Patriots Boast Hall-of-Fame Finalist in Darrelle Revis ... or Do They?
Darrelle Revis is one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history.
Darrelle Revis is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Darrelle Revis is "Revis Island."
Darrelle Revis is ... a New England Patriot?
Revis, of course, is best known for spending eight of his 11 NFL seasons with the New York Jets, where he was a perennial All-Pro that finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2009. When he was announced Wednesday night as one of 19 finalists for this year's Hall of Fame class, New York claimed him. And rightfully so.
But do the Patriots also own a piece of Revis' success?
Granted he was a one-and-done in Foxboro. But, boy, it was a doozy.
Revis starred for the Pats in 2014, making All-Pro and the Pro Bowl for a season highlighted by two interceptions, 14 passes defensed and generally scaring opposing quarterbacks from throwing to his side of the field. After helping New England to a 12-4 regular season and the AFC East championship, Revis shined in the playoffs.
He had an interception of the Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck in the AFC Championship Game, and a sack of Russell Wilson in the Pats' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. Malcolm Butler made the play to win that championship, but safe to say New England might not have even made it that far without its star in the secondary.
Revis, who also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, never approached the level of team success he enjoyed with New England. And there's no denying he's one of the best cornerbacks to ever suit up for the Pats.
But because of his imbalanced quality but not quantity, Revis is generally not included in talk of the Patriots' dynasty and he likely won't end up in the team's Hall of Fame. Evidently, that's okay with him.
In a 2021 interview, he didn't exactly fondly recall his time under Bill Belichick.
"Nobody likes it in the (Patriots') locker room. Just being honest, nobody likes it," Revis said on the "I Am Athlete" podcast.
Considering his Super Bowl success, he was asked point blank whether he enjoyed his time in Foxobor.
'No, I did not," Revis said. "You know, I'm happy for the grind and the hustle of winning Super Bowl 49, 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 ten 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."
Last Summer, Richard Seymour became the 10th member in Patriots franchise history to have his bust enshrined in Canton. Is Revis a legitimate - grumpiness and short shelf-life, notwithstanding - candidate to be No. 11?
Revis doesn't embrace the "Patriot Way."
Should New England attempt to claim him?
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