During the first half of Super Bowl XXXVI, Ty Law streaked down the sideline, one hand cradling the football and one hand raised triumphantly in the air.
He had just intercepted a pass by St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner and was taking it into the end zone for a Patriot touchdown.
I picked up the phone and called my Dad, a season ticket holder since 1983 basically to give a long distance high five.
I was at my grandmothers house in East Providence, Rhode Island, but my Dad was in a hospital in New Hampshire recovering from a freak skiing accident in which he broke ribs and punctured a lung.
This moment has replayed in my mind a million times since that day, the game that changed it all. The perfect ending to a storybook season. The kind of things that legends are made of.
The 2001 season as we remember it really began in week two, against the division rival New York Jets on September 23.
This was a rough period for many Americans, as two weeks prior, America was the victim of the World Trade Center attacks.
Patriots Guard Joe Andruzzi had two brothers who were New York City firemen and were on the scene as the towers fell. Emotions ran high when Andruzzi made his way onto the field with two American flags, one in each hand, recognizing his brothers and their fallen comrades.
This was the game that launched the Patriots dynasty, as franchise Quarterback and face of the team Drew Bledsoe changed Patriots history forever. He rolled out to his right and lumbered his massive frame to the sideline when BAM!
Out of nowhere came Jets Linebacker Mo Lewis, who delivered a vicious hit on Bledsoe. A hit that would leave him with internal injuries and questions about his future.
The Patriots lost that day 10-3, falling to 0-2 for the season in the process.
The 2001 season looked to be over before it got started.
The Patriots turned to sixth round pick Tom Brady to lead the team for the foreseeable future.
Under Brady, the Patriots performed much better than most folks had anticipated. They won big versus Indianapolis in Brady's first start, but lost to Miami the next week 30-10.
The "Patsies" were 1-3 and things didn't look good.
Brady navigated the Patriots through the schedule, managing games and not making mistakes.
By mid November, the Patriots were 5-4, and their season was still intact heading into a showdown with the defending Super Bowl Champions, the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams defeated the Patriots in Foxboro that night 24-17, but it was clear that the Pats had earned the respect of not only the Rams, but the rest of the league as well.
The Patriots did not lose again for the rest of the season, pulling out gritty wins on the road over the Jets (17-16, Dec. 2) and the Bills (12-9, Dec. 16).
Finishing 11-5, the Patriots earned a trip to the playoffs where they would square off with the Oakland Raiders in the last game ever at Foxboro Stadium.
Led by Rich Gannon and Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, the Raiders marched into snowy Foxboro hell bent on victory. During the first half, the Raiders played well and took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Oakland dug deep and battled the elements, taking a 13-3 lead in the third quarter, before Brady's touchdown scamper made it 13-10.
With less than two minutes to play, the Patriots were moving the ball down the field when Tom Brady was sacked by Raiders CB Charles Woodson, jarring the ball loose. The Raiders recovered and the dream season turned into a nightmare.
However, thanks to the "Tuck Rule" the play was ruled an incomplete pass and the Patriots maintained possession.
After moving the ball to the Raider 29 yard line, Adam Vinatieri made himself a legend. He drilled the frozen football 45 yards through driving snow and blistering wind to tie the game at 13, sending it into overtime.
The Patriots won the toss and again drove 61 yards in 15 plays, with Brady going 8-8 for 45 yards.
Adam Vinatieri came back out and drilled a 23 yard field goal in overtime, giving the Patriots the victory in the last game ever at Foxboro.
This sent the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh, PA.
They were pitted against the overconfident Steelers, who had booked their flights for the Super Bowl prior to the game.
Patriot legend Troy Brown started the scoring with a 55 yard punt return for a touchdown, putting the Patriots up early 7-0.
But the real drama came in the second quarter.
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