Patriots, Seymour was a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams. In the playoffs, Seymour amassed 51 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two fumbles recovered - including one in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers.

Seymour has been a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame twice before, in 2017 and 2018.

Joining the Patriots the same year as Seymour, Mike Vrabel played eight seasons in New England during his 14-year career. A three-time Super Bowl champion, Vrabel hauled in 11 interceptions and recovered five fumbles during the course of his Patriots career. He was named an All-Pro at linebacker in 2007.

The former Ohio State product started 110 of 125 games as a Patriot and played in all 16 games in seven of his eight seasons with the team. During that time he amassed 606 tackles and 48 sacks.

A versatile player, Vrabel made 10 catches on offense in his Patriots career, all of which were touchdown receptions. Two of those touchdowns came on the game’s biggest stage as Vrabel hauled in a score in back-to-back Super Bowls for New England in 2003 and 2004.

MIKE VRABEL New England Patriots' Mike Vrabel hauls in a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Brady (12) behind Philadelphia Eagles' Quintin Mikell (46) in the third quarter of Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005. It was the second career touchdown reception for Vrabel, a linebacker. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) (JULIE JACOBSON/AP)

In Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina, Vrabel also forced a fumble in addition to his fourth-quarter touchdown.

This will be Vrabel’s fifth consecutive year as a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame, after being previously nominated in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Since 2007, the inductees into the Patriots Hall of Fame have been decided by the fans. The finalists are nominated by a committee - which includes Boston 25 Sports anchor Butch Stearns - made up of former Patriot players, staff and media, before fans vote on the candidate who they think is most deserving of induction.

The Patriots are the only team in the NFL that has its fans cast the final vote on player enshrinement. Fans who are looking to vote for the 2020 Patriots Hall of Fame inductee can do so by clicking here.

The team also inducts players through the Senior Committee, which considers players from the Patriots franchise who have been retired for 25 years or more. Players eligible must have previously been finalists who were not selected by fan vote.

The Senior Committee is made up of 10 senior members of the original selection committee that initially nominates players for fan vote.

Only three players in Patriots history have been inducted to the team Hall of Fame via the Senior Committee: Jon Morris in 2011, Houston Antwine in 2015 and Leon Gray in 2019.

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