Matt Light arrived in New England as a second-round pick from Purdue in 2001 and went straight to left tackle. He started most of the games that season and helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI, keeping Tom Brady clean in a title game the franchise had never reached before. The assignment stayed the same after that. Light locked down the left side through the early dynasty years and was still there for two more Super Bowl wins in 2003 and 2004.

He handled the work without much drama. Light made his first Pro Bowl after the 2006 season, then turned in his strongest year in 2007. He started all 16 games, earned first-team All-Pro, and posted one of the league’s higher Approximate Value totals. The offense ran at a high level, and Light repeatedly won his one-on-one matchups against top edge rushers without needing constant help sliding over. He picked up another Pro Bowl selection after the 2010 season while continuing to start nearly every week.

The durability held up through the later years even when injuries shortened a couple of seasons. Light started 153 of the 155 regular-season games he played over eleven years. After the 2011 season, which included another Super Bowl start, he retired. His time in New England ended there. With the Patriots, he finished with 155 games and 153 starts, three Pro Bowl selections, and one first-team All-Pro. He did so while protecting Brady through three Super Bowl titles and five total appearances in the championship game.

Light entered the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2018. The left tackle who arrived as a second-rounder and stayed on the blind side the entire way left as one of the steadiest protectors the franchise has ever had.