FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots will honor their 2014 Patriots Hall of Fame inductee Ty Law, a three-time Super Bowl champion, at halftime of this week's game against the New York Jets. It is the last scheduled primetime game at Gillette Stadium this season and the Patriots only appearance on CBS and NFL Network's "Thursday Night Football."
Throughout his career, Law was at his best on the NFL's biggest stages. With the lights of primetime shining brightly on Gillette Stadium, Thursday's halftime ceremony promises to give Patriots fans an opportunity to express their appreciation for one of the franchise's most entertaining and clutch performers. Law will be introduced by Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and will be joined by some of the cornerback's former teammates, including Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Lawyer Milloy, Otis Smith and Deion Branch.
A four-time Pro Bowl player and two-time All-Pro with the Patriots, Law was selected by the fans in 2014 as the 22nd member and 20th player to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame. He was inducted during a public ceremony attended by thousands of Patriots fans on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon on Aug. 1. Law joins Tedy Bruschi (2013), Troy Brown (2012) and Drew Bledsoe (2011) as the only players to be selected by the fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Law was originally selected by the Patriots in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft. He played 10 seasons (1995-2004) in New England and Kraft credited him as one of the key building blocks to the team's three Super Bowl championships in four years. Law owns franchise records for interceptions (36, tied with Raymond Clayborn), interception return yards (583) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (six). Law played 15 seasons in the NFL, including his first 10 years with the Patriots, followed by stops in New York with the Jets (2005 and 2008), Kansas City (2006-07) and Denver (2009). During his career, he intercepted 37 different quarterbacks and recorded interceptions against 23 of 32 NFL franchises. He picked off four Hall of Fame quarterbacks – Troy Aikman, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Steve Young – and five league MVPs, including Tom Brady, Boomer Esiason, Steve McNair, Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner. He picked off Manning seven times as a Patriot.
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BOSTON NATIVE JOEY MCINTYRE TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM**
Prior to kickoff, scheduled for 8:25 p.m., the Boston Fire Department Honor Guard will present the colors and Boston native Joey McIntyre, the singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the band, New Kids on The Block (NKOTB), will sing the national anthem. McIntyre has released six solo albums, appeared in films "New Year's Eve" and "The Heat" and will be playing the role of Gerard McCarthy in the upcoming CBS series, "The McCarthys."
NFL NETWORK'S FAN CAVE
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for Thursday night's game as the NFL Network's pregame show, "NFL Total Access Kickoff," will be live from NRG Plaza outside of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon beginning at 6 p.m. Fans who stop by the pregame show will have a chance to be live TV and receive giveaways.
NFL Network's Fan Cave, located in Lot 4 near the Patriots ProShop, will give six lucky fans a chance to have the ultimate pregame experience. Fans will be able to watch the NFL Network's pregame show live in an on-set living room featuring a big screen TV, lounge chairs, food and drink.
Additionally, the NFL Network's Fan Cave will allow select fans an opportunity to join Patriots legends in the on-air pregame action. Fans can also join the action on social media by submitting photos for Thursday Night Football's Throwback Thursday using the hashtag, #TBTNF. The pregame show will air photos of fans, Patriots players and NFLN talent.
PARKING AND PUBLIC TRANSIT
Parking lots open at 4:30 p.m. and stadium gates open at 6:30 p.m. Don't want to drive to the game? The MBTA Commuter Rail will provide special train service from South Station in Boston and from the TF Green Airport in Warwick, R.I. to Gillette Stadium for Thursday's game. The round trip fare is $15 and fans are reminded no personal items may be left on the trains during the game. For more information, including train schedule, visit www.mbta.com/riding the t/patriots.
PREGAME AT PATRIOT PLACE
Around Patriot Place, the property's 15 dine-in restaurants can satisfy any hungry football fan with everything from sushi to burgers to fine dining. For a list of dining options, visit www.patriot-place.com/dining.aspx. Need to gear up for the game? The Patriots ProShop and Patriots ProShop Collection have the widest selection of authentic Patriots merchandise available anywhere, including a selection of Ty Law jerseys. For more information, visit www.patriotsproshop.com.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Gillette Stadium officials want to make one thing perfectly clear: The NFL Clear Bag Policy will be in effect once again throughout the 2014 season. That policy states that all bags entering the stadium must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and no larger than 12"x 6" x 12." Fans can use one-gallon clear (see through) plastic freezer bag or similar. In addition, small clutch bags (not to exceed 7" x 4" x 2") may be carried into the stadium along with one of the clear bag options.
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: non see-through purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch sacks, luggage of any kind, seat cushions, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size.
For additional information, go to NFL.com/allclear.
About the Patriots Hall of Fame
In 1991, the Patriots created their own Hall of Fame after John Hannah became the first Patriots player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While the team honor has existed since 1991, the Patriots Hall of Fame didn't find a permanent home until the Kraft family built The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon in 2008. Now, enshrinement into The Hall is an honor befitting of the franchise's greatest players, with 30-foot video pylons displaying each honoree. Beginning in 2007, fans became part of the hall of fame tradition and active participants in the selection process. This year, Ty Law became the 22nd person and 20th former player to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. The previous inductees are listed in alphabetical order below (with year of induction):
Bruce Armstrong (2001)
Drew Bledsoe (2011)
Troy Brown (2012)
Tedy Bruschi (2013)
Nick Buoniconti (1992)
Gino Cappelletti (1992)
Ben Coates (2008)
Sam Cunningham (2010)
Bob Dee (1993)
Steve Grogan (1995)
John Hannah (1991)
Mike Haynes (1994)
Jim Lee Hunt (1993)
Ty Law (2014)
Stanley Morgan (2007)
Jon Morris (2011)
Jim Nance (2009)
Steve Nelson (1993)
Vito "Babe" Parilli (1993)
Andre Tippett (1999)
Contributors:
William H. "Billy" Sullivan, Jr. (2009)
Gil Santos (2013)
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 at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon 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.
