On Monday, news became official that Patriots legend David Andrews would officially be calling it a career after 10 seasons playing center in New England, as the team held a retirement ceremony for him and his family in the GP Atrium at Gillette Stadium.
Accompanied by his wife Mackenzie, their two young sons Ford and Worth and his parents, Andrews received praise virtually from former teammates and coaches, as well as in-person from team chairman and CEO Robert Kraft.
“On May 8, 2015, we signed David Andrews as an undrafted rookie free agent,” said Kraft. “No guarantees, no fanfare, just a young man with a big heart, a relentless work ethic, and love for the game. From day one, it was clear that David was different. He just didn’t earn a spot on the team, he earned the respect - as you can see from Dante [Scarnecchia in the tribune video] - of every coach and teammate who watched him compete.
“By the time we kicked off the first game of the ’15, David was our starting center. Now, think about that. From undrafted to opening day starter, David is the only offensive lineman in our history of 65 years to accomplish that feat. Over the next decade, David anchored our line, and was the heart and soul of our locker room. He was named team captain eight times - an incredible achievement that speaks volumes about the kind of leader he is. He gave everything he had, every single play, every single season. Whether a Super Bowl Sunday or a midweek practice, David showed up with the passion, grit and unwavering loyalty to this organization and his teammates.”
One of those teammates was the greatest quarterback of all-time, who was among the 17 former Patriots to appear in the tribute video played on the big screen for Andrews and his family during the ceremony on Monday.
“David, congratulations my man,” said seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady in a selfie video. “Welcome to the other side. You couldn’t have had a better career. You were not only a great teammate, but you were a champion. And playing that center position for our team all those years - as you know, the heart and soul of any great team is [the] offensive line, and you were the leader. You were right in the middle.
“I loved every minute with you, I loved being your quarterback, and I’m with you every step of the way. You deserve this day. Congratulations.”
Including Brady, here were the rest of the players appearing in the video, in order of appearance: Joe Thuney, Shaq Mason, Marcus Cannon, Nate Solder, Brady, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Brian Hoyer, James White, Jarrett Stidham, A.J. Derby, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, Duron Harmon, Jason McCourty, Lawrence Guy, and Trey Flowers.
After all the tributes and kind words, Andrews came to the podium with some prepared words of his own.
From the jump, the two-time Super Bowl champion was emotional.
“When I knew this day was coming, I was thinking about what I wanted to say,” said Andrews. “As you can see, there’s a lot of emotions. The one that kept sticking out to me was gratitude. When I look back on the 26 years I've been blessed to play this game, that's really all I could think about, especially playing O-line since I was six years old.
“You learn very quickly, it's not about you, but it's about the team. And for my whole career, I've been surrounded by the best team anyone could ask for. So today, I'd like to show my gratitude to those who sacrificed to help me.”
After first thanking Kraft and his family for allowing him to play for “the best organization in sports,” he took time to thank the man who took a chance on him as a 21-year-old coming out of the University of Georgia.
“Coach Belichick, thank you for giving me the opportunity I so desperately wanted in this league,” said Andrews. “I learned more about this game from you than anyone has ever taught me. And to all my coaches here in New England during my 10 year career, thank you for all the time and sacrifices y'all made to make sure we were ready to go each and every Sunday.
“You always demanded our best and challenged us each and every week. The details were important, and they mattered. And that is something that I'll carry with me the rest of my life.”
As Andrews went through and reflected on his life in professional football, he continued pausing for tears, as a 26-year chapter in his life was coming to a close.
In maybe the most emotional moment of the entire ceremony, Andrews took time towards the end of his speech to thank his wife Mackenzie.
“And to my most important teammate, my amazing wife Mackenzie,” said Andrews. “When we started to date 12 years ago, I don’t think either one of us could ever imagine this is where we would end up. You’ve loved and cared for me in more ways than I could ever imagine.
“You gave up your life and your dreams to join me on this crazy ride, even if I got benched a couple weeks after you got here. Through the ups and downs, hospital stays, you’ve always been at my side. You always looked out for me and my best interests, even when I was too stubborn to do so.
“I truly can’t put into words what you’ve meant to me and the support you’ve given me. You’ve sacrificed so much, and a lot of times other people got the best of me and you got the worst. You understood football came first for me, even when it probably shouldn’t have. I love you, and there’s no one else I’d wanna share this journey with.”
This love and appreciation for his wife is a window into why Andrews won’t be coaching in the near future, as he talked about during the Q&A portion of the program.
“Yeah, I don't know,” said Andrews when asked if he would be interested in manning the sidelines with a headset. “You know, I'm just going to take some time. I picked up golf, found a new way to torture myself today, so try to get out there and do that, and maybe play on the senior tour or something, I don't know.
“I don't think coaching is something I'm ready to jump into right now. Like I said, [football has] been a long, big part of my life, and I'd like to see what else is out there before I get into that. And like I said, you got these two young boys, and being around them, and carpooling them around doing whatever needs to be done is kind of my main focus now. And spending time with them and my wife and do things that I probably didn't allow us to do during football.”
In addition to all the life reasons attached to Andrews’ decision to hang up the cleats and call it a career, there were some straight forward on-the-field reasons for it as well - health, and not wanting to play for another franchise after being released by the Patriots on March 13.
“I wasn’t healthy,” said Andrews, who only appeared in four games in 2024 after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff he suffered against the 49ers in Week 4. “Once I got away from the game, I obviously still wanted to play, but I didn’t wanna go [do it] for another organization. That wasn’t really what I had in mind to finish up my career, and I wanted to finish it here, and I did.”
Before the Q&A portion got underway, Andrews’ closing remarks to his speech were part PSA for football, part love letter to the game he had spent almost his entire conscious life playing.
“Lastly, the game of football. This game’s given me so much over the last 26 years. I've met some amazing people in places I never imagined and done things I never dreamed of. You've taught me so much about myself and life while letting me get to play a child’s game and call it a job. You've been so good to me, and I think I've been pretty good to you.
“If there's any parents on the fence about letting your kids play this game, I promise you you won't regret it. There's no better teacher of the game of life than the game of football. I wouldn't change one thing about my 26 years playing this game, but it's time to say goodbye. As it says in Second Timothy, chapter four, verse seven, ‘I fought the good fight, I finished the race, and I've kept the faith. Thanks, y’all.”