WATCH: Former Georgia Football LB, Natrez Patrick is Back to Work
Coming out of Mays high school in Atlanta, Natrez Patrick was a 4-star prospect and the 7th ranked player in the state in the class of 2014. He enrolled early at Georgia and immediately went to work.
He played 11 games as a true freshman, making two starts. He then followed that performance up with nine starts in 2016 and 59 tackles (2nd best on the team) despite missing the final three games of the season due to injury.
His junior season was cut short due to a suspension for an arrest in October, though in 8 games in 2017 he racked up 35 tackles. His final season in Athens, he played in all 14 games, starting 8 and was fourth on the team in tackles.
He went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams. He made the 53-man roster following training camp and appeared in two games in 2019 as a rookie.
As for how he made the roster, Patrick says he simply "Came to work every day. I never was complacent. I never felt comfortable. I always came to work"
And he did so at multiple positions for the Rams. Signed as an inside linebacker, Patrick showed early on in camp that he could play some outside linebacker as well.
Playing in space and getting in and out of his breaks is something Patrick is back home working on now with the coronavirus pandemic placing restrictions on NFL teams, especially ones based in California.
Patrick told me that some teams are requiring their players to film workouts and send them in, but the Rams are trusting their guys to be professional.
There's also a lot of questions still surrounding the NFL season, they don't know when they will be allowed back or even where they will report when they do go back. There's been speculation of NFL teams potentially picking up and moving to states like Florida who have been open about hosting other professional organizations.
All they do know is there's work to be done and they have to stay ready.
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