Patriots’ rookies ready to take on sport’s biggest stage as they prepare for Super Bowl
FOR US WITH THE BIG WRAP ON ALL OF THIS, MIKE. YEAH. WELL, TODAY WE HEARD FROM THE TEAM AFTER THE INSANITY OF LAST NIGHT. TODAY SPEAKING AGAIN HERE AT THEIR TEAM HOTEL IN SANTA CLARA. SECURITY HERE VERY, VERY TIGHT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME, OVER MY SHOULDER, DRAKE MAYE AND CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ, LARGER THAN LIFE ON THE PLACARD HERE ON THE HOTEL. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE YOUNG GUYS FOR A MOMENT ON THIS TEAM. MORE THAN HALF OF THIS GROUP HAD NEVER EVEN PLAYED IN A POSTSEASON GAME BEFORE LAST MONTH. NOW THEY FIND THEMSELVES ON THE BIGGEST STAGE IN SPORTS. THE PATS HAVE 11 ROOKIES ON THE ROSTER AND ARE THE FIRST TEAM TO START TWO ROOKIES ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE IN THE SUPER BOWL, WITH WILL CAMPBELL AND JARED WILSON. BUT CAMPBELL SAYS THIS GROUP HAS BOUGHT IN AND THEY ARE READY TO MEET THE MOMENT. ON SUNDAY. THIS ROOKIE CLASS HAS BEEN AWESOME. WE WE GOT A BUNCH OF GREAT DUDES WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED A LOT ON THE FIELD, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHAT TYPE OF HUMAN BEINGS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. YOU KNOW? TREYVION CRAIG, JARED. LIKE, I COULD NAME EVERYONE AND EVERYBODY’S BEEN GREAT IN CLEVELAND. MEANTIME, HOW ABOUT THIS FIRST BILL BELICHICK AND NOW ROBERT KRAFT, TWO OF THE LEADERS OF THE NFL’S GREATEST DYNASTY, DENIED BY THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. TODAY, WE LEARNED KRAFT NOT GOING INTO THE HALL DURING THURSDAY’S NFL HONORS EVENT IN SAN FRANCISCO. TODAY, PATS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL CALLED THE SNUB UNFORTUNATE, SAYING THAT EVENTUALLY KRAFT WILL GET IN. SO THAT LEAVES FORMER PATRIOTS KICKER ADAM VINATIERI AS THE LONE PATRIOT WHO COULD POTENTIALLY GET INTO THE HALL ON THURSDAY NIGHT. BY THE WAY, TODAY IS THE 24 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SUPER BOWL 36. VINATIERI’S GAME WINNING KICK IN THE PATRIOTS FIRST LOMBARDI TROPHY. MARISSA. ALL RIGHT, MIKE, HOW SWEET IT IS TO REMINISCE. SO YOU KNOW WE HAVE ABOUT ONE WEEK NOW A LITTLE UNDER UNTIL THE SUPER BOWL. AND THE PATRIOTS HAVE ONE PRACTICE UNDER THEIR BELT BEFORE SUNDAY. THEY GOT TO USE THEIR TIME WISELY HERE. BALANCE PRACTICING AND RESTING. WHAT’S THE REST OF THEIR SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE. YEAH WELL TODAY IS THEIR NORMAL OFF DAY AS WE’VE HEARD ALL ALONG. VRABEL IS NOT CHANGING THE MACARONI, SO THEY’RE KEEPING THE SAME SCHEDULE KEEPING THEIR TUESDAY OFF DAY. WE DID HEAR FROM THE TEAM AT MEDIA AVAILABILITY, BUT NO PRACTICE. THEY WILL GET BACK TO WORK TOMORROW. THEY PRACTICES AT STANFORD TOMORROW AND THURSDAY. WE’LL ALSO HEAR FROM THE TEAM AGAIN HERE AT THE TEAM HOTEL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL. BUT TODAY IS KIND OF JUST A DAY TO RESET, DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. WE JUST SAW PATRIOTS RECEIVER MACK HOLLINS OUT FOR A WALK. HE’S INFAMOUS FOR WALKING AROUND BAREFOOT. HE WAS WEARING HIS SHOES THOUGH THIS TIME. ALTHOUGH THE WEATHER IS SO NICE HERE. NOT TO RUB IT IN, BUT IT’S SO NICE. YOU COUL
Patriots’ rookies ready to take on sport’s biggest stage as they prepare for Super Bowl
More than half of New England’s players had never played in a postseason game before last month, and they now find themselves on the biggest stage in sports.The Patriots have 11 rookies on the roster, and they will be the first team to start two rookies on the offensive line in the Super Bowl, with tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson.Campbell said Tuesday that the group is ready to meet the moment on Sunday.”This rookie class has been awesome,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch of great dudes who have contributed a lot on the field, but you can see what type of human beings that they were looking for. TreVeyon, Craig, Jared – I could name everyone, and everybody’s been great.”Tuesday was the Patriots’ normal off-day, and coach Mike Vrabel has said he wasn’t going to change the team’s schedule ahead of the big game.The players will hit the practice field again Wednesday and Thursday.
More than half of New England’s players had never played in a postseason game before last month, and they now find themselves on the biggest stage in sports.
The Patriots have 11 rookies on the roster, and they will be the first team to start two rookies on the offensive line in the Super Bowl, with tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson.
Campbell said Tuesday that the group is ready to meet the moment on Sunday.
“This rookie class has been awesome,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch of great dudes who have contributed a lot on the field, but you can see what type of human beings that they were looking for. TreVeyon, Craig, Jared – I could name everyone, and everybody’s been great.”
Tuesday was the Patriots’ normal off-day, and coach Mike Vrabel has said he wasn’t going to change the team’s schedule ahead of the big game.
The players will hit the practice field again Wednesday and Thursday.