Former Patriots Safety Steve Gregory Joining Matt Patricia’s Staff In Detroit

Matt Patricia’s first NFL coaching staff will include one of his former players.

Former New England Patriots safety Steve Gregory will be joining Patricia’s Detriot Lions as a defensive assistant, his agency, DEC Management, announced Wednesday.

Gregory played two seasons with the Patriots in 2012 and 2013, which also were Patricia’s first two years as New England’s defensive coordinator. He started 23 games, tallying three interceptions and returning Mark Sanchez’s infamous Butt Fumble for a touchdown on Thanksgiving 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82RIfy-gRa4

The Patriots released Gregory after the 2013 season, and he retired a few months later. The 35-year-old began his coaching career in 2015 as a quality control coach for special teams at his alma mater, Syracuse.

In Detroit, Gregory will work under Patricia and defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, whom Patricia hired away from Boston College after taking over as Lions head coach last month. Pasqualoni was Gregory’s head coach at Syracuse from 2002 to 2004.