Former defensive lineman Richard Seymour peeled the curtain back on his time with the New England Patriots during his enshrinement ceremony into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
The seven-time Pro Bowler, who spent eight seasons with the Patriots and won three Super Bowl titles with the organization, spoke glowingly about Bill Belichick and gave more insight into his first year with New England.
Despite being selected at No. 6 overall out of Georgia in the 2001 NFL Draft, it didn’t excuse Seymour from duties bestowed upon rookies by the team’s veterans, but the hulking lineman was still appreciative of getting to be surrounded by older players.
“I was fortunate to join a veteran team because I had a lot to learn,” Seymour said during his induction speech, as seen in a video posted on the Patriots’ Twitter feed. “My first year I went around carrying their pads and getting the Dunkin’ Donuts for the guys. I felt like the intern, but I was happy to do it because, in exchange, these generous men shared their experience and their wisdom. They taught me the nuances of the game.”
Seymour made sure to single out several integral members of the Patriots defense during his early years with the franchise, including Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison, Otis Smith, Ty Law, Anthony Pleasant and Mike Vrabel.
Getting to learn from those defensive stalwarts certainly provided a strong foundation for Seymour to go on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Seymour, who also played four seasons with the Oakland Raiders before retiring after the 2012 season, finished his illustrious career with 498 tackles and 57 1/2 sacks.
