Patrick Sullivan (American football executive)
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Patrick Sullivan
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|11|23}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| high_school =
| college = Boston College
| pastexecutive =
- New England Patriots ({{nfly|1977}}–{{nfly|1978}})
Stadium manager - New England Patriots ({{nfly|1979}}–{{nfly|1982}})
Assistant general manager - New England Patriots ({{nfly|1983}}–{{nfly|1991}})
General manager
}}
Patrick Sullivan is a former American football executive who served as general manager of the New England Patriots from 1983 to 1990.
Early life
The youngest of Patriots founder Billy Sullivan's six children, Sullivan was a ballboy for the first Boston Patriots team. He attended public school in Wellesley, Massachusetts and graduated from Browne & Nichols School in 1971 and Boston College in 1976.{{cite book |title=Patriots 1983 Media Guide |date=1983 |page=9 |url=https://archive.org/details/patriots-1983-media-guide-new-england/page/8/mode/2up |access-date=10 March 2025}}
New England Patriots
After graduating college, Sullivan spent two years as the manager of Schaefer Stadium. In 1979, he was named assistant general manager.{{cite news|title=Pat Sullivan gets Pats' post|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KAU1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2649,1411715|accessdate=5 August 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=May 18, 1979}} On February 17, 1983, Sullivan was promoted to general manager.{{cite news|last=McDonough|first=Will|title=Pat Sullivan Succeeds Kilroy|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/663619851.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107144423/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/663619851.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012|accessdate=5 August 2011|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=February 17, 1983}}{{cite news|title=Update|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AtxHAAAAIBAJ&pg=2188,2204865|accessdate=5 August 2011|newspaper=Record-Journal|date=February 17, 1983}}
During his tenure as general manager, the Patriots had a 66–65 record and made the playoffs twice, including an appearance in Super Bowl XX.
After the Patriots 1985 Divisional Playoff victory against the Los Angeles Raiders, Sullivan was punched in the face by Raiders linebacker Matt Millen — who hit Sullivan in retaliation for his heckling of his Raiders teammate Howie Long from the sidelines.{{cite news|title=Long, Millen Scuffle With Patriots' GM|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-06-sp-13568-story.html|access-date=5 August 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=January 6, 1986}}
After Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson complained of being sexually harassed in the Patriots' locker room, team chairman and majority owner Victor Kiam sought to suspend Sullivan. However, National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped in and prevented the suspension.{{cite news|title=Patriots' GM Patrick Sullivam was subject of suspension talk|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hstJAAAAIBAJ&pg=3990,124217|accessdate=5 August 2011|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=October 1, 1980}}
On December 20, 1990, Kiam named Sam Jankovich CEO of the Patriots and gave him complete control of the organization. On January 29, Sullivan announced his resignation.{{cite news|title=Pat Sullivan quits as Patriots GM|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O61JAAAAIBAJ&pg=5343,4546318|accessdate=5 August 2011|newspaper=Associated Press|date=January 30, 1991}}
Post-Patriots
Since 1993, Sullivan has served as President of Game Creek Video, a company he founded that provides television production trucks for sporting events.{{cite news|last=Donaldson|first=Jim|title=After all these years, Sullivan still glad to be part of Pats|url=http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/sp_fbn_sullivan30_01-30-08_8J8QG0L_v5.3637a4f.html|accessdate=5 August 2011|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=January 30, 2008}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{New England Patriots general manager navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Patrick}}
Category:Boston College alumni
Category:Buckingham Browne & Nichols School alumni
Category:New England Patriots executives