As far back as 2004, when my first book was published, I’ve thought of writing about the process of team-building and drafting. There was a chapter in that book, Patriot Reign, that touched on the process, but it’s always gnawed at me for that reason: It touched on the process. There are several steps that scouts and evaluators go through before they think of which names to call on draft day, and I wanted to explore that journey more thoroughly.
In a sense, I think many of us do. The popularity of the NFL draft and fantasy football has made amateur team-builders of us all, leading to as much second-guessing for the people who put teams together as those who play in the games. I’m not ashamed to admit that analyzing how teams are built has been a nerdy obsession of mine for as long as I can remember. A couple years ago, I had the thought of “doing something” on the draft with the New England Patriots as the centerpiece. What you’re holding today is possible thanks to dozens of people who helped me bring that undefined thought into focus.
It was quite a blessing to be able to focus at all. In the early stages of reporting and researching, there was a surprising phone call from my wife, Oni. She was a few months pregnant and had gone for what we expected to be a routine appointment. Instead, she was told that she was being placed on immediate bed rest. It was a frightening time, although neither of us admitted just how frightened we were until after our son was born in December 2010, one month early but with no complications. I don’t know how she was able to do it, but Oni made everything seem normal while being a constant supporter of this project. I often told my editor, Mauro DiPreta, that my wife was just as exacting as he was when it came to staying on a writing schedule. There are many reasons it’s been a privilege to live in New England the last seventeen years, but number one is that this is the region where I met Oni, an incredible mother, my inspiration, and my best friend.
My literary family, agent Basil Kane and editor DiPreta, went to another level in the last couple years. I’ve always had good professional relationships with both of them, but we’ve grown to the point where we’re friends and the titles are secondary. Kane is always there with fatherly advice (“Make sure you stay in shape … and hug the kids for me”), and DiPreta has the rare ability to be brutally honest and critical while also encouraging. I’m lucky to have them both on my side. Thanks also to Aja Pollock and Jen Schulkind, who saved me more times than I can count.
There would be no book if the three principal characters, Bill Belichick, Thomas Dimitroff, and Scott Pioli, weren’t so secure. It’s uncommon in the increasingly spin-conscious world of pro sports to allow an author access without receiving some assurances in return. All three agreed to share insights about their organizations and themselves without ever asking to be in control of, or asking to see, what was written. They were generous enough to endure my lurking as well as my questions and requests for more than a year, although I may have gone too far when I peppered Pioli with questions a couple days before day one of the draft. “Do you realize I have a draft to get ready for?” he said. “When I get fired, maybe you’ll be kind enough to let my family live in your attic.” Teasing aside, all three men provided quite an education on my favorite sport, and I’m thankful for that.
The teams for which they work were extremely helpful, too. Arthur Blank and Clark Hunt were accommodating and generous with their time. Robert Kraft and his entire family have maintained the same level of professionalism over the years. I’ve attended many games in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and seen the passion of Patriots fans. It was fun to witness a similar level of devotion in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium and in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. The achievements of Belichick, Dimitroff, and Pioli wouldn’t be as meaningful without their observant and critical fans.
Each organization has several people in it, or affiliated with it, who contributed to this project and helped me connect some loose ends. I’d rather not put them all in a cluster, so I’ll break them down region by region:
Atlanta: Helen Dimitroff, Angeline Bautista-Dimitroff, Stephanie Blank, Kim Schreckengost, Mike Smith, Lionel Vital, Reggie Roberts, Laura Moore, Les Snead, Darryl Orlando Ledbetter, DeJuan Polk, Ran Carthon, Nick Polk, Dave Caldwell, Marvin Allen, Steve Sabo, Dean Stamoulis, Brian Cearns.
Kansas City: Dallas Pioli, Emily Claver, Daniel Hunt, Ryan Petkoff, Todd Haley, Phil Emery, Jay Muraco, Romeo Crennel, Anthony Pleasant, Otis Smith, Maurice Carthon, Jim Nagy, Joel Collier, Brad Gee, Pam Kramer, Joe Posnanski, Pete Moris, Field Yates, Ralph Marchant, Tripp MacCracken.
New England: Berj Najarian, Stacey James, Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, Vince Wilfork, Bianca Wilfork, Rosevelt Colvin, Ellis Hobbs, Josh McDaniels, Eric Mangini, Lenny Clarke.
Special thanks also to Ted Crews of the Saint Louis Rams, who went far above and beyond the call of duty to set up an interview with head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Roland Williams, who was a member of the Raiders when they lost the Tuck Rule game to the Patriots in 2002, was kind enough to recall each key moment of the game, even though it still bothers him to this day. Mike Lombardi, Belichick’s director of player personnel in Cleveland, answered numerous questions about the conception and development of the draft system the Patriots, Chiefs, and Falcons use today. Neil Swidey, a terrific author, encouraged me even as he was at work on his own book. He sent frequent texts, sometimes to help me out of ruts and sometimes just to say hello. My bosses and colleagues at WEEI radio have been positive and helpful, from telling me to write more books (easier said than done, right?) to giving me the time to complete these projects. Alice Darling Secretarial Services in Cambridge, Massachusetts, put me at ease with flawless transcription work.
As usual, my extended family was supportive and understanding when I disappeared for long stretches of time as I tried to complete this book. Thanks and love to the Holley, Soberanis, Igartua-Preston, Johnson, Shakur, Robinson, Green, Cravanas, and Sales families.