Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the Patriots’ bye week happened Thursday.
Tight end Hunter Henry and his wife, Parker, welcomed their first child, a baby boy named John Ace. Henry had said previously the birth would take precedence over a game if the two were to happen on the same day. But that potential dilemma is no longer an issue.
“Will never forget the moment I became a dad,” Henry wrote in a caption on Instagram. “Welcome to the team, Ace! I didn’t know I could love someone so much!”
Henry is one of several Patriots to welcome a newborn this season. Center David Andrews, defensive end Henry Anderson, special teams player Justin Bethel, and safety Adrian Phillips all became first-time dads, while outside linebacker Matthew Judon and cornerback J.C. Jackson both added daughters to their families.
Safety Kyle Dugger and quarterback Jarrett Stidham are each also expecting their first child.
Henry as well as the other new dads largely stayed local during their time off. Bethel took a short trip to Johnson & Wales University in Providence to participate in a therapeutic cuisine class. Before he knew the NFL would be a possibility, Bethel wanted to pursue culinary arts and attend Johnson & Wales.
So, what else did the Patriots do?
Coach Bill Belichick and his longtime partner, Linda Holliday, went to Nantucket. Tight end Jonnu Smith partnered with Shaw’s and Star Market to give away gift cards and holiday presents to nearly 70 families at the Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club in Dorchester. Offensive tackles Isaiah Wynn and Michael Onwenu both celebrated birthdays Dec. 10. Linebackers Chase Winovich and Ronnie Perkins, took trips to New York City.
Safety Devin McCourty, along with his wife and three kids, went to Miami to visit his twin brother and former Patriot Jason McCourty, who now plays for the Dolphins but is out for the season with a foot injury. The group celebrated Jason’s son Kaiden’s 6th birthday. Defensive tackle Lawrence Guy and his family also joined the festivities.
Long snapper Joe Cardona, who played college football for the US Naval Academy, watched his alma mater come out on top in the annual Army-Navy game Saturday at MetLife Stadium. Cardona remains a lieutenant in the US Naval Reserve. Punter Jake Bailey, running back Damien Harris, and fullback Jakob Johnson all attended the game, too.
Many players returned to their hometowns. Wide receiver N’Keal Harry went to Phoenix, where he recently opened up his own gym; kicker Nick Folk went to Dallas, where his wife and four children still reside; running back Rhamondre Stevenson went to Las Vegas; and defensive tackle Christian Barmore went to Philadelphia.
As for rookie quarterback Mac Jones?
He wouldn’t tip his plans beyond football. Jones said Wednesday he intended on “getting away a little bit,” while also “reviewing the film and things [the team] can do better.”
“We have a big game coming up against Indy,” he said. “They’re a great team with a similar situation that we’re in. They may not have started super fast like we did, but they’ve been playing really well down the stretch. They’re well-coached and they have great players. We have to be ready to go with that in mind and have a big-picture view there.”
It doesn’t sound as though Jones will be taking too much time away from his playbook and coaching tips.
“The last part of the season is the most important part,” Jones said. “Nothing that you did before that matters. The bye week’s important — just as a self-evaluation for what you can do as a player, as an offense, and, obviously, taking coaching and figuring out ways to improve. That’s all you can ask for.”
The 7-6 Colts will also be coming off their bye week, so they’ll likely be well-rested and refreshed ahead of Saturday night’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.
"many" - Google News
December 13, 2021 at 06:42AM
https://ift.tt/3INwecC
For many Patriots, the bye week was a welcome time with family - The Boston Globe
"many" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2OYUfnl
https://ift.tt/3f9EULr
No comments:
Post a Comment