JUST ONE" TABLE OF CONTENTS Biographies: Assistant Coaches .................................. 7-9 Draft Choices, 1979 .................................... 38-40 t 6 Rm��� s�i�ci: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 5 Sullivan, William H., Jr................................... 4 Veteran Players. ................................ 10-34 Building the Patriots 36 Final 1978 Team Statistics .. 60-61 Historical Highlights of the Patriots. 68-69 Hotels on the Road... ....... 52 Important NFL Dates, 1979-80. 119 Listings: 100-Yard Rushing Games............... ............... 73 100 Games Played as a Patriot . .. .. .. ............. 80 300-Yard Passing Games .................. ............ 53 ; nF�t/ear-by-Year, Home and Away 67 ��:�J , . _ _ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 41 Awards, Post-Season ...................................... 57 Club Directory .. .. .. .. .. .......... 3 Crowds, Largest . .. .. .. .. ........... 70 Extra Points, by Kick . ............................. 73 Field Goals, All-Time . .............. .. 74 Field Goals, Year-by-Year 74 Head Coaches, Won and Lost .............. 9 lnterceRtors, Top 10...................................... 103 Kickoff Returners, Top 20 ................ 105 Last Time It Happened ................... .. .. 80 Leaders, Various Categories, Year-by-Year .............. 71-74 Passers, Top 10 . .. .. ............................... 103 Points, b'i_K1cking.... 74 Punters Top 10....... 105 Punt Re! urners, Top 20.......................... 105 Receivers, Top 30. 104 Retired Players ... 112 Rushers, Top 30 . 104 Scorers, Top 30...................... ... 103 Scoring, Home and Away Year-by-Year. 64-65 Won-Lost Home-Away, Year-by-Year .................... 64-65 Top Draft thoices, Year-by-Year ....... 80 Media Contacts. 116 Opponents: Pre-Season ..... .. 42 Regular Season. 47-57 Playoff Tie-breaking Procedures. 118 Records: Individual, all-time .................. 87-95 Defensive Team Records Broken, 1978. ......... 117 Team, all-time ......... .. 95-102 Schaefer Stadium, Team .... .. .. ... .. 106-108 Schaefer Stadium, Individual . ... .. .. 108-110 Results· NFL 1978 Standings . ... 112 1978 Game b'i_ Game Review 69-70 Pre-Season, Team by Team, Year-by-Year .. .. 43-46 Regular Season, Team by Team, Year-by-Year 58-59, 62-66 Pre-Season, Totals, vs. All Opponents ...... 41 Regular Season, Totals, vs. All Opponents. 67 Rosters: Coaches, All-Time .... .. .. 9 Draft Choices, all-time .. 81-86 First Year Players 1979 .. .. ............ 38 Patriots, all-time ....... 75-79 Veterans, 1979. 37 Schaefer Stadium Story 111 Schedules: NFL, 1979 Complete ....... 113-115 Patriots, 1979 ............. 2 Statistical Highlights. 1978.. 35 New England Patriots 1979 Schedule (All times local) PRE-SEASON Saturday, Aug. 4 at Atlanta Falcons 7:00 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12 LOS ANGELES RAMS 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19 OAKLAND RAIDERS 1 :00 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 at Denver Broncos 7:30 p.m. REGULAR SEASON Monday, Sept. 3 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 9:00 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 NEW YORK JETS TBA Sunday, Sept. 16 at Cincinnati Bengals 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 1 :00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1 at Green Bay Packers 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7 DETROIT LIONS 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 at Chicago Bears 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 MIAMI DOLPHINS 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28 at Baltimore Colts 2:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4 at Buffalo Bills 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 at Denver Broncos 2:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 BALTl MORE COL TS 1 :00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25 BUFFALO BILLS 1 :00 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29 at Miami Dolphins 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at New York Jets 4:00 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1 :00 p.m. Home games in caps. MEDIA INFORMATION· This media guide has be prepared to assist all members of the media in their coverage of the New England Patriots in 1979. The Media Relations Office is respon­ sible for the content of the guide and is indebted to Ed Brickley, Chief of the Statistics crew, for his research and editing of the records section. Should you require additional information or further assistance from the Patriots' Media Rela­ tions Office, please feel free to contact Tom Hoffman or Marita Nunes at (617) 543-7911. Media credential requests should be made in writing to or by calling the Media Relations department no later than noontime Wednesday preceding any home game to insure issuance. TRAINING CAMP · The Patriots training camp at Bryant Col­ lege marks the fourth consecutive year that the team has train­ ed at the Smithfield, A.I. campus. Telephone numbers at the training camp are: Camp Office - (401) 231-9420, 231-9421; Media Relations (401) 231-7352. 2 Patriots Club Directory Address: Schaefer Stadium, Route One Foxboro, Ma. 02035 Telephones: All personnel (617) 543-7911 Boston number (617) 262-1776 President- William H. Sullivan. Jr. General Manager - Francis "Bucko" Kilroy BOAR D OF DIRECTORS Charles W. Sullivan Mrs. Mary M. Sullivan ( Vice President> Miss Mary H. Sullivan Walter T. Sullivan (Treasurer) William H. Sullivan, Jr. Thomas J. White (President> GENERAL COUNSEL: William Finucane ASSISTANT TREASURER: Jeannette Allen COACHING STAFF Head Coach. ......... Ron Erhardt Ass 't Head Coach. Def. Coordinator/ Linebackers: .....Hank Bullough Offensive Coordinator/ Offensive Line ..............................Jim Ringo Receivers .. .............................Raymond Berry Special Teams ...Gino Cappelletti Defensive Backs . .Billy Kinard Quarterbacks. .. .. .. .. • .. .. • .. .. .. .. •. .. .. .... John Polonchek Defensive Line ....................•......•......•............ Fritz Shurmur Running Backs . ......Tom Yewcic Coaches Administrative Aide .....Rick Buffington ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF President ............................................William H. Sullivan, Jr. General Manager . .............. Francis "Bucko'' Kilroy Assistant General Manager . .........Patrick Sullivan Director of Marketing ............•....•......•...... ....Miceal Chamberlain Director of Media Relations ....................... ......... Tom Hoffman Ticket Manager ......John Fitzgerald Stadium Manager. ...John Mohan Business Manager . ........ Jim Valek Trainer ........... Tom Healion Assistant Trainer. ......Mark Hanak Equipment Manager . .... George Luongo Assistant Equipment Manager . .... Don Broe her Director, College Scouting.. ....... .' .. Mike Holovak Director, Pro Scouting ........... Bill McPeak Personnel Assistant . .....•......•....•......•......... Tom Boisture Personnel Assistant .....•......•..............Mike McCarthy Administrative Asst. to G.M. ........Judy Quimby Admininistrator, Player Personnel ......Nancy Bagley Assistant Ticket Manager. ...... Kevin Fitzgerald Assistant Ticket Manager ..........Ralph Hartke Admin. Aide to Gen. Mgr. ........... Barry Stewart Orthopedic Consultant ..... Donald Akikie, M.D. Assoc. Team Physician ........•....•......•......•.....John B. Cadigan, M.D. Assoc. Team Physician ............ .... Brendan Crotty, M.D. Team Dentist... ... Bill Lenkaitis. D.D.S. Radiology Consultants . Chestnut Hill Radiologic Associates. Inc. Game Films .... ......Ken Alexander Team Photographer. ......Tom Croke Entertainment Director .. Peter Siragusa SECRETARIAL STAFF: Patti Del Grasso (Player Personnel), Betty Hall ( Stadium Manager), Helen Igo ( Player Personnell, Debbie Kazuschyk (Coaches), Evelyn Mc Donough (Asst. Gen. Mgr.), Marita Nunes (Media Rela­ tions), Cindy O'Brien (Coaches), Marie Paster (Business Office), Lisa Walker (Receptionist). STA DIUM OPERATIONS: Ed Bayley, Kevin Cave, Ray and Edith Meyers. 3 WILLIAM H. SULLIVAN, JR. PRESIDENT Until 1959 New England had been a graveyard for more than a half dozen professional football teams. William H. "Billy" Sullivan, Jr. changed that. On November 18, 1959, Billy was awarded the eighth franchise in the fledgling American Football League. He has made an indelible impact on the na­ tion's No. 1 sport since that great day. He did get a team on the field. From 1961 to 1964 he was Presi­ dent of the AFL and served on the televison commit­ tee that authored a $36 million contract with NBC to guarantee survival of the young league. He was a key member of the AFL's team that hammered out the merger format with the NFL, he still serves as a director of both NFL Properties and Films. Since starting his love affair with pro football, Billy has travelled through many valleys and over many peaks. By un­ daunted determination and a boundless capacity for hard work, he kept the Patriots alive until locating the team in its present 61,279-seat Schaefer Stadium home, and assumed full control of the franchise by purchasing 88 percent of the voting stock on Nov. 17, 1975 and all of the non­ voting stock on Dec. 8, 1976. Billy graduated from Boston College in 1937, serv­ ed as Publicity Director at his alma mater from 1938-1940. In 1941 he went to Notre Dame as special assistant to the Director of Athletics. After a hitch on the staff of the U.S. Naval Academy, he joined the Boston Braves baseball team as Director of Public Relations in 1946. During his six-year tenure with the Braves he conceived the "Jimmy Fund" that has since grown to be an internationally known cancer research program studying leukemia in children. In 1955 he joined Metropolitan Petroleum Co. and became President of the company in 1958. Billy con­ tinued his rise in the corporate world twenty years later when he was promoted to the high executive capacity of vice-president of the parent Pittston Company, one of the nation's giants in the field of energy. And, although