Signings With Nellie Are In The Works
It’s not really news at this point that Game Changers: The Greatest Plays in New England Patriots History is scheduled to ship from Chicago on Thursday. But a reminder isn’t gonna hurt you.
More along the lines of actual news, we (and by we I mean the folks at Triumph ) appear to be closing in on dates for a pair of signings with Patriots Hall of Fame member Steve Nelson. I’m still blown away by the very fact that Nellie agreed to write the foreword for this book. I’m gonna be incredibly psyched to get to go out and sign books with him.
Yeah, yeah, I know that no one who shows up at those events is gonna care one bit about getting my signature. I don’t care. I want to meet Nellie just like you do. Because, look, here’s a guy who was part of the great Patriots squads of 1976, 1978 and 1985. And consider this: It was largely defense and special teams that got the 1985 Pats to Super Bowl XX. And Nellie was no small factor on the D that season. He led the team in tackles during the regular season (149) and was second on the team in tackles in the playoffs (26). This despite the fat that he he dislocated his shoulder in the second quarter of the wild card round win over the Jets. Not only did he play though that injury, but he recorded seven solo tackles and a fumble recovery. That’s the definition of tough football. Then two weeks later, still playing hurt, Steve had a key forced fumble that helped the Pats beat the Dolphins in Miami to win the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Huge. (Keep in mind, those of you who weren’t around for it, that those were the days when the Patriots never, ever won in Miami. That was one of the most significant wins in team history. Not on the same level as the Super Bowl victories, of course, but close. I think it would fall fourth on my list of all-time greatest Patriots triumphs.)
Oh, and by the way, this year marks the 1985 squad’s 25th anniversary. What better time to meet Steve Nelson? That goes for you and me both. I’ll let you know when you’ll get the opportunity as soon as dates are confirmed.
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