While members of the media gushing over the New England Patriots is certainly nothing new, what is a bit surprising is when that praise comes from an unexpected and highly unlikely source – as in, a retired NFL player who spent the majority of his career positively despising the Patriots.
Nick Hardwick spent 10 years with the San Diego Chargers snapping the ball to and centering the offensive line in front of Philip Rivers. He struggled with injuries throughout his career, but he was also a dominant enough player to hold onto the starting job throughout that time – and he even earned himself Pro Bowl honors in 2006, too.