Cheers! “Brandy” Alexander back on Patriots

By Os Davis  |   Sunday, June 15, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

New England Patriots
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Think quick: Trivia ahead. (Relax, it’s an easy one.)

Which New England Patriots player boasts the most Super Bowl rings?

a. Wes Welker
b. Randy Moss
c. Junior Seau
d. Adalius Thomas
e. Eric Alexander

Considering these choices consist of four high-profilers of whom every football fan knows essentially everything, the choice is clearly (e). In fact, with his two appearances in the Super Bowl to his name and his participation on the team in 2006, Alexander has also racked up as many appearances (two) in championship games as longtime vets Moss and Seau.

The obvious next question: Who exactly is Eric Alexander?

Re-signed Wednesday while TE Tyson DeVree, DL Henry Smith and DL Casey Tyler were released, Alexander is a special teams specialist well-known and -appreciated in the greater Boston area but mostly an unknown in the other 31 markets. (Of course, with today’s venomous animosity felt toward the Patriots, this may be a good thing.)

For those not in the know, then, RealFootball365.com presents another super duper round of player factoids. Set the spotlight on Alexander and get studying.

• Incredibly enough, Alexander was a four-sport star at Louisiana State University, lettering in baseball, basketball and track-and-field in addition to his favored football. (Geez, did the guy actually have time to attend classes at any point?)

• Though he played in every game for LSU in his four years there, Alexander stayed exclusively on special teams until his senior year; nevertheless, he bagged five sacks and 65 tackles in his only year as starting OLB for the Tigers.

• Alexander’s nickname is “Brandy.” (OK, I just made that up. But shouldn’t this dude have a sweet moniker, just in case his name is dropped on "Sportscenter" in 2008?)

• Alexander signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2004. After getting activated from the practice squad in December to play in the final two games of the season, Alexander watched the last New England Super Bowl win from the IR after a minor injury suffered in Week 17.

• In a classic test by fire, Alexander got his very first start on the defense in the 2006 AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts and notched a whopping 10 tackles to lead the team (!) in the losing effort. (And probably save his spot on the roster for 2007 as well.)

• A standout on special teams for the Pats in the playoffs last year, Alexander turned in an adrenaline-fueled seven tackles in the postseason for New England, a personal three-game best he hadn’t matched since Weeks 1 through 3 of the regular season.

• And perhaps the most important statistic of all: Alexander’s salary reportedly stands at approximately $441,720, surely felt by Patriot fans, who’ve seen the man enter the game in a pinch to save a beaten linebacker corps time and again (remember Seau’s mangled arm and the pitiful state of the group near the end of the 2006-07 campaign?), to be a bargain at twice the price.

Time will tell as to exactly how much playing time Alexander will get this season, but surely it shouldn’t be much longer before somebody outside the six states notices the guy.

And maybe someday, the likable and hardworking Alexander will be just as hated throughout the NFL as the rest of his teammates – surely something to strive for, right?

Loving the obscure as much as the stars throughout the year at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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