New England Patriots - NESN.com
Since purchasing the New England Patriots in 1994, Robert Kraft has had the opportunity to lift the Lombardi Trophy six times. And each of those times was memorable for individual reasons.
So, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter asked Kraft at Fanatics Fest if there is one Super Bowl that is the most special to him, the owner couldn’t give an immediate answer.
“That’s sort of like asking about your children,” Kraft said. “They’re all special,”
However, throughout their discussion, there were three that he specifically mentioned.
Kraft went into detail about how he always dreamed of his team winning a Super Bowl, and in 2001, the Patriots were complete underdogs against the St. Louis Rams. But, in the end, it came down to one man.
“And seeing the clock tick down as Adam Vinatieri makes the kick as time runs out and we win the Super Bowl — it was just unbelievable,” Kraft recalled. “We’re living in a country now where there’s so much division, and our sport, the NFL, brings people together like nothing else. I’ll never forget how our victory — we’re a team called the Patriots, we’re red, white, and blue — and we won a championship. It was pretty cool.”
Then, of course, he brought up the epic comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons.
“The one against Atlanta, when we were down 28–3 and had a 99.6% chance to lose with two minutes to go in the third period — and we came back,” Kraft said. “That comeback… Tom Brady showed his leadership and skills like nothing else.”
And last but not least was when the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks due to the heroics of one man in the final moments.
“And then the other one is Malcolm Butler’s interception. That was unbelievable,” Kraft detailed. “The game was just about over, and the clock was running out. They were on the one or two-yard line, and they had the greatest running back — and they throw that pass. Malcolm Butler, when we started training camp, was working at a Popeyes. He came to us as a free agent at the last minute of the summer, and here he was, making the greatest play to win a Super Bowl — intercepts the ball in the end zone and takes it out to the two-yard line. That was God’s hand at work.”
All six Lombardi trophies each come with a unique story that will always be remembered in franchise history.
