Home Run: Patriots Rookie Surprises High School Before NFL Career Begins
Call it a home run.
The New England Patriots drafted Christian Gonzalez to prevent - and possibly score - touchdowns, but their top draft pick made a quick trip back to his old stomping grounds before officially starting his NFL career. According to ESPN, after getting drafted 17th overall by the Pats the cornerback made a surprise visit last week to his former high school in The Colony, Texas just north of Dallas.
While eight NFL teams held rookie minicamps late last week, the Patriots' isn't until next weekend, May 12-14.
Gonzalez received a sneak peek of Gillette Stadium the day after the Patriots drafted him, meeting with owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft, the coaching staff and some veteran players.
“It used to be rookie minicamp would start [right after the draft], so you’d go home for three to four days and come back that Thursday. Now they have 10 days, which I think is good,” Pats' defensive play-caller Steve Belichick told ESPN. “You’re a first-round draft pick - go home, enjoy it, then get yourself ready to be here through the spring and play some football.”
The 20-year-old Gonzalez, who played at Oregon, surprised The Colony coach Rudy Rangel and some of his former teammates.
“We had a really good practice and they saw him walk up. Their eyes were wide,” Rangel said. “He talked about work ethic and being respectful, listening to your coaches. He told them how he had to go back and look at film, and really evaluate when he wasn’t doing some of the things he thought he should be doing, and how important that lesson was for him.”
Gonzalez invited Rangel to the draft in a show of his loyalty.
“He sat there with four cameras in his face and didn’t flinch when he didn’t go in the top 10,” Rangel said. “One time between draft picks he wanted to talk to my son, who is a freshman, so they FaceTimed and they’re talking trash to each other. He was projected to go a little bit higher and he took note of that, but he was very calm and cool.”
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