In summer 2022, Richard Seymour caused a bit of a stir by mentioning Robert Kraft’s name when he formally accepted his invitation into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As one of just eight honorees this year, he made a speech in Canton, OH where he thanked the people in his life. When he talked about Kraft, he opened up about the owner’s heart and humility. He didn’t leave without saying that he had no doubt Kraft would be given the same honor someday soon.
The Power of Consistency
In football, as in life, the power of consistency isn’t always as apparent as we’d like. Sometimes we make the effort, only to find that no one has noticed or that someone else has gotten ahead while doing less. However, the much bigger picture is that consistency will get you somewhere, even if it takes some time to see it.
Perhaps that was why Richard Seymour chose to focus on this concept when he talked about Kraft. “You showed us that being consistent in the little things added up to big things, always with heart and humanity.” Seymour knows that a Hall of Fame invitation isn’t a dime a dozen. Plenty of greats are passed over, and they don’t always get a second chance. However, he also knows that Kraft embodies the values of the institution.
This owner of the Patriots took a team that was struggling in every sense of the word and turned it into a powerhouse of victory. More than that, though, he gave the fans a light in the darkness. Instead of being traded to another city, as some were suggesting, Kraft instantly knew that moving the Patriots would be a mistake. He used his business acumen and love of the game to clinch countless titles during his reign.
Across the Board
Robert Kraft has been as instrumental in football as he has been with everything else he’s ever tackled in his life. When Bill Belichik talked about him on Sirius XM Radio, he called Kraft “phenomenal”. On the “Movin’ the Chains” show, he said “You look at what he’s done across the board. He’s made great contributions to the league, in things like the CBA and other policies, and the growth of the league. And off the field — just the philanthropy and contributions he’s made to the community.”
When Robert Kraft thinks about his accomplishments, he’s as proud of his Super Bowl wins as he is of helping the people in his community. Even the former Steelers cornerback, Mel Blount, said that Kraft will get his due soon. “Mr. Kraft, what you’ve done for this game you deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. We need to get you in next year.”
It makes sense why people outside the Patriots would want to sing Kraft’s praises. He’s been a diplomatic treasure to the league, one that has seen tempers flair over the stakes at play. The money, the prestige, the devotion to the game: it’s easy to see why there’s so much passion over football. Kraft understands why people get worked up over contract deals and terms. (It’s all part of why he has loved the game ever since he was a small child!)
However, he also knows how and when to take a step back from the fray. When a lockout threatened to delay the season in 2011, he found a way to bring the players and league owners to an agreement that they could both live with. He accomplished this task right after his beloved wife passed away, not because he wasn’t grieving, but because he knew what would be lost if the NFL couldn’t make peace.
Kraft is also known for using both his insider knowledge and negotiation skills to advocate for players and teams. For instance, he was able to negotiate a deal with Amazon so that fans could watch their favorite teams face off on Thursday nights. Kraft used his experience at Viacom (where he was a board member) to speak to representatives at Amazon and secure the best possible benefits for the league.
In his personal life, Robert Kraft has given more than $400 million in donations to worthy causes. They’ve set up the Kraft Center for Community Health, the Kraft Family Blood Lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the Kraft Center at Columbia/Barnard Hillel. His foundation has been instrumental in communities of every variety.
There’s no doubt that Kraft has the accomplishments under his belt to get into this exclusive club. The only question is when exactly it will happen. With the unflaggable support of his colleagues and his untiring efforts for the entire NFL, we should expect to see him there very soon.
Learn more about Robert Kraft: https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/robert-k-kraft/
