Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Long Championship Spans

On February 3, 2002 in New Orleans, Bill Belichick and his unheralded sixth-round draft pick quarterback Tom Brady led the underdog New England Patriots to an upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Next Sunday, Brady will join Mike Lodish as the second player to participate in six Super Bowls while Belichick will join Don Shula as the second coach to pilot a team to six. 13 years after that first one, the Belichick-Brady Pats are reviled by nearly everyone south of Interstate-84, so we've certainly come a long way. 

Belichick's 13-year span between Super Bowls is the third-longest for an NFL coach, trailing Dick Vermeil and Shula.

Most years between first and last Super Bowls for NFL coach

Yrs	Coach	From	To	Tm	SB Rec	Super Bowls (Wins in Bold)
19	Dick Vermeil	1980	1999	PHI-STL	1-1	1980, 1999
16	Don Shula	1968	1984	BAL-MIA	2-4	1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1984
13	Bill Belichick	2001	2014	NE	3-2	2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, **2014**
12	Dan Reeves	1986	1998	DEN-ATL	0-4	1986, 1987, 1989, 1998
10	Bill Parcells	1986	1996	NYG-NE	2-1	1986, 1990, 1996
10	Bill Cowher	1995	2005	PIT	1-1	1995, 2005
10	John Fox	2003	2013	CAR-DEN	0-2	2003, 2013

If the Patriots beat the Seahawks, the 13-year span of Super Bowl victories would give Belichick the new record, passing Joe Gibbs.

Most years between first and last Super Bowl wins for NFL coach

Yrs	Coach	From	To	Tm	SB Rec	Super Bowls (Wins in Bold)
9	Joe Gibbs	1982	1991	WAS	3-1	1982, 1983, 1987, 1991
7	Bill Walsh	1981	1988	SF	3-0	1981, 1984, 1988
6	Tom Landry	1971	1977	DAL	2-3	1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1978
5	Chuck Noll	1974	1979	PIT	4-0	1974, 1975, 1978, 1979
5	George Seifert	1989	1994	SF	2-0	1989, 1994

The 10-year drought between titles would become the longest, passing the six years by Landry and the five by Gibbs and Seifert.


Moving on to his quarterback, Brady will be only the seventh player to take part in Super Bowls 13 years apart. Vince Wilfork will also become the 18th player with multiple appearances in the ultimate game over a span of at least ten years.

Most years between first and last Super Bowl appearances

Yrs	Player	From	To	Tm	SB Rec	Super Bowls (Wins in Bold)
14	Jerry Rice	1988	2002	SF-OAK	3-1	1988, 1989, 1994, 2002
14	Bill Romanowski	1988	2002	SF-DEN-OAK	3-1	1988, 1997, 1998, 2002
13	Tom Brady	2001	2014	NE	3-2	2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, **2014**
13	Junior Seau	1994	2007	SD-NE	0-2	1994, 2007
13	Mike Horan	1986	1999	DEN-STL	1-3	1986, 1987, 1989, 1999
13	Ted Hendricks	1970	1983	BAL-RAI	4-0	1970, 1976, 1980, 1983
13	Gene Upshaw	1967	1980	OAK	2-1	1967, 1976, 1980
12	Ray Lewis	2000	2012	BAL	2-0	2000, 2012
12	John Elway	1986	1998	DEN	2-3	1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998
11	Tedy Bruschi	1996	2007	NE	3-5	1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007
11	Matt Bahr	1979	1990	PIT-NYG	2-0	1979, 1990
11	Bob Kuechenberg	1971	1982	MIA	2-2	1971, 1972, 1973, 1982
10	Vince Wilfork	2004	2014	NE	1-2	2004, 2007, 2011, **2014**
10	Matt Light	2001	2011	NE	3-2	2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011
10	Charles Johnson	2001	2011	NE	1-1	2001, 2011
10	Adam Vinatieri	1996	2006	NE-IND	4-1	1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006
10	Howard Cross	1990	2000	NYG	1-1	1990, 2000
10	Preston Pearson	1968	1978	BAL-PIT-DAL	2-3	1968, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978

With a win, Brady and Wilfork would become the fifth and sixth players to win multiple Super Bowls over a ten-year stretch. Brady's 13 years would tie the record held by "the Mad Stork" as Hendricks also won titles 13 years apart. Lewis is next with 12, followed by Bahr with 11, then Romanowski (and possibly Wilfork) with 10.


We'll see if Brady joins Hendricks as the only players to win Super Bowls 13 years apart, but let's take a look at other sports...

There are 14 players that have played in and won a World Series 13 years apart, and it's fitting to see one George Herman Ruth at the top of the list.

Most years between first and last World Series championships

Yrs	Player	From	To	Tm	WS Titles
17	Babe Ruth	1915	1932	BOS-NYY	1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932
17 16	Jim Palmer Babe Adams	1966 1909	1983 1925	BAL PIT	1966, 1970, 1983 1909, 1925
16	Enos Slaughter	1942	1958	STL-NYY	1942, 1946, 1956, 1958
15	Joe DiMaggio	1936	1951	NYY	1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951
15	Yogi Berra	1947	1962	NYY	1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962
15	Mike Timlin	1992	2007	TOR-BOS	1992, 1993, 2004, 2007
14	Stuffy McInnis	1911	1925	PHA-BOS-PIT	1911, 1913, 1918, 1925
14	Dolf Luque	1919	1933	CIN-NYG	1919, 1933
13	Frankie Frisch	1921	1934	NYG-STL	1921, 1922, 1931, 1934
13	Steve Carlton	1967	1980	STL-PHI	1967, 1980
13	Darryl Strawberry	1986	1999	NYM-NYY	1986, 1996, 1999
13	Derek Jeter	1996	2009	NYY	1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009
13	Andy Pettitte	1996	2009	NYY	1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009
13 13	Mariano Rivera Edgar Renteria	1996 1997	2009 2010	NYY FLA-SF	1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009 1997, 2010

As we would expect, the list is quite Yankee-centric, half winning a title in pinstripes. Brady's Patriots hope to follow in the footsteps of Jeter's Yankees and snap a nine-year championship drought*.


* Tangent Alert: I grew up in New York loving the Yankees and disliking all Boston teams. So this may seem odd (and to the New England fans who are the other way around) but I've always thought there were similarities to the Patriots and Yankees dynasties. The origin stories are parallel, with the handsome young star at the center of a controversial play in the early rounds of their first title run (Jeter hitting the Jeffrey Maier-aided home run in the 1996 ALCS and Brady being saved from a game-ending fumble thanks to the Tuck Rule against the Raiders). Both players went on to help their teams slay the defending champions en route to becoming the face of both their franchise and their sport. Both teams hit their pinnacle in year three, with the Yankees winning 125 games including the postseason in 1998 and the Patriots starting a record 21-game winning streak during their 2003 Super Bowl run. And when the game was on the line, opponents knew they were doomed when their fate rested in the right hand of the indomitable Mariano, or on the right foot of a football closer of sorts, Vinatieri. With a handful of championship rings in the bag (four in five years for New York, three in four for the Pats), both hit a relative rough patch filled with early postseason exits. Jeter and Brady both had their postseason disappointments, but winning early in their careers made them Teflon. The team's biggest flops came at the hands of their rival city. The Yankees blew a 3-0 ALCS lead in 2004 to the miraculous eventual champion Red Sox. New York got a bit of revenge three years later when the Giants used an even bigger miracle, David Tyree's helmet catch, to spoil New England's perfect season. Nine years after their previous title (the horror!), the 35-year-old captain and his Yankees made one last push, knocking off the defending champion Phillies. Now it's the Patriots who have gone ten long years (an eternity, right Browns and Lions fans?) without hoisting the trophy. The 37-year-old Brady leads his team into a Super Bowl against the defending champions, the Seahawks...


OK, moving right along to hoops. There are six players that have played for the winning side in the NBA Finals 13 years apart, with one of the all-time greats joining the club this past June.

Most years between first and last NBA Finals series victories

Yrs	Player	From	To	Tm	NBA Titles
17	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1971	1988	MIL-LAL	1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988
15	Tim Duncan	1999	2014	SA	1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014
14	Sam Cassell	1994	2008	HOU-BOS	1994, 1995, 2008
13	John Havlicek	1963	1976	BOS	1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976
13	A.C. Green	1987	2000	LAL	1987, 1988, 2000
13	Robert Horry	1994	2007	HOU-LAL-SA	1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007

Now to the ice, where 19 players have lifted the Stanley Cup 13 or more years apart.

Most years between first and last Stanley Cup championships

Yrs	Player	From	To	Tm	Cups Won
22 20	Chris Chelios Mark Recchi	1986 1991	2008 2011	MON-DET PIT-CAR-BOS	3 3
17	Red Kelly	1950	1967	DET-TOR	8
17	Marcel Pronovost	1950	1967	DET-TOR	5
17	Henri Richard	1956	1973	MON	11
16	Maurice Richard	1944	1960	MON	8
15	Terry Sawchuk	1952	1967	DET-TOR	4
15	Jean Beliveau	1956	1971	MON	10
15	Patrick Roy	1986	2001	MON-COL	4
14	Claude Lemieux	1986	2000	MON-NJ-COL	4
14	Joe Nieuwendyk	1989	2003	CGY-DAL-NJ	3
14	Bill Guerin	1995	2009	NJ-PIT	2
13	Bob Goldham	1942	1955	TOR-DET	4
13	Ken Mosdell	1946	1959	MON	4
13	Claude Provost	1956	1969	MON	9
13	Yvan Cournoyer	1965	1978	MON	8
13	Larry Robinson	1973	1986	MON	6
13	Guy Carbonneau	1986	1999	MON-DAL	3
13	Craig Ludwig	1986	1999	MON-DAL	2
13	Brian Skrudland	1986	1999	MON-DAL	2

Chris Chelios won his first Stanley Cup in 1986 with the Canadiens when I was not yet born. Chris Chelios won his last Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Red Wings 18 days after I graduated from the University of Rhode Island.