"The whole time I was hoping for a miracle," said Gay. "Even though you know it's kind of . . . " Gay's voice trailed off. "Man, he needs to be here right now."
Hill was more than just a teammate for Gay, both in New England and at Louisiana State, where they won a national championship in 2003. They roomed together as rookies with the Patriots in 2004. They had played on the same team since 2001.
"It was almost like he was family, so for him not to be out here it hurts," said Gay after a recent practice. "I know the type of person he is. He wants to see me out here doing good and making plays, so that's what I'm going to try to do."
Gay can't resurrect his friend, but he can resurrect his career. After going from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl starter as a rookie, Gay has gone from the fast track to the breakdown lane. Each of his last two seasons has ended on injured reserve -- in 2005 an ankle injury limited him to five games; last year he played in three games before a hamstring hobbled him. Now, playing with a heavy heart, Gay is determined to get back up to speed.
His timing couldn't be better for the Patriots, who are thin at cornerback. With Asante Samuel still balking at signing his franchise tender, Chad Scott out for the season with a knee injury, and rookie Brandon Meriweather moving over from safety, Gay has been handed a golden opportunity to reestablish himself.
The fourth-year pro is taking advantage of it. He started the exhibition opener against Tampa Bay last Friday and has taken over Samuel's spot at left cornerback, running with the first team in practice.
"You have to have that mentality of I've got to go out here and make plays," said Gay. "Whoever is out there you have to go out there and make a play because we'll find somebody who is going to make that play."
