This NFL Hall Of Famer Visited Patriots Practice, Spoke To Team

The Patriots had a special guest at practice last week.

Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy was in Foxboro, Mass., last Thursday to be on hand for a round of New England’s organized team activities, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The Pro Football Hall of Famer reportedly spoke to the team as well.

“(Jerod) Mayo has said he is open to various perspectives as he embarks on his head-coaching career, and Dungy’s presence is an example of him acting on that,” Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday. “Dungy also has a strong faith-based connection with Matthew Slater, who is serving as a right-hand man to Mayo.”

Of course, Dungy was a nemesis of sorts to Mayo’s predecessor, Bill Belichick. The Patriots and the Colts developed quite a rivalry while Dungy was at the helm in Indianapolis from 2002 to 2008, with each team beating the other en route to a Super Bowl championship.

Speaking of the Colts, the Patriots will host Dungy’s former team for a Week 13 clash on Dec. 1 before heading into their bye.