Two franchise icons have received their enshrinement dates to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.
Defensive lineman Richard Seymour, a member of the team's first three Super Bowl championship squads, will be inducted on Saturday, Oct. 23 along with longtime Patriots cheerleading director Tracy Sormanti, who'll be inducted posthumously after passing away in December from multiple myeloma, the team announced Monday.
Sormanti, who was in her 32nd season of with the organization -- the last 27 as director of cheerleading -- becomes the first woman to earn induction into the team's Hall of Fame. She's also just the third person to be personally selected by the Kraft family for the Hall, following team founder Billy Sullivan in 2009 and long-time team radio broadcaster Gil Santos in 2013.
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A native Rhode Islander, the 58-year-old Sormanti had spent more than half her life with the organization and was one of the first hires Robert Kraft made after buying the Patriots in 1994.
"No one was more passionate about the Patriots and committed to using our brand to connect with fans than Tracy," Kraft said. "She loved preparing her teams for their performances, both on and off the field, and did so with great compassion and conviction. Her countless contributions spanning the past three decades have entertained and positively impacted the lives of so many in our communities. It is an honor to select Tracy as a Patriots Hall of Famer and to know that her legacy will be preserved for generations to come."
Seymour has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame three years running but has thus far come up short for inclusion in Canton. The sixth overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Seymour spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Patriots before his stunning trade to the Oakland Raiders on the eve of the regular season in 2009.
Devin McCourty, a lock for the franchise Hall of Fame himself some day, tweeted his excitement of the news.
Seymour, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro in Foxboro, will also be honored at halftime of New England's game against the New York Jets on Oct. 24. He was initially inducted into the team's Hall in 2020 but no ceremony was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's ceremony honoring Seymour and Sormanti will be held outdoors and is free and open to the public.