Nancy Meier, one of New England Patriots' unsung heroes, retiring after 50 years of "NFL dreams"
Nancy Meier may not be a name that most New England Patriots fans know. But inside Gillette Stadium, she's been a key part of the organization for decades.
Meier came to work with the Patriots in 1975 at 19 years old, having gone to college for fashion merchandising. The team was in need of someone to type scouting reports. Even though Meier said she wasn't great at typing, she took the job.
Nancy Meier retiring after 50 years
Fifty years later and now director of scouting administration, Meier is retiring this week as the team's longest-tenured employee.
After this year's NFL Draft, the team shared on social media a video of Meier making her final call to let a player know they've been selected to join the Patriots. Meier made the call when the team selected cornerback Karon Prunty in the fifth round.
"It's been amazing. I say it's what other people call NFL dreams. But I fulfilled what everyone else wants to do," Meier told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche in an interview for Sports Final. "Because of players, and because of coaches, and because of owners, and because of all these people around me, I have this, I have jewelry, and I've been to parties, I've been to the White House. I've done everything, and in a very normal way, because we've done it more than once."
Meier notes that she's been to all six Patriots Super Bowl wins, while she joked that she refers to the six Super Bowl losing teams simply as AFC champions.
Helping Malcolm Butler make history
On a daily basis, Meier was responsible for a great deal of logistical planning. Like years past, when the Patriots brought in their latest rookie class, her role was to contact each player, find out where they're traveling from, and get their flights set up. Then, she'd send an itinerary for each player with a warning – don't miss your flight.
There was one player who Meier recalls was not successful, despite that message. Malcolm Butler was on his way to Foxboro for a tryout in 2014 as he hoped to make the Patriots as an undrafted free agent. Butler called Meier to let her know that while he was on his way to the airport, a car crash delayed him and he missed his flight.
Meier found a way to get Butler into New England by about midnight that night. He made his tryout as scheduled, and went on to make the team. Butler's rookie season ended in Super Bowl XLIX, when his interception at the goal line against Seattle became one of the most famous plays in Boston sports history.
"I'm always so proud that Malcolm made that 53-man roster. He came in as a tryout, he got signed after that weekend, came back to training camp, made the 53-man roster and is forever written into the history books in Boston of the Butler did it," Meier said. "Malcolm will always say 'If you didn't book me that next flight, I bet I wouldn't have ever been able to come there.'"
To fans, Meier's name may not have been recognizable. But inside Gillette Stadium, she was one of the most recognizable faces in the building.
"Our football facility is really kind of small that we interact through the day constantly. In the morning, 'Hey, how you doing?' Or through the dining room. Players would come through my office," she said. "I probably am one of the most fortunate people in the NFL to have the relationship I do with players who became celebrity in their own rights because we were so successful."