FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- When Kliff Kingsbury began coaching at Texas Tech in 2012, he used to carry a secret weapon on recruiting trips: his Patriots 2003 Super Bowl ring.
''That was something I tried to seal the deal with. It didn't work as much as I would have liked but I definitely tried with the ring,'' Kingsbury said this week.
Kingsbury, a quarterback, was drafted by New England in the sixth round in 2003, joining a roster that included a 26-year-old Tom Brady. Even then, Kingsbury knew there was something different about him.
''He was still the man, there's no doubt.