FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots had a number of special guests on hand for their “Sunday Night Football” clash against the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona, an active member of the U.S. Navy, took the lead in organizing New England’s donation of 200 tickets for military members to attend the highly anticipated Super Bowl LI rematch.
Prior to the game, several of these military members were on the field for team warmups. A number of Patriots and Falcons players greeted the special guests for the game, including Tom Brady.
During a pregame interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shed light on how the ticket donation idea came into action and also stressed his team’s appreciation for the armed forces.
“Joe really started that and the team really jumped in,” Belichick said. “We’re happy to have them here. Obviously proud of the job they do for us and give us the opportunity to do what we do. It will be a great night to recognize them and they certainly deserve it. They’re the real heroes.”
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
