In eight seasons with the St. Louis Rams, defensive lineman Chris Long knew nothing but losing.
And when the organization decided to go in a different direction, both literally with the move to Los Angeles and figuratively by moving on from the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Long elected to join the New England Patriots.
Now, Long is one win away from being an NFL champion, as the Patriots will take on the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, tonight.
“This opportunity here that I’ve been lucky to be a part of is what I had in mind,” Long said. “That was all free agency, my first experience in free agency, was all about. What I didn’t know was, just day in and day out why this team is so often in these games.
“For me, (it was) just seeing these nuts and bolts every day, what Bill (Belichick) does every day, what the coordinators do every day, why we have so many selfless players. I’m a part of a really great organization and I’m very lucky.”
In Long's tenure, the Rams had four double-digit losing seasons (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014), another three where they finished 7-9 (2010, 2013, 2015) and one with a 7-8-1 record (2012) to show for their efforts.
Long was a part of just 39 wins over eight years with St. Louis, an average of 4.875 victories a season, and never once had he played in the postseason until joining the Patriots.
“I joke that every time I’m in the playoffs, it feels like I’m in the Super Bowl,” Long said. “I’m one for one, so that’s a good rate.”
In 16 regular-season games with the Patriots, Long registered 35 total tackles, including 22 solo stops, four sacks and a forced fumble. The four sacks were the most he posted in a single year since registering 8.5 during the 2013 season.
And just as much as Long is appreciative of “The Patriot Way,” New England coach Bill Belichick is happy to have another versatile defensive lineman to utilize when his team takes the field against the Falcons.
“He is a versatile player,” Belichick said. “He is smart. He works very hard. He is tough. He is there every day and gives you great effort on every play and on every day. You can really count on his competitiveness. He has done whatever we have asked him to do. He has given us that veteran energy.
“I think he appreciates winning a lot and I think that energy and spirit that he has about winning carries over to some of the guys. They realize how special it is and makes them realize it a little bit more. It is similar to what we had with Corey Dillon when he came from Cincinnati, Randy Moss when he came from Oakland, Bryan Cox when he came from Chicago. Guys that weren’t with great teams and had success here, they brought an energy to the team that from a veteran player was unique and special.”
