The Patriots on Tuesday revealed the finalists for the organization’s 2022 Hall of Fame class and one former New England player wasn’t thrilled with the list.
Vince Wilfork, Logan Mankins and Mike Vrabel all are eligible for enshrinement in the Patriots Hall of Fame, which resides right outside of Gillette Stadium. Shortly after the news came through, ex-New England cornerback Asante Samuel expressed displeasure with his omission and took aim at Bill Belichick.
“Why is my name not on here Coach Belichick,” Samuel tweeted Tuesday morning.
Samuel, who left Foxboro after the 2007 NFL season, still has beef with the Patriots head coach. The four-time Pro Bowl selection back in the fall accused Belichick of “blowing smoke” when praising Tom Brady and also suggested Belichick hasn’t proven he’s a great coach since all of his successes were achieved alongside the legendary quarterback. Samuel even went as far as to claim he made Belichick understand the cornerback position.
The two-time Super Bowl champion can stay mad at Belichick for as long as he wants, but he probably doesn’t have a leg to stand on if he’s suggesting New England’s coach is keeping him out of the Patriots Hall of Fame. The fact of the matter is it’s a tough honor to earn. Vrabel, one of the most important members of New England’s first dynasty, has been a finalist for six consecutive years now.
Samuel is surrounded by great company when it comes to former Patriots, so there’s a good chance he never makes his way into The Hall in Foxboro. And blaming Belichick for that is ludicrous.
