Ex-Patriots LB Reveals ‘Biggest Takeaway’ From Playing In New England

Suiting up for the New England Patriots means different things to different players.

Some embrace the “do your job” mantra, even if it means sacrificing individual accolades for the good of the organization, while others prefer a less disciplined approach.

Rosevelt Colvin, who spent six seasons with the Patriots from 2003 through 2008, not only appreciated his time playing for coach Bill Belichick. He has continued to lean on some of the principles he learned in New England since retiring from football.

“The Super Bowl rings are everything for sports and careers, so I’m very fortunate for that,” Colvin recently told The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain. “It was beneficial in that aspect. The flip side of it, what I use more of to this day: Forget football and being able to play alongside Hall of Famers. The biggest thing I learned was how to manage life.”

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Colvin, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, now owns four UPS stores in the Indianapolis area, and his wife, Tiffany, owns two bakeries. While this might seem like a far cry from life as an NFL linebacker, there’s still some overlap in how Colvin conducts business and manages his employees.

“The people who work for me and my wife say it all the time, they say, ‘I’ve never worked for anybody who has cared as much as you do and I’ve never enjoyed being employed by someone,’ ” Colvin said, according to Fishbain. “Relationships are huge. How you treat people is really big. That’s my biggest takeaway from New England — how to manage situations, egos and everyday operations.”

Colvin, who spent his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears before signing with the Patriots, sure made the most of his time in New England, earning a decent chunk of money, a couple of rings and life lessons he’ll probably never forget.

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