Ty Law came out of Michigan as the 23rd overall pick in the 1995 draft and stepped into a starting role with the Patriots almost immediately. His first three seasons produced steady interceptions and solid coverage, including a score in 1996 as the team reached Super Bowl XXXI. The foundation was already there for a corner who could contest throws and create turnovers.

The breakout arrived in 1998. Law led the NFL with nine interceptions and 26 passes defended, earned his first Pro Bowl selection, and landed first-team All-Pro honors. He finished third in Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year voting that season. He remained the primary cover corner as the franchise transitioned to Tom Brady at quarterback. From 2001 through 2003, he earned three straight Pro Bowl nods and added another first-team All-Pro season in 2003 with six interceptions. The secondary became one of the league’s more reliable units during that stretch, and Law led the NFL in passes defended a second time during his prime years.

Law’s biggest moments arrived in the postseason. In Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams, he intercepted Kurt Warner and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown, the first score of a game the Patriots would win. Two seasons later, he contributed in Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina, and the team captured its third title in Super Bowl XXXIX. He earned three championships while remaining a starter and a consistent presence at safety.

Injuries limited him in 2004. After the season, Law left as a free agent and signed with the New York Jets. With the Patriots, he finished with 36 interceptions, six of them returned for touchdowns, and 638 combined tackles. The production and the championships defined a decade spent almost entirely in one place

Law was later named to the 2000s All-Decade Team. The Patriots placed him in their Hall of Fame in 2014. Five years later, he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The interceptions, the pick-six in the first Super Bowl win, and the three rings still mark his time in New England.