The main engineer of the New England Patriots' dynasty, at least from a player standpoint, is Tom Brady. The legendary quarterback will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and there's no question the Patriots would not have their six Lombardi Trophies if not for him.
However, it takes a village to win in professional sports, and both segments of the Patriots' dynasty had a sizable village surrounding Brady. And there are two key figures in the success of those teams who are up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
They are kicker Adam Vinatieri and linebacker Tedy Bruschi, two of 20 players with ties to the Patriots who are eligible to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, next year. Among the other notable names are Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker, and Logan Mankins.
All of those guys played vital roles in the Patriots' dynasty, but Bruschi and Vinateri's spoke quite loudly.
If not for Tedy Bruschi and Adam Vinatieri, would the Patriots have won any of those first three titles?
Even though Vinateri didn't finish his career with the Patriots, he is best known for making some of the best clutch kicks in NFL history, two of which decided New England's first two championships.
But we all remember where we were when Vinateri hit the "Snow Bowl" kicks against the Raiders, including a game-tying 45-yard field goal that barely snuck over the crossbar. An inch or two to the other way, and there would be no Super Bowl XXXVI.
With that Super Bowl - and two years later, XXXVIII - on his foot, Vinateri delivered. Some Patriots' fans had sour grapes when he bolted for the rival Indianapolis Colts in free agency after the 2005 season, but that's all water under the bridge.
A pillar of a championship defense
Tedy Bruschi defines what it means to be a Patriot. He played in five Super Bowls - winning three - during his career, all of which were spent in New England. He overcame a stroke suffered in the weeks after Super Bowl XXXIX to play four more seasons. He was one of the current head coach Mike Vrabel's favorite teammates.
Bruschi's numbers don't resemble those of other great linebackers, but his voice on and off the field made him one of the most valuable Patriots to play for the organization. I still get chills when I hear the "we don't talk, we play" interview after the Patriots beat the Colts in the 2004 divisional round, a game many experts thought Indianapolis would win.
Bruschi already has a red jacket as a member of the Patriots' Hall of Fame. Let's make sure gets a gold jacket in the coming years.