A look at the connections between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NEW ENGLAND TIES
- Buccaneers DT Chris Bakeris from Windsor, Conn., and played two seasons of football at Windsor High School.
- Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick attended Harvard University from 2001-04, where he was a two-year starter for the Crimson and Ivy League Player of the Year in 2004. He finished his collegiate career second in school history with 384 completions, 39 touchdown passes, 5,234 passing yards and a 59.9 completions percentage, while rushing 365 times for 1,487 yards and 16 touchdowns.
- Tampa Bay TE Cameron Brate also attended Harvard and earned firstteam Ivy League selection for both his junior and senior campaigns. During his three-year career (2011-13) on the varsity squad, Brate tallied 18 receiving touchdowns, the fourth most in school history.
- Buccaneers CB Robert McClain played at the University of Connecticut from 2006-09 and amassed 129 tackles, 14 passes defensed, 10 interceptions, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and a sack.
- Tampa Bay head coach Dirk Koetter was the offensive coordinator at Boston College from 1994-95, and Buccaneers offensive line coach George Warhop worked with the Eagles' offensive line at that time.
- Tampa Bay linebackers coach Mark Duffner coached at Holy Cross from 1981-91, first as the defensive coordinator and then as the head coach.
- Buccaneers defensive quality control coach Dave Borgonziplayed at Amherst College from 2002-05 and later coached at Harvard as the assistant secondary coach from 2008-10.
TAMPA TIES
- Patriots defensive line coach Brendan Daly worked as an assistant on the coaching staff at Ridgewood High School in 1997, which is about 50 miles from Tampa.
FORMER PATRIOTS
- Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht worked for the Patriots on two separate occasions, first as a scout and assistant director of player personnel from 1999-2002, and later as the director of player personnel from 2009-11. During his tenure at New England, the Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl two times, claimed four AFC East division titles and won Super Bowl XXXVI. He was also a part of a staff that evaluated and added key players to the team, such as Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Richard Seymour, Kevin Faulk, Matt Light, Deion Branch and Devin McCourty, among others.
- Buccaneers DT Sealver Siliga played for the Patriots from 2013-15, totaling 83 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks during that time, and was a member of New England's Super Bowl XLIX championship team.
FORMER NFL TEAMMATES
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the head coach at Denver when Buccaneers DE Robert Ayers, Jr., was drafted by the Broncos in the first round (18th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay DT Chris Baker was also a rookie at Denver during McDaniels' first year with the Broncos after making the team as an undrafted free agent.
- Patriots LB David Harris and Tampa Bay QB Ryan Fitzpatrick played together at the New York Jets from 2015-16. Harris also played with Bucs K Nick Folk at the Jets from 2010-16.
- Patriots WR Chris Hogan and CB Stephon Gilmore were teammates with Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2012 and DE Jacquies Smith in 2014 at the Buffalo Bills. Additionally, Hogan, Gilmore, RB Mike Gillislee and DL Alan Branch played with Tampa Bay LS Garrison Sanbornat Buffalo.
- Patriots LB Marquis Flowers and RB Rex Burkhead played with Tampa Bay DL Will Clarke at Cincinnati.
- Patriots WR Danny Amendola played for the Cowboys when Bucs KNick Folk and assistant special teams coach Carlos Polkwere on the team at Dallas.
- Patriots RB Mike Gillislee and Tampa Bay CB Brent Grimes played together at Miami from 2013-14.
- Buccaneers WR DeSean Jacksonplayed with Patriots WR Danny Amendola (2008) and RB Dion Lewis (2011-12) at Philadelphia.
- Buccaneers DTClinton McDonaldwas teammates with Patriots FB James Develin at Cincinnati in 2010 and DL Alan Branch at Seattle in 2011- 12.
- Patriots DE Cassius Marsh and DL Alan Branch played with Buccaneers G J.R. Sweezyat Seattle. Marsh also played with Tampa Bay DT Sealver Siligawhen the two were with the Seahawks.
- Patriots RB Dion Lewis and CB Johnson Bademosi played with Tampa Bay S T.J. Ward at Cleveland. Lewis and Bademosi also worked with Buccaneers offensive line coach George Warhop, who was the offensive line coach for the Browns during that time.
- Patriots defensive line coach Brendan Daly served in the same capacity at the Vikings from 2012-13 when Tampa Bay DB Josh Robinson played at Minnesota.
- Patriots FB James Develin played for the Bengals when Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati. Develin, Patriots RB Rex Burkhead and LB Marquis Flowers also played for the Bengals when Tampa Bay defensive line coach Jay Hayes worked there.
- Tampa Bay linebackers coach Mark Duffner served in the same capacity at Miami when Patriots RB Mike Gillislee played for the Dolphins in 2014.
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
- Patriots S Patrick Chung and Buccaneers S T.J. Wardwere teammates at Oregon from 2006-08.
- Patriots DB Brandon King, DB Jonathan Jones and Buccaneers RB Peyton Barber were teammates at Auburn from 2013-14.
- Patriots RB Rex Burkhead and Tampa Bay LB Lavonte David were teammates together at Nebraska from 2010-11.
- Patriots DE Cassius Marsh and Buccaneers OLCaleb Benenochplayed one season together at UCLA in 2013.
- Patriots TE Dwayne Allen was teammates with Tampa Bay WRAdam Humphries at Clemson in 2011.
- Patriots DL Geneo Grissom and Buccaneers LB Devante Bond played one season together at Oklahoma in 2014.
- Tampa Bay offensive coordinator/wide receivers Todd Monken was the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Oklahoma State when Patriots defensive line coach Brendan Daly was a graduate assistant and assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Cowboys in 2002-03.
- Patriots DL Adam Butler was on the team at Vanderbilt University when Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Brett Maxie worked with the secondary from 2014-15.
- Patriots head strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera and assistant strength and conditioning coachJames Hardy were both on staff at Colorado when Buccaneers tight ends coach Ben Steele was an assistant for the Buffalo in 2009-2010 and offensive assistantSkyler Fulton was a graduate assistant in 2009.
