Bobby Grier, a long-time New England Patriots and Houston Texans executive with more than seven decades of experience died on Monday. The 82-year had been working as a consultant with the Miami Dolphins.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bobby Grier, father of general manager Chris Grier,” the Dolphins posted on X. “Bobby was a longtime executive for the Patriots and Texans and a former consultant for the Dolphins. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Grier family.”
As the Dolphins mentioned in their post, Bobby was the father of the team’s G.M. Chris Grier. He was also the father to Chris’ brother (obviously) Mike Grier, who is the general manager of the San Jose Sharks. Mike played ice hockey at Boston University when I was there so I thought I’d mention that.
Bobby Grier was with the Patriots when they drafted Tom Brady
Grier’s last draft with the Patriots was in 2000. You may remember that was the year they took that guy Tom Brady in the sixth round. If you didn’t remember that, just watch the television coverage of Day 3 of the NFL Draft in any year and it will get mentioned upwards of one thousand times.
Chris Cwik of Yahoo! Sports has more of Grier’s background.
“Bobby Grier’s legacy in the game stretches back to at least 1961, when he was a running back at Iowa. He started coaching high school football in 1966, and slowly climbed the coaching ranks,” Cwik writes. “In 1974, he joined the college ranks, serving as a running backs coach at Eastern Michigan. A few years later, he left for Boston College.”
Grier joined the ranks of the NFL in 1981 with the Patriots, but somehow survived a mass firing that took place shortly thereafter.
“Grier eventually made his way to the NFL, joining the Patriots as an assistant coach in 1981,” Cwik continues. “The team fired the entire coaching staff after the season, but Grier was brought back on the staff as a scout. He remained with the organization through the 2000 season, working in a variety of roles on the coaching staff and in the front office. Grier served as a backfield coach and running coordinator early in that tenure before eventually working his way up the front office.”
New England Patriots remember Bobby Grier
The Patriots also released a statement expressing their condolences to the Grier family.
“The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bobby Grier, who served the organization with distinction for nearly two decades in coaching and executive roles,” the Patriots said in a press release. “Grier passed away peacefully at the age of 82 over the weekend.”
Patriots’ chairman, CEO and owner Bob Kraft also acknowledged Grier’s many years with the team.
“Bobby Grier was a man of tremendous integrity,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “He broke barriers and built bridges, and his legacy will forever be part of our franchise’s history. We are grateful for his years of service and the impact he had on so many people within our organization and across the NFL. My thoughts are with his family and all who are mourning his loss.”
Grier joined the Dolphins in 2017, about a year after Chris was named the team’s general manager.