A trio of finalists for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame later this summer was announced by the team, with the final choice for the inductee to now be decided by online fan voting.
This year’s group of finalists for Patriots fans to parse over includes former head coach Bill Parcells, former All-Pro linebacker Mike Vrabel and former All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, all three having previously been finalists for the would-be Hall call.
Voting is now open on Patriots.com and runs through May 2, as New England is the only NFL team that allows fans to make the final call on the highest honor the franchise can bestow on a player or head coach. The winner of the fan voting will join legendary former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who was selected as a contributor to the Patriots Hall of Fame owner Robert Kraft earlier this month.
Vrabel has been a finalist for potential Patriots Hall induction for seven straight years, recognition of his spot as a three-time Super Bowl champion and key core defensive contributor from 2001-08. Not only was Vrabel a mainstay on the defensive front – he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors for his 12.5-sack season in 2007 – but he also consistently contributed as a situational tight end, all 10 of his career regular season (8) and postseason (2) receptions going for touchdowns, including two in the Super Bowl.
Mankins is now a finalist for the second straight year, after playing nine of his 11 seasons with the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2005. Mankins was one of the best guards in football throughout his career and one of the elite lineman in team history, earning All-Pro status six times to go along with six Pro Bowl trips. His leadership and tone-setting play on the field were unmatched.
Parcells took over a putrid Patriots team in 1993 and had it in the Super Bowl by 1996. He led New England to a pair of playoff trips, including the run to Super Bowl XXXI prior to his tumultuous departure that landed him with the rival Jets in 1997. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Parcells had a 34-34 record (including postseason) in his four years in New England and was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1994 after leading the Patriots to their first playoff trip in eight years.
Scarnecchia is the 33rd member of the Patriots Hall of Fame and will be joined by Vrabel, Mankins or Parcells when the team announces the results of the online fan voting the first week of May. An induction ceremony for the two franchise greats will take place this summer in the plaza outside the Hall At Patriot Place on a date and time to be determined.