KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Foxborough, Massachusetts is home to Gillette Stadium and the 2017 Superbowl Champions, the New England Patriots. They face the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the season.
Around 17,000 people call Foxborough home, a town built on hard work and Patriot pride.
“Foxborough [is] a community made up with hard working folk and sophisticated folks as well," City Manager Bill Keegan said. “We're very proud of the fact that we're the home to the Patriots."
The town has expanded over time, leaving hints of old and new. There are even mementos left from the Pats’ recent Superbowl win.
“As somebody who grew up a Patriots fan, now you're the town manager. To see the Patriots flag flying over your town, what’s that like for you?” 41 Action News anchor Mike Marusarz asked.
“It's really special, it's really special," Keegan said.
As much as Foxborough loves the Patriots, the team also loves their hometown. It’s not uncommon to see players pop into the city’s diners, and often, even fans don’t recognize their hometown heroes.
“We have about 12 to 15 players that come in on a regular basis. People mingle with them; they don't even realize they're mingling with them," The Commons owner Alfred Mazeiko said.
As the national spotlight heads back to the quiet suburb for the kickoff to the NFL season, there’s one thing those who live in Foxborough can agree on; it’s that the town has so much more to offer than just Patriot football.
“What we hope they come away with is this,” Keegan said, “Foxborough’s not just built on football but success."
