FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced a new date and time for the team's 2013 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for Tedy Bruschi and Gil Santos. While originally scheduled for August 11 when the Hall of Fame selection was announced on May 21, the ceremonies will now be held on Monday, July 29, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. The event will coincide with the team's first in-stadium practice of 2013, which is an annual ticketed event for Patriots season ticket holders and Foxborough residents at Gillette Stadium.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are free and open to the public. Patriots fans of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. Following this year's enshrinement ceremonies, Patriots season ticket holders and Foxborough residents will be encouraged to redeem their complimentary event tickets to attend that night's practice inside Gillette Stadium.
Bruschi and Santos will also be honored at the Patriots' regular season home opener when the Patriots host the New York Jets on Thursday, Sept. 12. With this season's home opener falling on a Thursday night, a Hall of Fame weekend was not possible. As a result, the induction ceremonies were moved to the night of the annual season ticket holder event on July 29.
Bruschi has been called the "consummate Patriot" by Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and described as the "perfect player" by Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. As a seven-time team captain, Bruschi's relentless work ethic and intensity helped set the tone for the entire team and helped guide the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships in four years. Last month, the team announced that Bruschi had been selected by the fans as the 19th player and 21st member to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame. Bruschi joins Drew Bledsoe (2011) and Troy Brown (2012) as the only players to be selected by the fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Santos, the "Voice of the New England Patriots," missed just one game in his 36 seasons calling Patriots games. He learned of his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony in his honor prior to the regular season home finale in 2012. Kraft surprised Santos with the announcement that the legendary voice of the Patriots would become the 20th person to be inducted and just the second non-player to earn the honor as a contributor for his memorable contributions to the team. It is the highest honor the team can bestow an individual.
About The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon
The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is the crown jewel of Patriot Place and the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts never before viewable by the public, the hall of fame showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England and promotes math and science education for the thousands of schoolchildren expected to visit each year. For more information, please visit www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.
