One of the toughest elections every year is the vote for the Patriots Hall of Fame. After a nomination committee selects a panel of three finalists, it's all up to the fans to determine the next person to be enshrined in Foxboro. How tough is it to get in? Mike Vrabel is a four-time finalist and Richard Seymour has failed to get in four three straight years. This year, both players were bypassed in honor of Rodney Harrison, who made a huge impact on the New England defense during his six years as a Patriot.

Harrison becomes the newest inductee, joining this exclusive club of players, broadcasters, and Patriots personnel.

Inducted in 1991

John Hannah was drafted by the Patriots with the fourth overall pick of the 1973 draft. He played for the team until 1985, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1999, the Sporting News ranked Hannah as the second greatest offensive lineman in NFL History.

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Inducted in 1992

Gino Cappelletti played at wide receiver and placekicker (versatility Bill Belichick would have loved) for what were at the time, the Boston Patriots, from 1960-1970. Cappelletti also served as the team's radio color commentator until 2012.

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Inducted in 1992

Nick Buoniconti played at linebacker for the Boston Patriots from 1962-1968. Buoniconti appeared in five AFL All-Star Games, and recorded 24 interceptions, which is still the eighth-most in team history.

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Inducted in 1993

Steve Nelson played at linebacker for the Patriots from 1974-1987. Nelson was voted to three Pro Bowls and recorded over 100 tackles nine times in his career.

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Inducted in 1993

Bob Dee played defensive end and defensive tackle for the Boston Patriots from 1960-1967. Dee never missed a game during his career, and scored the first touchdown in AFL history when he dove onto a fumble in the endzone in a preseason contest against Buffalo. Dee was voted to five AFL All-Star teams.

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Inducted in 1993

Jim Lee Hunt played for the Patriots from 1960-71. According to patriotshalloffame.com, "Nicknamed 'Earthquake,' Hunt played in 141 games at defensive tackle. He was voted to four AFL All-Star games and named 'best pass rushing tackle in the AFL' by AFL scouts in 1967."

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Inducted in 1993

Vito “Babe” Parilli played quarterback for the Patriots from 1961-67 and threw for more than 20,000 yards during his career. Parilli was voted to three American Football League All-Star teams and later took up coaching when he became head coach of the New York Stars of the World Football League in 1974.

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Inducted in 1994

Mike Haynes played at cornerback for the Patriots from 1976-1982. Haynes was the first Patriot to return to return a punt for a touchdown, and was named to six Pro Bowls in his seven seasons with the team.

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Inducted in 1995

Steve Grogan played at quarterback for the Patriots from 1975-1990. Grogan's gritty style of play made him a model of toughness during the Patriots' early years. Grogan ranks among the leaders in team history in nearly every passing category, and helped lead the Pats to their first AFC Championship in 1985. While Grogan's tenure is overshadowed by the historic Brady years, Grogan was a standout Patriot, and was known for his level toughness and durability during a bruising era in the sport's history.

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Inducted in 1999

Andre Tippett played at linebacker for the Patriots from 1982-1988 and 1990-93. Tippett was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and is regarded as one of the best linebackers in NFL history. Tippett set the record for most sacks over a two-year period with 35 in the 1984 and 1985 seasons and holds the franchise record for career sacks with 100. Tippett currently serves as the Patriots' Executive Director of Community Affairs.

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Inducted in 2001

Bruce Armstrong played at offensive tackle for the Patriots from 1987-2000. Armstrong started in a team record 212 games, and appeared in six Pro Bowls. 

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Inducted in 2007

Stanley Morgan played at wide receiver for the Patriots from 1977-1989. Morgan has 534 career receptions, a franchise record that held for 17 years until Patriots legend Troy Brown broke the record. One record that might never be broken, is the 10,352 receiving yards Morgan racked up with the Pats. Recently retired Rob Gronkowski comes in at second place, with 7,861 yards.

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Inducted in 2008

Ben Coates played at tight end for the Patriots from 1991-1999. In 142 games across nine seasons, Coates became third all-time in team receptions at 490, and fourth in receiving yards at 5,471. Coates is ranked in the top 10 in receptions by tight ends in NFL history.

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Inducted in 2009

Jim Nance (not sportscaster Jim Nantz) played at fullback for the Patriots from 1965-1971. Nance posthumously became the 14th player, and the first running back, to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Nance's 104.1 rushing yards per game in 1966 remains a Patriots record. 

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Inducted in 2009

In 1959, Billy Sullivan, a Boston businessman, was given the eighth and final franchise of the upstart American Football League (AFL), and became the Patriots' first owner. The team struggled in most of its early years, and never had a regular stadium. When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Patriots were put into the American Football Conference East (AFC East) where they continue to play. After years of poor perfromance, the team was purchased from the Sullivans by businessman Victor Kiam in 1988. While professional football in New England had failed to establish itself in previous iterations, Sullivan’s efforts laid the groundwork for today’s New England Patriots. 

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Inducted in 2010

Sam Cunningham played at running back for the Patriots from 1973-1979, and 1981-1982. Sam appeared in 107 games and is the Patriots all-time leading rusher with 5,453 yards. His 43 rushing touchdowns rank second in team history behind fellow Hall of Famer Jim Nance.

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Inducted in 2011

Drew Bledsoe was the first overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Patriots, and was the face of the franchise until Mo Lewis' shoulder launched the Tom Brady era eight years later. Bledsoe broke the Patriots' career records for attempts, yards, and completions during his time with the team, and still holds the Patriots' single-season passing records for attempts (691) and completions (400). Bledsoe reached the playoffs with the Patriots four times in his first six seasons, and led the team to Super Bowl XXXI, where the team lost to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Known for his "gunslinging" style of play, as noted by patriotshalloffame.com, Bledsoe is the only quarterback in NFL history with four seasons of at least 600 pass attempts, including three straight from 1994-96.

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Inducted in 2011

Jon Morris played at center for the Patriots from 1964-1974. Morris appeared in 130 games and earned seven consecutive All-Star appearances with six AFL-All Star games. His seven All-Star selections rank second in Patriots history behind Pro Football Hall of Famer, and fellow Patriots Hall of Famer John Hannah.

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Inducted in 2012

Troy Brown, a mainstay of the Patriots offense throughout the 1990s and 2000s, played for the team at wide receiver from 1993-2007, after being drafted by the team at 198th overall in the 1993 draft. The 5'10" receiver retired as the team’s all-time leading receiver with 557 career receptions, and he ranks second in team history with 6,366 career receiving yards, behind only fellow Patriots Hall of Famer Stanley Morgan.

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Inducted in 2013

Tedy Bruschi played for the Patriots at linebacker from 1996-2008. Bruschi's tenure encompassed five Super Bowl appearances — three of which were victories — and was, by many standards, the very essence of a New England Patriot. Bruschi's tough, bruising style of play, along with teammate Rodney Harrison, and other contributors from the team's "smashmouth" early 2000s defense, stifled opposing offenses and propelled the team to its first dynasty. He is the only player in NFL history to return four consecutive interceptions for touchdowns, and founded "Tedy's Team," which is dedicated to raising money for stroke awareness, after Bruschi suffered one in February 2005.

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Inducted in 2013

Gil Santos was the legendary voice of the New England Patriots for 36 years, during which time he called 743 Patriots games. Santos began calling games for the Boston Patriots at Fenway Park in 1966, and held that post until his retirement in 2012, except during the 1980s when WBZ lost the Patriots broadcast rights. Santos became just the second non-player inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Inducted in 2014

Ty Law played at cornerback for the Patriots from 1995-2004. Law was a staple of the vaunted early 2000s Patriots defense, and was a three-time Super Bowl Champion, four-time Pro Bowler, and two-time All-Pro. Law's defensive teammates, namely Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, and possibly soon-to-be Rodney Harrison, all accompany Law in the Patriots Hall of Fame. In the 2003 AFC Championship Game, Law intercepted three Peyton Manning passes, helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, where they would win their second title in three years. 

Inducted in 2015

Willie McGinest played at linebacker and defensive end for the Patriots from 1994-2005. McGinest was the fourth overall selection in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Patriots, and was one of the keys of the team’s success during Super Bowl championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004. McGinest was known for his versatility, and helped the Patriots to nine winning seasons in 12 years.

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Inducted in 2015

Houston Antwine played at defensive lineman for the Patriots from 1961-1971, appearing in 142 games and led the Patriots in sacks in three consecutive seasons, and was an American Football League All-Star in six consecutive years from 1963-1968.

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Inducted in 2016

Kevin Faulk played at running back for the Patriots from 1999-2011, and is one of the most productive players in team history. With 3,607 rushing yards, Faulk currently ranks fifth all-time in Patriots rushing yards, and was a solid contributor for the team. Having a 13-year NFL career is difficult enough, never mind at the running back position. Faulk retired a Patriot in 2011 with 16 rushing touchdowns to his name over 161 games played.

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Inducted in 2017

Raymond Clayborn played at cornerback for the Patriots from 1977-1989. Clayborn set a franchise record with 36 career interceptions, tied by fellow Hall of Famer Ty Law in 2004. Clayborn's 555 interception return yards rank second in franchise history to Law’s 583 return yards. Clayborn also returned kickoffs for the team, and is one of just 20 NFL players since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to finish a season averaging over 30 yards on kickoff returns, according to patriotshalloffame.com.

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Inducted in 2018

Matt Light played at tackle for the Patriots from 2001-2011, and spent his entire 11-year career with the team. Like other stalwarts of the star-studded early 2000s Patriots, Light was a significant contributor to the Patriots' first dynasty, and protected Tom Brady's blind side. Light was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility after appearing in 155 games during his time with the team.

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Inducted in 2019

Leon Gray played at tackle for the Patriots from 1973-1978 and led one of the most prolific rushing attacks in NFL history, in concert with fellow Patriots Hall of Famers John Hannah and Sam Cunningham. The team rushed for an NFL-record 3,165 rushing yards in 1978, a record that has never been challenged, according to patriotshalloffame.com.

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Inducted in 2019

Harrison spent the final six seasons of his career in Foxboro, playing with the Patriots from 2003-2008. His hard-hitting nature fit in well with the fearsome Pats' defense of the early 2000s, helping the team win Super Bowls in each of his first two seasons. He shined on the postseason stage, racking up seven interceptions in nine playoff games, tied for the third-most in NFL postseason history. Harrison, who was voted a team captain in each of his six seasons, led the team in tackles in both 2003 and 2004, and Bill Belichick has referred to Harrison as one of the best players he has ever coached.

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