Bottoms Up: Patriots Hall of Famer Admits Drinking Alcohol Before Practice?!
Ty Law found a place where everyone knew his name.
But rather than "Cheers," it was the New England Patriots' practice field.
While prepping for the Buffalo Bills, Ty Law turned to Buffalo Trace, admitting that he and several other New England defenders sipped on whiskey as a way to combat the cold during frigid Foxborough practices.
“(Linebacker) Mike Vrabel used to have the flask," Law recalled during an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show." "So we would all go to Vrabel and hit the flask. He had some whiskey or something. He had everybody else getting the flask.”
Jim Hudelson, USA TODAY SPORTS
It's only crazy if it doesn't work, and it's hard to argue with the results: Law hinted that the practice in practice occurred during the Bill Parcells/Pete Carroll eras (1993-99), prior to Bill Belichick's arrival. New England made four playoff appearances in that span, which included an AFC title after the 1996-97 campaign.
But Law mentioned that the practice got a bit dangerous, as he hinted that he and his fellow defenders would take shots in the car on their way to practice.
"We had to get in our car with our shoulder pads on like we were in Little League, driving over there with helmets and shoulder pads on just being silly," Law declared. "When we were over there at the other practice facility it was going down on that little five-minute drive. It was cold outside.”
Law was sure to clarify that he was a teetotaler on Sundays: covering the turn-of-the-century's finest offensive talents was hard enough sober, after all.
"I have never drank before a game," Law declared. "I had to go out there and cover them fast guys. I can’t go out there covering Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and (Terrell Owens) with alcohol in my system. I’d be on the wrong end of those highlights.”
Law put down the flask on Sundays but no doubt had fans of the Patriots' opponents reaching for one: over 10 seasons (1995-2004), the defender tied Raymond Clayborn's franchise record with 36 interceptions while adding four more during five postseason runs. The latter category included the opening score of the team's first victorious Super Bowl visit in 2001, a 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in the game's 36th edition.
