March 05--Darius Fleming's biggest play with the Patriots took place not on a football field, but on the side of a road near Gillette Stadium, a place he called home for two seasons.
Fleming, a former Notre Dame linebacker and a St. Rita graduate, kicked in the window of a smoke-filled car and helped rescue a woman who had been in an accident in January. Two days later he played in the AFC Championship Game with a reported 22 stitches in his right leg.
Fleming, 26, was released by the Patriots on Friday. He was part of two teams that advanced to the Super Bowl, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIX.
"I want to thank the Kraft family, my coaches, the Patriots organization and the fans for the amazing opportunity during the past two years in New England," Fleming wrote in an Instagram message Friday. "I wish the organization nothing but the best going forward."
Fleming was drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. He helped lead St. Rita to the 2006 Class 7A state championship as a junior.
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