Veteran NFL safety Devin McCourty was answering questions during a routine press conference on Monday ahead of the New England Patriots game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night when he was interrupted by owner Robert Kraft.
The unusual appearance by Kraft seemingly caught McCourty off guard, but the longtime owner had another surprise for the three-time Super Bowl champion.
Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots in action against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 30, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Patriots defeated the Jets 22-17. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
"We don’t usually give personal lauding to anyone but special achievements made by special people deserve special recognition," Kraft began. "Every game he has appeared in he has started for the last 13 years, so I want to be the first to congratulate you, and we want to commemorate this accomplishment."
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Thursday will mark McCourty’s 200th game as a starter, making him the 90th player in the NFL to do so and just the third player in franchise history.
Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots in action against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 30, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Patriots defeated the Jets 22-17. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
"We have a collage made up of 200 photos from the games throughout Devin’s career," Kraft said, presenting McCourty with the framed gift.
The Patriots also put together a video montage of messages from McCourty’s family and friends congratulating him on the monumental accomplishment.
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"I did not expect that at all. I came here as a young pup and accomplishments didn’t matter – individual accompaniments, but it's been a heck of a journey, and I’m enjoying every moment of it," McCourty said.
Head coach Bill Belichick also spoke highly of McCourty’s accomplishment calling him "a tremendous asset to this organization and me personally"
Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots celebrates an interception during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 30, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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"He trains hard. He works very hard. It's not by accident. He puts in a lot of time, puts in a lot of training, is in top condition all the time. "
McCourty is looking forward to 200th career start but added "what would be cool for a 200th game is a win."
