It can’t be confirmed if Hunter Henry was singing Peaches & Herb’s classic “Reunited” when he first saw Adrian Phillips inside the confines of Gillette Stadium this offseason, but nevertheless the former-Chargers-turned-Patriots teammates are enjoying being back on the field together.
“It’s the best. I’ve been going against AP for a long time, I mean dating back to the Chargers days in camp too,” Henry said in a post-practice availability Wednesday, per the team. “He’s a tremendous football player, super smart. So it’s fun. It was fun to see a familiar face when I came back. And we just continued to battle, we battled all spring, we’ll continue to battle throughout this summer, training camp.”
Phillips, a defensive back who is entering his second year in New England, echoed Henry’s praise.
“That’s my guy right there,” Phillips said. “We had a lot of battles out in L.A. together. It was no different. I don’t know if you could see he was waving me out there when it was time for the play just because every time we go against each other it’s a battle.
“It’s fun as hell,” Phillips added.
Phillips ultimately recorded an interception intended for Henry and was among the standouts during the first day of training camp. Still, Phillips had nothing but fond words for the Patriots’ new tight end, who is among the number of offseason signings.
“He’s a beast. That’s why his nickname’s ‘The Beast,'” Phillips said. “Every time I see him, I’m always yelling, ‘Beast!’ He’s a guy that just works hard. You talks about the New England Way. That’s him. He’s going to come in, do his job, he’s never going to complain about anything, and he’s going to ball.”
There’s sure to be endless competition with Henry and Phillips throughout the season, and the Patriots are hoping it make both players better for the 2021 campaign.
Perhaps, if all goes well, we could even get a duet? After all, they both are so excited ’cause they’re reunited.
