The New England Patriots-New York Jets rivalry didn’t just exist in season.
It also spilled over into the draft.
The Patriots had the 50th pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and just selected Richard Seymour with the sixth-overall pick to help boost the defensive line. New England had its eye on Matt Light to do the same to its offensive line, but the Jets were ahead of the Patriots with pick 49.
That’s when former Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli picked up the phone and called Light.
“I said, ‘Have you heard from anybody?‘” Pioli recalled during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “He goes, ‘Well I’m actually on the phone with the Jets right now.‘”
Pioli told Light to hang tight and to not tell anyone he called him. Then-coach Bill Belichick started making calls before Pioli got a hold of the Detroit Lions as they were on the clock with the 48th pick.
The Lions and the Patriots ended up making a second-round swap and allowed New England to draft Light.
“We only gave up a sixth-round pick. But during that time with the Patriots, it was always so good to stick it to the Jets in any way possible,” Pioli said. “Not just on Sundays in the fall.
"You just reveled in any time that you could stick it to the Jets."
After the Patriots decided they were going to select Light, Pioli got back on the phone with the offensive lineman — who was still on the phone with the Jets.
“I said, ‘Well tell them that we just picked you, you’re not available anymore,‘” Pioli said. “And we got Matt Light, and he went on to start for us forever. He made a Pro Bowl, and was such an important part of our culture and overall team intelligence and toughness.”
Light spent his entire 11-year career with the Patriots and won three Super Bowls before he retired in 2012.