Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who kicked the game-winning field goal, held his hand up and said, “I’ve got two [championship rings] on my fingers, and the last time I checked, I got plenty more of them.”
For back-up guard Jamil Soriano ’03, the combination of an NFL championship and victory parade was overwhelming.
“It was definitely a once-in-a lifetime experience for me, to win a Super Bowl and come back to Boston to see all the fans cutting class and taking breaks from work,” said Soriano, who played left guard for Harvard, and was a part of the Patriots’ practice squad all season long.
“It was unreal, having all these people cheering for a team that I’m a part of. Coming from Harvard from a championship team was amazing, but to be a part of this Super Bowl team was just unbelievable,” Soriano said. “After being with three or four [NFL] teams, I’m not one to believe in fate or destiny, but something good happened to be with this kind of team.”
While in Houston, Soriano said that he “bumped into” former President George H. W. Bush, singer Beyoncé and rock star Kid Rock.
Reminiscent of the 2002 Super Bowl celebration, Kraft, Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick did an awkward victory dance for the crowd, egged on by star cornerback Ty Law, who asked the deejay to put on the hip-hop song, “Encore” by Jay-Z. Linebacker Willie McGinest joined in, dancing the “Crip Walk,” while Belichick extended both arms forward with visible reluctance and made a Frankenstein-esque motion.
In another humorous moment, wide receiver Troy Brown faced the crowd trophy in-hand, removed his dark sunglasses to reveal a black eye and broken nose sustained in Sunday’s game, and yelled “Bingo!”
The BPD along with federal police showed a heavy presence along the parade route and particularly at City Hall, where hundreds of officers patrolled the plaza and barricades. Despite a pervasive scent of alcohol, a BPD spokesperson said only seven arrests were made. Also present were Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey ’82.
Even Harvard student Jon Gentry ’07, who is a Houston native, felt the need to join the festivities.
“I missed all the excitement in Houston, but I guess the parade makes up for it,” he said.
—Staff writer Justin D. Gest can be reached at gest@fas.harvard.edu.