FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Center Bill Lenkaitis, who played in 151 games for the New England Patriots from 1971-81, has died at the age of 70 after an 18-month battle with brain cancer.
Nicknamed "Lenk," he balanced learning dentistry and playing for the Patriots and went into dentistry full-time after retiring. He was revered by many of his patients at his Foxborough practice and through his philanthropic work in the region.
"Tuesdays were my day off, so I'd go in to practice for a few hours. In the offseason, I'd work three days a week," Lenkaitis once explained.