FOXBORO — Almost 20 years ago Sunday, the 2002 New England Patriots received a lesson in winning with courage at the highest level.
Under the direction of coach Bill Belichick, the team, still basking in the glow of their victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, boarded buses headed for Providence, Rhode Island’s Feinstein IMAX Theater. Upon their arrival, the team viewed a 45-minute documentary, chronicling the life and legacy of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.
Russell, long considered to have been one of the greatest athletes in Boston sports history, had the type of career success rarely enjoyed in professional sports.