Why a win over the Rams Sunday would secure a unique spot in Patriots’ history for Stephon Gilmore

ATLANTA — Stephon Gilmore has a chance to finish off one of the more remarkable seasons for any member of the Patriots in the last 20 years with a win on Sunday.


He’d become only one of seven players in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick Era to land a first-team All-Pro nod, a Pro Bowl nomination and a Super Bowl ring, all in one year.

The previous winners? Ty Law, Richard Seymour, Adam Vinatieri, Rob Gronkowski, Darrelle Revis and Matthew Slater. Heady company for the 28-year-old, who has lived up to his rep as a lockdown corner from start to finish this season, silencing some of the league’s best receivers along the way.

“I didn’t think about that,” when I informed him Wednesday of the possibility he could nab the trifecta with a Patriots’ win over the Rams.

“That’s a great opportunity. It’s a big accomplishment — that’s one thing I still want, a Super Bowl ring. I’m going to try and do whatever it takes to get that done.”

Gilmore redefines the term soft-spoken. You have to lean in and listen closely when he talks. He doesn’t appear to be interested in self-promotion — asked if we’re going to see SG24 gear sometime soon, he just laughs. He doesn’t have a trademarked celebration. And he talks with the media after every game, in good times and bad, after wins and losses.

And so, instead of trying to get Gilmore to open up, we went to his fellow defensive backs (and one former high school rival turned NFL teammate) to act as a hype man for him and his talents. What did we find? If Gilmore won’t expand on his greatness, his teammate are more than willing to do it for him.

“It’s tough to complete the ball on him,” said Brady. “We feel that way in practice. I’ve played with a lot of good corners, and he’s right up there with the best of them. He knocks the ball away, intercepts the ball, makes the quarterback pay. He’s physical, good in the run game, good in zone, good in short, intermediate, deep. I mean, he’s all-around just been a great player for us.”

“He’s not a pro, man. He’s a professional,” says safety Patrick Chung. “The professional.”

Chung is a guy who lives life with an edge — at one point last year, he cursed out the media for what he saw as reporters badgering Gilmore while the cornerback was returning from a concussion. That same sort of loyalty for his teammate came through in conversation Wednesday.

“That’s a silent killer, right there. That’s my nickname for him,” Chung added. “You guys all know it — we don’t have to say anything. He’s a competitor, a professional. He’s a damn good player.”