One Unsung Hero From Each Super Bowl-Winning Patriots Team

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick receive most of the credit for the Patriots’ dynasty.

Understandable. As quarterback and head coach, they were the faces of New England’s unprecedented success to kick off the 21st century.

Heck, you even could toss in team owner Robert Kraft, the man who hired Belichick, for his leadership in overseeing the entire operation.

But there were plenty of other valuable contributors over the years — some stars, some lesser-known players — who deserve recognition for the banners flying in Foxboro.

Let’s identify one unsung hero from each of the Patriots’ six Super Bowl-winning teams.

Super Bowl XXXVI (2001): Roman Phifer, LB
Take your pick, really. The 2001 Patriots were the ultimate underdog story, their championship culminating with a 20-17 win in Super Bowl XXXVI despite the then-St. Louis Rams — “The Greatest Show on Turf” — being 14-point favorites. Brady, as would become the case so often in his storied career, was magical in the clutch, shattering expectations as a fresh-faced, 24-year-old, second-year signal-caller. But Belichick’s defense was the engine behind this duck boat. And Phifer doesn’t receive enough credit for being a stalwart of the unit, starting all 16 regular-season games and all three playoff games. Only Lawyer Milloy, a four-time Pro Bowler, totaled more tackles than Phifer, an unheralded veteran linebacker upon arriving in New England and a three-time Super Bowl champion upon exiting Foxboro.

Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003): Dan Koppen, C
Belichick had a knack for uncovering hidden gems in the NFL draft — see Brady, sixth-round pick (No. 199 overall) in 2000 — and Koppen certainly qualifies as such. Koppen, a fifth-round pick (No. 164) out of Boston College, started 15 regular-season games and all three playoff games as a rookie in 2003 after injuries struck New England’s offensive line. Not only was he a stabilizing force, delivering snaps to Brady as the quarterback blossomed into an MVP candidate. He also solidified his job status, as Koppen ultimately spent nine seasons in New England.

Super Bowl XXXIX (2004): Eugene Wilson, S
New England’s defense was absolutely stacked in 2004. We’re talking Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison, among others. But do you know who started alongside Harrison at free safety? Yup, it was Wilson, then in his second season after being selected in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. And Wilson led the team with four interceptions during the regular season before picking off Ben Roethlisberger twice in the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also added a fumble recovery as the Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX.

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Super Bowl XLIX (2014): Shane Vereen, RB
The Patriots have had some really good pass-catching running backs over the years, including James White, Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead and Dion Lewis. Vereen filled that role for New England in 2014, totaling the fourth-most receptions (52) and fourth-most receiving yards (447) on the team in addition to the second-most rushing yards (391). He also saved his best work for Super Bowl XLIX, catching a game-high 11 passes — then a Super Bowl record for a running back — as the Patriots rallied to beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.

Super Bowl LI (2016): Alan Branch, DT
Remember Dont’a Hightower’s game-changing strip sack of Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI? Of course you do. Well, it was Branch who jumped on the football, paving the way for New England’s epic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. And that wasn’t Branch’s only contribution that season. He was a steady presence along the Patriots’ defensive line. Branch had the 11th-highest PFF grade among 54 defensive linemen with at least 500 snaps in 2016, sandwiched between Linval Joseph and Jurrell Casey, two multi-time Pro Bowlers. He ranked fifth against the run.

Super Bowl LIII (2018): Trey Flowers, LB
Even those in the Patriots’ locker room in 2018 had a hard time pinpointing the team’s most underrated player. There were so many good candidates for the label. Let’s roll with Flowers, though, because he really brought his game to another level for a defense that was among the NFL’s best. PFF ranked Flowers No. 21 on its list of the top 101 players from the 2018 season, placing him between Jamal Adams and Von Miller, two players with All-Pro pedigrees. Flower was about as versatile as it gets for edge rushers, making an immense impact by disrupting the quarterback and stopping the run.