Best of Belichick Era: Number 15 — Kevin Faulk

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I'm spending 50 days ranking the top 50 players of the Bill Belichick Era, from No. 50 down to No. 1. (Click here for a criteria on how I made my selections.)

Enjoy.

Today we reach . . . .

NUMBER 15: KEVIN FAULK
Years With Patriots: 1999-2011 (2000-11 with Belichick)
Games: 161
Playoff Games: 19
Honors: Super Bowl winner (2001, 2003, 2004)

You have no idea how badly I wanted to put Kevin Faulk in my Top 5 on this list.

For the way he went from the being absolutely not trustworthy with the football in 2000 to the most clutch and reliable offensive player the team had later in his career. For the way he contributed to three Super Bowl championships. For the leadership that was part of the reason the Patriots had a successful reboot after the Nadir of ‘09. For being -- I believe -- arguably the best third-down back in NFL history.

For all that, I wanted to put him up there.

But the guys in front of him were just too good while on the field more often. Either that, or they made plays that -- without which -- rings wouldn’t have happened.

So here's Faulk at 15.

It took Faulk a few years to find his NFL niche. Used to being a workhorse at LSU, he was probably relied on a little too much by the Pats in 2000 when they had no other options. When they scaled back Faulk’s role, he excelled.

He was probably at his best in 2003 and '04 in terms of physical ability. Over those two seasons, he carried 230 times for 909 yards and caught 74 passes for 688 yards. In the playoffs those years, he ran it 36 times for 186 yards and caught 11 for 96.

But it’s not volume of numbers with Faulk. It’s singular plays. Like the two-point conversion run against the Panthers in Super Bowl 38. It’s hidden plays, like the genius he had for picking up blitzes. From 2005 until a blown ACL in 2010, he was their most consistent and dependable skill guy.

Faulk was just 5-foot-8 but absolutely jacked. He wasn’t fast, but if you put him in a phone booth with a linebacker, he’d still be tough to bring down. He had awful hands early in his career and one of the best pair of hands in football by the end.

When he retired, Bill Belichick said this:”I think the world of Kevin Faulk. He's been a very productive player for us, he's the ultimate team player, he takes great pride and professionalism in his job. He's a great example for all of us in terms of being a professional -- being team-oriented, and putting himself secondary to the team goals, and setting a great example, and doing everything he can to help the team win. I don't see how you can get a better example than that. He's along the lines of, you know, Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, and many of the other players we've had like that. He's really at the top of that list. I think any player on the team -- or any coach on the team, for that matter -- that watches Kevin Faulk can see positives in Kevin and learn from it. He's an inspiration to all of us."

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