DHL Dan CCLXXXIV - Feeling Old Yet?

You just might feel old if you now start seeing the grandchildren of athletes you grew up watching:

The grandson of Darryl Stingley will be trying to keep the Patriots from advancing, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while waiting for Sunday’s kickoff at Gillette …

⋅ The Houston Texans are a threat to the Patriots because they have a ferocious defense. One of the best players on that unit is fourth-year cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., No. 24 in your program.

Stingley is the grandson of Darryl Stingley, who caught passes for the Patriots for five seasons in the 1970s before he was paralyzed by a Jack Tatum hit in a mid-August preseason game against the Raiders in the summer of 1978.

Darryl Stingley spent the rest of his days in a wheelchair and died of complications from his quadriplegia at the age of 55 in 2007. His son, Derek, grew up to play three years of minor league baseball in the Phillies system, then five-plus years in the Arena Football League, before settling in Baton Rouge, La., and becoming a football coach.