The Patriots bringing back pregame player introductions had the crowd at Gillette Stadium excited for Sunday's game against the Browns.
The Patriots bringing back pregame player introductions had the crowd at Gillette Stadium excited for Sunday's game against the Browns.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots decided to bring back pregame player introductions on Sunday, reviving an NFL tradition that had left Gillette Stadium for more than two decades.
“I just feel like these guys put a lot into it and would like to recognize them individually,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “It’s something I felt like we wanted to do, to create some energy early and to recognize the players’ efforts, and allow these fans to support us, which they did.”
Before kickoff, the starting offense waited in the tunnel for the public address announcer to call out the players. After each name was called, the respective player would run onto the field through the path lined by cheerleaders and meet the rest of the team.
The routine has been commonplace for home teams across the league, but disappeared in New England after the 2001 team decided to start taking the field as a group.
As a result, Sunday’s operation wasn’t totally clean. Some players didn’t know what to do with themselves. Others hadn’t nailed down the timing for when they were supposed to go.
“I feel like we need to improve on that,” tight end Hunter Henry joked. “It was a little disorganized. But we’re just trying to bring some energy to the stadium.”
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye, whose name was the last called, acknowledged he was “a little bit nervous” for the moment.
“It was cool kind of hanging back there in the back, being the last one,” Maye said. “I think the first 10 guys, they had the wrong names and they were running out too fast. We’ll work on it. The fans, I think it was new for them too, so they’ll probably have to adjust to it. Maybe next time they’ll be ready for it.”
10 TIME ⏰@DrakeMaye2 | @NFL pic.twitter.com/4iZxrAo6YP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 26, 2025
Vrabel was part of the 2001 Patriots that had unknowingly started a tradition. During the season opener that year, the PA announcer already had started calling out player names before they were ready to take the field. So, the team had to pivot and run out later as a group.
“When we played the Cincinnati Bengals, it was the first time we ran out onto the field as a team,” kicker Adam Vinatieri recalled in an NFL-produced documentary. “It was because they kind of screwed up.”
“Before we even got into the tunnel, they started calling out our names,” added safety Lawyer Milloy. “We’re just sitting in the tunnel, like, ‘OK, they’re not going to wait on us?’ At that point, we just decided to go out as a team.”
Little did they know, that season would end in a Super Bowl title, the first of the franchise’s six. Over the course of that two-decade dynasty, the Patriots eliminated individual player introductions from their pregame routine.
Now, Vrabel has decided to bring them back.
The decision reflects Vrabel’s player-first attitude, one that has become overwhelmingly apparent through his other actions in his 10 months as head coach. He also, for example, greets each player coming off the field following every game.
Even if Sunday’s execution wasn’t the smoothest, the players have embraced the pregame introductions, as well as the improved overall atmosphere at Gillette Stadium.
“That was cool,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. “The crib was rocking — I call it the crib, you can say house, but the crib was rocking. The fans were amazing, people were amazing. It’s loud out there. You can barely hear yourself out there, especially on third down, it’s crazy. But I appreciate everybody who comes, shows up, and shows their support.”
Echoed wide receiver DeMario Douglas, “It feels good getting that dub, especially at home. Seeing the fans lit, turnt, I love seeing that. I haven’t seen that for two years.”
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.