FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced the release of their four-time Pro Bowl cornerback and 10-year veteran Ty Law today.
"Ty Law had a tremendous career as a New England Patriot," said Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. "We wish him well in the future."
Law, 31, was drafted by the Patriots with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft and spent 10 seasons with New England from 1995-2004. Over that span, the Aliquippa, Pa. native tied the Patriots franchise record with 36 career interceptions and was voted to four Pro Bowls, first in 1998 and then for three consecutive years beginning in 2001.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 200-pound cornerback played in 141 games with 133 starts for New England and recorded 648 career tackles, including four sacks, 36 interceptions for 582 yards and 142 passes defensed. Law set a franchise record with six career interception returns for touchdowns in the regular season. He also returned a pick for a score in the first half of Super Bowl XXXVI. In his 10 seasons in New England, Law tied for the team lead in interceptions three times (2000, 2002, 2003) and led the team in that category in 1998, when he led the NFL with a career-high nine interceptions. The University of Michigan product also set a career high with 37 passes defensed that season. In 2003, Law led the NFL with 23 passes defensed and tied for the team lead with six interceptions, earning him his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
Last season, he started the first seven games of the year before an injury, sustained on Oct. 31 at Pittsburgh, sidelined him for the remainder of the 2004 regular season and playoffs.
