When Robert Kraft purchased the Patriots in January 1994, his mind was approximately 2,700 miles away. That’s where the vision for what kind of franchise he wanted to own resided as reality.

Kraft wanted to model — or remodel — the Patriots after the San Francisco 49ers, then the league’s supermodel franchise. Soon after Kraft bought the Patriots, then the Route 1 runts of the Boston sports scene, he took a trip to the 49ers’ practice facility to glean from their greatness. Kraft’s first season as an NFL owner would coincide with the last of San Francisco’s five Super Bowl titles in 14 seasons.