Once a Patriot, always a Patriot

By DAN ANGELO Special to the RegisterIt's been 20 years since Corey Croom played for the New England Patriots.But the Sandusky High graduate looks back fondly to those years and the transformation of the Patriots organization that began when he was on the team."I think of the turnaround," said Croom. "Before we got there, they weren't one of the better teams in the league. I came there with coach (Bill) Parcells and he really started the turnaround with quality players and quality coaches."Croom signed as an undrafted free agent in 1993 after rushing for 3,500 yards in three season at Sandusky and a record-setting career at Ball State University.The Patriots, who will playing for their fourth Lombardi Trophy in eight Super Bowl appearances Sunday against Seattle, had fallen on hard times after winning the 1985 AFC championship and advancing to Super Bowl XX where they suffered a 46-10 loss to the Chicago Bears.New England did go 11-5 for the second consecutive year in 1986, but recorded just one winning season until after Parcells took over in 1993. The stretch included a 1-15 record in 1990 and 2-14 in 1992, which helped them get quarterback Drew Bledsoe as the No. 1 pick of the 1993 draft.New England went 5-11 in 1993, but Croom appeared in 14 games after a two-game stint on the practice squad. He rushed for 198 yards on 60 carries during the season, including a 92-yard performance against Miami. "In my first year, I think there were only two or three backs on the roster," Croom said. "I took half the reps with the ones and twos, and took all the scout team reps, so I was a busy man in practice."Robert Kraft took over ownership of the team about a month after the Super Bowl setback."He was very involved with the players," Croom said. "I remember him talking to my parents. He would see them around at training camp and games and he actually introduced himself to them and always greeted them when he saw them."Croom went into the 1994 season looking for an expanded role, but instead fell down the depth chart after the Patriots added free-agent backs Marion Butts and Leroy Thompson to the roster. "They paid guys a lot of money to be there, so when it came down to who they were going to play, sometimes it comes down to who they invested the most in," Croom said. "It was tough because I knew I could get out there and play and be a positive influence on our offense, but sometimes you just have to wait your turn."That turn came in the playoffs when he was named the starter against the Cleveland Browns."That was very exciting," Croom said. "They tried to keep it hush-hush so Cleveland wouldn't know. My parents didn't even know."He rushed for 35 yards on nine carries in the game, a 20-13 victory for the Browns."I wasn't a Browns fan growing up, but I grew up watching the Browns," Croom said. "You didn't get all the games on TV like you can now, so the Browns were pretty much who you watched every week."I was very familiar with their program and a lot of their players. I was telling my son (Cavon) the other day that the Clay Matthews who plays for Green Bay, I played against his dad."Croom went into the 1995 season listed as the top back on the depth chart, but started the season on the sidelines with a groin injury. When he finally got back into the starting lineup, he suffered a hamstring injury which allowed Curtis Martin to blossom into a star back."Anytime you deal with injuries it's frustrating, especially when you finally have the opportunity to go out and shine and the veterans on the team are really encouraging you," Croom said. "But if I'm going to lose my job to anybody, it's all right if he makes the Hall of Fame."Croom, who has been coaching Sandusky football players since 1999, now watches the game with a vantage point the average fan never sees."I really watch and put myself in certain situations as a player and as a coach," he said. "I think of the different ways to execute plays and I applaud the players when they do certain things to take advantage of a defense."For instance, a couple of weeks ago, the Patriots played Baltimore and they were doing things with different formations. It was smart because they were having problems getting off the ball and with their spacing, but they found a wrinkle they could use and it was highly successful."Croom now watches the Patriots now as a fan and will be rooting for them in Super Bowl XLIX."I'm still a fan and take price in being part of that organization," he said. "I attribute a lot of their success to being coached extremely well and getting the right players into the system. A lot of them aren't superstars or big money guys, but they know how to get in and work the system and they know how to execute."Register file photo/TIM FLECK Corey Croom carries the ball for the New England Patriots during their playoff game in Cleveland in January 1995. Croom starred for the Sandusky Blue Streaks and Ball State Cardinals before playing professional football for the Patiots.Register photo/LUKE WARK Corey Croom, now an assistant football coach for the Blue Streaks, played for the New England Patriots in the early 90's.