New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones already has one Super Bowl ring. When he takes the field in Super Bowl LIII, his focus will be on bringing home a second.

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But keeping his focus laser-sharp during this jam-packed week has been a challenge for the Carrollton, Georgia, native who is enjoying being back home near friends and family, including his adorable 3-year-old daughter, Skylar.

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“Just seeing her face and seeing her joy of getting to experience this with me truly makes it more special,” says Jones, 25. “It is an amazing experience.”

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NFL agent Sean Stellato, who reps Jones and several of his teammates, says Jones is a major source of pride for his mom, dad and entire family. “Jonathan is a first class guy on and off the field. He has been an underdog his whole life and is a special young man, who walks in humility.”

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In this exclusive interview with Parade.com, Jones talks about Super Bowl Week with his family, advice and community support that helped him get to the NFL and his favorite game day snack.

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Are there special events you can take your daughter and your parents to?

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Oh, yes. There are so many things right in the downtown area; the NFL experience, the aquarium and the children’s museum. It’s a great city for hosting this because there is so much for the kids and adults to do; it’s been a great week for all of us.

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What is your daughter saying about all of this?

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She is excited. She is beginning to understand more. Any time she sees anything involving the Patriots she just gets super excited.

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This is your third Super Bowl, does that feel surreal?

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It’s really a blessing. You know; there are guys who play so long and never get a chance to experience one. So, to be able to experience three, three years in a row has been such a major blessing.

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Is there anyone special who gave you the confidence to succeed in football and in life? Someone who reassured that you could do this no matter what you got hit with in life?

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I would attribute that to a combination of a lot of things. It certainly started with my parents and the community. I had a lot of people who supported me and gave me good advice.

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What kind of advice did you get?

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Just to stay focused. People kept pointing me in the right direction so I didn’t end up being a statistic and unsuccessful. They told me, “look out for yourself and make sure that you’re doing the things you need to do.”

How do you prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for the Big Game?

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For this game in particular. You just treat it like any other game. It’s about trying to stick to my normal routine, obviously there are other distractions throughout the week, since it is the Big Game, but you have to maintain and stay focused and definitely try to stick to your same routine and don’t get too high or too low, just keep it an even keel.

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To read the full article visit Parade

The Patriots need some help covering tight ends, and they might have found a solution. Obi Melifonwu is joining the team’s safeties club with Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon.

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The former UConn product and Grafton native, reached Monday, couldn’t be more thrilled to be a Patriot.

“It feels like a blessing, honestly. I’m just glad to be back home with my friends and family. It’s a team that I’ve grown up watching,” said Melifonwu, the former second-round pick of the Raiders. “They’re such a great organization. I’m just so proud to be a part of it.”

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Melifonwu, who agreed to terms on a contract with the Patriots, according to his agent, Sean Stellato, could be a potential answer to coverage issues they’ve been having with tight ends. The 6-foot-3, 224-pounder is a freakish athlete.

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Melifonwu played in just five games with the Raiders. Injuries severely hampered him during his time in Oakland. He had knee and hip problems. He was waived off injured reserve earlier this year, making him a free agent. He had visits with a couple of other teams, the Cowboys being one, but in his heart, “being a Patriot was the best thing for me.”

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The former UConn star indicated he was healthy now, and could jump right into practice, and play this weekend against the Titans if needed.

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 “It won’t be my decision whether or not I play right away,” he said. “I just know the Patriots will have my best interests at heart. I’m definitely going to be ready for the opportunity, but I know for me, I need to make sure I get accustomed to the playbook and the organization and the way they run things.”

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Melifonwu said he could see himself in a lot of different roles, but did feel marking tight ends could be in his future, along with playing special teams.

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 “I think now in the NFL, there’s a lot of tight ends that are more athletic, bigger, stronger, faster,” he said. “One of the key roles is covering tight ends, and being matchup for them, and helping the team that way.”

 Melifonwu was at the Patriots-Packers game Sunday night. He enjoyed that along with the pregame celebration honoring the world champion Red Sox.

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 “The performance the Sox had against the Dodgers was unbelievable. Being from Massachusetts, how great New England sports are, it’s incredible,” said Melifonwu, “So being at Gillette (Sunday night) was extremely special to me. I’ve lived in Massachusetts my whole life, really. The Patriots have been my favorite team since I started watching football. I’ve always wanted to go to a game but never had the opportunity . . . to watch a game before I got to play there, especially seeing Rodgers vs. Brady, 12 vs. 12, that was incredibly special.”

 Stellato was thrilled to help make it happen for Melifonwu in New England:  “I think he has unique traits that can help them win. No one does a better job than the Patriots in this business of identifying those type of guys. I think it’s going to be a great fit for everybody.”

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Source: Boston Globe

The Raiders had high hopes for 2017 second-round pick Obi Melifonwu, but the safety was hurt much of his time in Oakland and was released off injured reserve on Oct. 23.

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Now, the Connecticut product is headed back to the Northeast, as he will sign a contract with the New England Patriots, agent Sean Stellato confirmed to NBC Sports California.

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News of the deal was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

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The 24-year-old dealt with a hamstring injury during training camp last summer and when he returned, he got hurt again. Arthroscopic knee surgery landed him on IR at the end of the preseason. Once the Raiders designated him to return, he appeared in five games before hip surgery put an end to his rookie season. He finished with just six total tackles.

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This year, with Jon Gruden in charge, Melifonwu was cleared for the offseason program, but he last practiced on Aug. 6 and was waived on Aug. 23.

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The Raiders selected Melifonwu with the No. 56 overall pick last year.

When you’re in the National Football League, there’s no offseason. Once the season ends, players swiftly get back to work in the weight room to prepare for organized team activities, mandatory minicamp and the preseason. Keeping a busy schedule year round is a norm for those chasing the Lombardi Trophy.

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New England Patriots outside linebacker Marquis Flowers knows what it’s like to maintain a busy agenda throughout the offseason. Driven by the Patriots 41-33 loss in Super Bowl 52 to the Philadelphia Eagles and hungry to build on his current role in New England, Flowers has dedicated himself to improving his craft since the season closed in February.

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“At the end of the day you have to let it go,” Flowers said of the Super Bowl loss. “At the same time it gives you motivation. You got to the top but came up short. We play this game to be world champions. Me personally, I play parts of the game over in my head every time I work out. Every team is motivated. We’re back at the bottom and we have to climb all the way back up.”

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Flowers, a Phoenix, Arizona native, was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The University of Arizona product spent three seasons with the Bengals, missing the entire 2015 campaign with an injury, before arriving in New England via trade in 2017.

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Flowers saw an elevated role in New England’s defense due in part to injuries to fellow linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy. Flowers finished the regular season with 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He tallied six tackles and one sack in three postseason games.

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Click here to read the full article in itemlive.com 

Last month, the Raiders informed 11-year veteran long snapper Jon Condo that his career playing in Silver and Black had come to an end. The Raiders got ahead of it by signing Andrew East and Bradley Northnagel to compete for the job.

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They will now have even more competition as the team officially signed former Bears’ long snapper Andrew DePaola on Friday to a four-year contact worth $4.27 million including $875 thousand guaranteed. The deal makes DePaola the highest paid long snapper in the league according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

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DePaola ranked seventh in snap accuracy (97.7%) among 33 NFL long snappers that were graded by Pro Football Focus. For comparison, Condo in 2017 was ranked 28th (91.7%).

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The four-year veteran spent his first three seasons in the league with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then moved to the Windy City in 2017. But before he had a chance to play in the NFL, DePaola was just a man with a dream who spent four years working at Best Buy to make ends meet. Now, he can call himself the highest paid long snapper in football.

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As the highest paid player at his position in the league, it is DaPaola’s job to lose. But he will still have to compete with East and Northnagel for a spot on the team. Having an effective long snapper is like having a kicker, you don’t realize how valuable they are until you need them the most. Certainly seems Jon Gruden and his staff recognize this and want to make sure they have a good one no matter the price.

A mountain of a man in a three-piece suit, Super Bowl champion Bryan Braman engaged each of the couple dozen onlookers stuffed inside a packed Spokane City Hall boardroom on Friday.

Some he remembered from his days at Shadle Park High School. Others, mostly city employees, relished the opportunity to shake the sizable hand of the Philadelpha Eagles’s special teams enforcer.

“How’s your son doing? I hear he’s doing well,” Braman asked one man as he signed a glossy photo of himself attempting to block a punt against the Atlanta Falcons.

In his first visit to Spokane since winning the Lombardi Trophy last month –with about 10 family members in tow – Braman scribbled his name and “Super Bowl 52 champion” about 50 times before heading onto his next destination.

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But not before Mayor David Condon presented the 30-year-old with another memento: the mayor’s coin.

“It’s for people who have done something good for the city,” Condon said. “Everybody from World War II veterans to folks like him.”

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The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Braman said he appreciated the gesture.

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“This is great,” he said as he put his arm around Condon

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Before Condon honored the 2005 Shadle Park grad, both men stood in the seventh-floor mayor’s office as the mayor pointed to Spokane’s newest downtown renovations since Braman’s last visit a year ago.

Braman, who said he was scrambling to see as many friends as family members as possible in a three-day window, is looking to help the city himself.

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He has been active with the Spokane Youth Sports Association and, on Friday night, he signed even more memorabilia to be auctioned off to help the program.

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Last summer, he said he bought a piece of property in north Spokane that he’s been renovating and hopes to use it to host SYSA events.

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“I’m really looking forward to working with SYSA, the after-school academic programs and the schools,” said Braman, now a father. “Using that property to give back and help them raise money, because it was such a big part of my life.”

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“I wish I spent more time on this earlier in my career, but now I am in a good place.”

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The Patriots locked up Brandon King, one of their core special teamers, with a two-year, $2.6 million contract extension today. King said he’s thrilled to be returning.

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The Patriots had extended Brandon Bolden to a one-year extension last month. King represents another special teams domino to fall. There could be more to follow, especially with Matthew Slater, Nate Ebner, and Johnson Bademosi, other important members of the special teams unit, due to hit free agency next week.

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“It’s been a great thing with all those guys. Everyone brings different things to the table,” said King. “I would love for everyone to come back. We’ve been doing something really great for the past three years with the newcomers as well, but that’s out of my hands. I’m just excited to come back myself. This is a great team to be a part of. I’ve learned so much in the three years I’ve been there. It’s a great opportunity to come back and work with a top tier program.

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Sean Stellato, who represents King, hit on the importance the Patriots place on special teams, so look for the other dominoes to fall.

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“The Patriots do something not a lot of teams do, with the value they place on special teams,” said Stellato. “They build up and put a premium on that unit. That’s one of the reasons why they’ve been so successful.”

King, meanwhile, was also happy with the news special teams coach Joe Judge, who was initially thought to be heading to Indy, stayed put after Josh McDaniels decided to remain in Foxboro.

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“Coach has worked with me since I’ve been there. It’s great to see everything worked out,” King said of Judge. “I’m excited to be a part of it, I’m excited to do better and bigger things this year. I’m in it for the long haul.”

Tye Smith waited his turn, and when called on in a bigger role in recent games, he’s delivered for the Titans.

The unheralded cornerback from Towson played all 69 snaps while starting against the Rams, and he was on the field for 53 of 63 snaps in Sunday’s playoff-clinching win over the Jaguars.

When the Titans needed a lift with injuries in the secondary, Smith has provided it with solid play.

“It’s everything the guy deserves,” Titans cornerback Logan Ryan said of Smith. “You’ve seen it in the preseason – he wears his heart on his sleeve for his teammates. He lays his body on the line. I’ll take a guy like that and play with that guy.

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“That’s what makes secondaries great, and that’s what makes defenses great – guys who are willing to sacrifice for one another. It’s not about big-name players, guys that make a lot of money. It’s about guys who are willing to sacrifice.”

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Smith (6-0, 195) joined the Titans as a free agent last January, and he spent the offseason and training camp with the team. He made the roster out of camp, and has played in 15 of 16 games for the Titans this season.

But until recently, the majority of Smith’s snaps came on special teams.

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Smith had six tackles against the Rams, and four more stops against the Jaguars on a day when the Titans held quarterback Blake Bortles to a just 158 passing yards while completing just 15-of-34 throws. His passer rating was just 33.7 against the Titans.

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To read more click here.

Second-year Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones turned heads after a solid performance in relief during Sunday’s win against New Orleans, his main highlight a pass break-up on a potential touchdown strike from Saints quarterback Drew Brees to Ted Ginn Jr. in the back of the end zone during the second quarter.

That play, plus a similar one made against Brandon Coleman, was enough to earn praise from coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday.

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“I thought on both of those plays, the technique that he used to finish the play, the final reception point, was excellent, perfect,” Belichick said. “It was textbook technique, what we teach all of our players to do, but it’s a great illustration of Jonathan doing it and having two big plays, two very productive plays.

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Said Jones: “Those plays, you just have to keep your composure. You can’t see the ball, you know the ball is coming, you have to play through the hands. It’s keeping composure, I think, is the biggest thing in those situations, not getting pass interference and be able to get a pass break-up.”

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To read more click here.

Stellato Sports client Johnathan Jones recently had a very complimentary write up by Boston Globe columnist Jim McBride ...

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FOXBOROUGH — The whispers started in the summer of 2016.

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“J Jones gonna make this team at gunner,’’ Devin McCourty would tell his Patriots teammates during the dog days of training camp.

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“J Jones” was Jonathan Jones, a rookie cornerback who despite a sterling résumé out of Auburn had slipped through the cracks on every team’s draft board and ended up signing with the Patriots.

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Blessed with blazing speed and excellent strength — Jones was a top Combine performer in both the 40-yard dash (4.33) and bench press (19 reps of 225 pounds) — he not only turned McCourty’s head but he also was leaving an impression on the coaching staff, which couldn’t ignore his playmaking and competitiveness.

Lining up on the punt coverage unit on the other side of the field from Matthew Slater — the team’s fastest player and the NFL’s platinum standard at the gunner role — the two would consistently arrive on the returner’s doorstep at the same time.

McCourty’s words proved prophetic, as Jones not only made the team, he immediately began making an impact on special teams and eventually on defense.

His real coming-out party was in Denver in Week 15 when he earned the start as the nickel corner, recording three tackles. He also recovered an early muffed punt that led to a Patriots field goal as the team earned one of its most important wins of the season.

When the Patriots reconvened for training camp in July fresh off their Super Bowl LI title, the whispers about Jones continued. Only they were a decibel or two louder.

“J Jones is making plays on defense,’’ McCourty would say to any and all listeners.

After Jones’s latest performance — he played a key role in keeping Miami dynamo Jarvis Landry under wraps last Sunday — the whispers have turned to roars of approval.

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To read the full article click here.

Joe Vellano and his wife, Brittany, had just returned home after a day that didn’t go exactly as planned. But if Vellano’s four years in the NFL have taught the couple anything, it’s the importance of being nimble.

The Falcons broke training camp on Monday. After two-and-a-half weeks staying in dorms at the team’s practice facility, the players could retreat to their own beds. Their families were invited to the morning practice, and afterward there were no meetings, just a big picnic.

Brittany had been watching practice from a tent along the edge of the field. She and Joe, college sweethearts from the University of Maryland, were just married in April. Another player’s mom, while making small talk, asked her how she handled the stress of roster cuts. We’ve been through it so many times now, Brittany told her, it almost gets easier. But, at the same time, it doesn’t.

It’s a paradox you have to live to understand. Since Vellano came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013, the defensive lineman, now 28, has appeared on the transaction wire a dozen times. Cut; re-signed; promoted from or assigned to the practice squad. Out on the sun-baked practice field, his goal is to avoid yet another transaction. Not long after having this conversation, Brittany noticed the guy in the red No. 94 jersey, her husband, had gone down.

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He was hard to miss; about two-thirds of the way through practice, when the rest of his teammates headed off to a tent for a hydration period, Vellano was alone on a knee in the middle of the field. The Falcons had just finished a period of 11-on-11 team drills, which for Vellano meant that he waited patiently on the sideline for exactly six reps with the third-team defense. On the sixth, a run play, he caught someone’s finger—he’s not even sure if it was the guard or the tackle—in his left eye. Ouch.

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FOXBORO — Second-year Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones turned heads after a solid performance in relief during Sunday’s win against New Orleans, his main highlight a pass break-up on a potential touchdown strike from Saints quarterback Drew Brees to Ted Ginn Jr. in the back of the end zone during the second quarter.

That play, plus a similar one made against Brandon Coleman, was enough to earn praise from coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday.

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“I thought on both of those plays, the technique that he used to finish the play, the final reception point, was excellent, perfect,” Belichick said. “It was textbook technique, what we teach all of our players to do, but it’s a great illustration of Jonathan doing it and having two big plays, two very productive plays.

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Said Jones: “Those plays, you just have to keep your composure. You can’t see the ball, you know the ball is coming, you have to play through the hands. It’s keeping composure, I think, is the biggest thing in those situations, not getting pass interference and be able to get a pass break-up.”

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Former UConn safety Obi Melifonwu ended a brief holdout by signing a contract Wednesday with the Raiders, according to his agent Sean Stellato. According to numerous reports, the deal is for four years. And according to overthecap.com, the contract will pay Melifonwu just over $4.5 million with a signing bonus of just over $1.4 million. The Raiders selected Melifonwu with the 24th pick of the second round of the NFL draft (56th overall). Melifonwu, of Grafton, Mass., had 351 tackles in 48 games at UConn, 118 as a senior when he was named first-team All-AAC.

At the NFL combine after his senior season, he posted a vertical jump of 44 inches and a broad jump of 11-9, the best marks in the event. He also ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time among safeties..

By HAROLD RIVERA

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LYNN — The group of football hopefuls that beat the steamy Manning Field heat at Sunday morning’s “10th Annual All-American Fundamentals Showcase” were rewarded for their efforts with a once in a lifetime opportunity: learning from the pros.

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The showcase, organized by NFL agent Sean Stellato, included a trio of NFL talents in Brandon King of the New England Patriots, Stephen Evans of the Philadelphia Eagles and Chris Manhertz of the Carolina Panthers. Lynn native and former St. John’s Prep star Brendon Felder, and Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores were also in attendance.

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In its 10th running, Stellato said the showcase has been a success since its first edition.

“It’s been very successful and consistent,” Stellato said. “It’s like Disney World for a day for a lot of these kids. They’re encouraged and I’m excited. I didn’t start a foundation, so this is a way for me to give back. It brings a great feeling to my heart seeing these kids smile and compete.”

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To read the full article click here

Brandon King wasn't a star at Auburn. In two seasons with the Tigers, he never started a game. King made a total of 19 tackles in his career, mostly as a safety, although he also pitched in at defensive end in the second half of his senior season in 2014.

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Naturally, King wasn't selected in the NFL Draft. But King heads into Sunday's Pittsburgh Steelers-New England Patriots game one win from going to the Super Bowl.

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King has found his niche in the NFL - playing on special teams for the Patriots. In 29 regular-season games with New England, King hasn't played a snap with the Patriots' defense. But he's been on the field for 566 special-teams plays.

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To read the full click here 

The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots visited the White House on Wednesday, and Ohio State alumnus Nate Ebner was among those to get a shoutout from President Donald Trump. 

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Ebner, is a special teams standout for the Patriots, but football is not the only game in which he excels. 

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Ebner was a member of the United States Rugby 7s team that competed in the Olympics in Rio last summer. 

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Below is his shoutout from the POTUS

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PRESIDENT TRUMP: Or Nate Ebner, who played on our Olympic rugby team last summer. Pretty good athlete, right? And in Brazil -- he was in Brazil playing and doing really well, and is an All-Pro special team guy and player. So, Nate, congratulations. Where’s Nate? (Applause.) Which is the tougher sport, Nate, football or rugby?

NATE EBNER: I don’t know. (Laughter.) 

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  I had a feeling you might say that. But everyone played a role, and everybody played as champions. It was the first overtime game in Super Bowl history, and it ended with a legendary victory for this proud franchise and for these absolutely terrific players and coaches.

Former San Francisco 49ers running back Shaun Draughn has moved on to greener pastures, signing with the New York Giants. Draughn had a solid year-and-a-half with the 49ers, having success as a pass catcher in 2016, and adding 2015 depth to an injury-ravaged unit.

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The 49ers will be moving on from Draughn, as they look to add a complementary option to Carlos Hyde. DuJuan Harris might remain on their radar, but the 2017 NFL Draft features a strong running back class. My guess is the team sees what they come away with next month at the draft before deciding on any additional veteran options.

In the meantime, Draughn had a farewell note for 49ers fans. His time in Santa Clara was the longest stretch with one team, and also featured the first starting opportunity of his career. He faces a tough competition for playing time with the Giants, but best of luck to him back east.

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Prolific Shepherd WR Billy Brown, called by many draft followers as a top, small school WR has joined the Stellato Sports family !

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The Senior WR from DII Shepherd caught an astounding 99 balls this year for 1,580 yards and 22 TDs. 

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WR Billy Brown (6-4, 236, 4.58, #81) the redshirt Shepherd  senior has dominated Division-II competition this season catching an eye-popping 99 balls this year for 1,580 yards and 22 TDs. 

With near-tight end size with the build and power to simply overwhelm defenders Brown is considered by many draft pundits as a sleeper candidate in the 2017 draft.

We are pleased to announce Auston Rekhow, the All American P/K from the Idaho Vandals has joined the Stellato Sports family.  Rehkow led the Vandals in FG's, making 21 of 23.  Additionally he’s consistently landing punts inside the 10- or 20-yard line.

Austin was the Walter Camp All-America punter as freshman and sophomore is again a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top kicker.

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Recently Rehkow had another honor bestowed on him as the Idaho kicker/punter became the 22nd player in school history to be chosen to play in the East-West Shrine Game, which is Jan. 21, 2017 at Tropicana field at St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
During the course of his four year career, Rehkow rewrote the kicking and punting record books at Idaho. 

Olympic sprinter Tre Houston is exploring a route into the NFL after trying out with the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday.

Houston, who ran the 200 metres at this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Games, said that he is serious about forging a career in American football and spent the past seven weeks training twice a day in preparation for his trial.
Despite not making the cut at the Chiefs, Houston insists that he has not been deterred from chasing a contract and believes he possesses the transferable skills to play as a wide receiver or a punt-return specialist.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life — on the same level as competing at the Olympics,” the 26-year-old said. “It wasn’t a combine, it was an actual tryout for the team and it was mind-blowing from beginning to end. It was certainly something I will never forget.

“My agent feels confident I will be able to do something. There are 32 teams out there and I really feel one of them will give me a shot.”

A tweet yesterday from Adam Schefter, an NFL insider for ESPN, is understood to have alerted other teams about Houston’s NFL aspirations, with the 26-year-old being invited to a similar workout with the New York Jets next week.

“[The Chiefs] were impressed with my speed and acceleration and told me they can teach me everything other than how to run fast,” said Houston, who finished sixth in his heat at the Olympics in a time of 20.85sec.
“A lot of the guys today had better fundamentals than me because they have been playing football their whole lives. I’m definitely not frightened to learn something new and I just need more time.”

Houston had not previously harboured any hankerings for the NFL until a cousin asked him whether he would be interested in trying his hand at American football.

“I’d never really thought about it before,” Houston added. “I mean, people had previously asked me, ‘Why don’t you try out?’ But it wasn’t until my cousin hooked me up with a guy involved with the NFL that things started moving fast.”

Houston, who also represented Bermuda at the Pan American Games in Toronto in 2015 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and Delhi in 2010, will continue to train as a sprinter while he pursues his NFL ambitions.

“This wasn’t my dream, my dream was compete in the Olympics,” Houston said. “But now this is forming and starting to actually happen, would I like this to happen? Hell yeah!

“I’m still going to be training for track; that’s a no-brainer — it’s my bread and butter.”

Read the full story here ...

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Rugby has been part of Nate Ebner's life since he was 6 years old, bonding over the game with his father.

And with rugby back in the Olympics for the first time since 1924, Ebner decided in March to chase a dream and go for the Olympic team.

But Ebner, 27, has a full-time job, and he was going to need permission to take time away. Admittedly, Ebner had some nerves in asking his supervisor, and he doesn't just have any job. Ebner's in the NFL, and his boss is New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Ebner also had just signed a two-year extension with New England. Missing time also meant missing most of training camp, which started in July.

Despite any trepidation, Ebner said he didn't want to have any regrets not trying to make the team, telling CNN's Coy Wire he weighed if the monetary value was worth missing out on a chance like this.

"Lucky enough, though, I didn't have to think too hard about it because I had some conversations with people at the Patriots, and I was able to come to a deal and be allowed to come do this," Ebner said. "I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to go back to a first-class organization like that and at the same time be able to chase a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a dream to play in the Olympics in a sport I grew up playing. I mean, I'm just really lucky, just really lucky."

Ebner, a defensive back who plays on special teams for New England, was named to the 12-man team on July 18. He is the only active NFL player competing in the Rio Olympics. If he comes home with any hardware -- and the USA Eagles Sevens' team has a chance to win a medal -- he'll be adding to his collection, having already earned a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in 2014.

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To read the full story click here 

Nate Ebner has brought a taste of Patriots football to USA Rugby.

The Patriots special teams player, who should be reporting to training camp, has been excused to play in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

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“From everything you hear about the Patriots environment, I think he embodies that in so many ways with his work ethic, his attitude, and his attention to detail,” US Rugby sevens captain Madison Hughes said in July. “I think those are some of the big traits you hear about guys on the Patriots team. That willingness to do the hard word and do what ever it takes prepare yourself as an athlete.”

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Hughes added: “He’s helped us create an even more professional environment with what we’re trying to do here.”

Ebner will play for the first-ever USA Olympic rugby sevens team, as sevens had not been an Olympic sport until the Rio games. He started playing the sport as a child after watching his father play. Days before his father died in a robbery, the two discussed Ebner’s desire to play football at Ohio State. According to The Boston Globe, his father told him to drop rugby and go all-in on football.

Ebner walked onto the Buckeyes team and contributed as a special teams player. And after four years with the Patriots, he’s returned to rugby with a Patriot mentality. “I think the mentality that Nate has, you know you’ve got to be a little bit off,” special teams player Matthew Slater said during training camp. “And come game day Nate finds a way to get himself ready to go and compete, and he’s not afraid to compete no matter who it is.”

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In one of the most memorable scenes in “Remember the Titans,’’ coach Herman Boone summons his backup quarterback off the bench when the team’s starter suffers a game-ending injury.

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When the newly anointed starter expresses apprehension about his sudden ascension, the coach gives a pep talk. A pep talk in which he used some creative exaggeration, culminating with, “Your team needs you tonight. You’re the Colonel, you’re going to command your troops!’’

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An inspired Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass leads his team to victory and an undefeated season, and the 1971 Virginia state championship.

Jimmy Garoppolo will get no such in-game pep talk from Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The surprises are over for Garoppolo. With Tom Brady’s decision “to no longer proceed with the legal process’’ surrounding his four-game Deflategate suspension, Garoppolo knows exactly when he will officially begin commanding his troops: Sept. 11, 2016.

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That’s when Garoppolo and his Patriots (yes, his Patriots) open the regular season with a matchup with the Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz.

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No big deal. Just a nationally televised “Sunday Night Football” matchup for your first NFL start.

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Garoppolo, no stranger to big games at University of Phoenix Stadium — he picked up a Super Bowl ring there — also knows exactly when he will return to his role as Brady’s understudy: Oct. 3. No matter Garoppolo’s record during his four-game audition, the third-year quarterback will be back holding a clipboard when the Patriots travel to Cleveland Oct. 9.

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When Bill Belichick approves of something you've done football-wise, you know you've done it right.

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The future Hall of Fame coach who has guided the New England Patriots to four Super Bowl championships was moved by Sean Stellato's book, 'No Backing Down', chronicling the 1994 Salem High football team and the success it achieved the face of citywide controversy. The Witches reached the state's Super Bowl that season despite the fact that head coach Ken Perrone and his assistants knew it would cost them their jobs by coaching their players during  a divisive teacher's strike in the city.

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Belichick has endorsed the book, which is now in its second printing. Stellato, the quarterback of that '94 Salem team, is now an NFL Player Agent with 19 clients, five of which are Patriots.

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On the cover is a quote from Belichick: "Throughout my career, countless NFL players hafve told me that the most influential person in their lives was their high school coach. This story is one shining example of a coach's impact well beyond the scope of sports."

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A film gala, showcasing the book's second edition as well as revealing the screenwriter for the film version of the book, will take place at the Salem Waterfront Hotel this Friday.

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"Coach Belichick is a big historian who has studied coaches," said Stellato. "He took a look at the book and knows first-hand the impact high school coaches have on players, lives, instilling core values and character.

"Coach Perrone is a first generation Bill Belichick," added Stellato. "What Bill has been able to do over the last 16 years in a league of parity is truly unbelievable. It's even better than what Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson accomplished (in the NBA) because of the lack of guaranteed money in pro football."

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Belichick's endorsement of 'No Backing Down' is one of over 20 in the book including former Boston College, CFL and NFL great Doug Flutie, who wrote the forward, and former U.S. Olympic hockey gold medal winning captain Mike Eurzione of Winthrop. San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has also added his name to the list of prominent people endorsing the book.

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Patriots safety Nate Ebner’s dream has come true. He’s qualified for the Rio Olympics and will represent USA Rugby in the upcoming games.

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Ebner is the only active NFL player expected to participate in the Olympics. Former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best, who has been approved to represent St. Lucia in track and field, also plans to compete.

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With the blessing of coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization, Ebner began his quest to make the team in May. He’ll rejoin the Pats after the Aug. 6-11 Olympic rugby competition.

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“Nate is honored to represent his country and carry on his dad’s legacy,” agent Sean Stellato, who represents Ebner, said in a text to the Herald. “This is a testament to Nate’s work ethic, skill set and core values. He epitomizes what the USA stands for. We are forever grateful for the Patriots giving him the opportunity to pursue his dream.”

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The wristband on Nate Ebner’s right arm bears a powerful message. “Finish Strong,” it says.

Ebner, 27, a special teams standout for the Patriots, already has a Super Bowl ring. Now he’s hoping to help the US team win an Olympic medal in rugby.

Long before he thought about stepping foot on the gridiron, Ebner was a rugby prodigy — a two-time MVP of the USA Rugby team at the Junior World Cup and an All-American at Ohio State. He did not play football until his junior year in college.

Representing the US at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, he says, “would be a dream come true,” and a great tribute to his father, who died in 2008.

On a late afternoon in Chula Vista, Ebner is dripping with sweat after the two-a-day cardio-laden workouts. Patriots practices were never this exhausting, he says, even in the dog days of August.

“You see how long we are running around out there? It’s no joke,” says Ebner. “I don’t know why I put myself through this pain. It’s so painful. See how tired everyone is?”

Players trudge up a hill to the dorms to shower. Ebner, a rookie of sorts, has to carry the blocking pads. But he’s not complaining.

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Alfred Morris drove his 1991 Mazda 626 to Valley Ranch in Irving on Wednesday.

Though his belongings still are in storage in the Washington, D.C., area, Morris had the car he nicknamed “Bentley” transported to his new home in Dallas-Fort Worth. “I grew up in not the best of situations, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to get a car at graduation,” Morris said. “In college, I had to hitchhike, ride a bike or walk. I just wanted a car. I got tired of relying on other people.

“I got this one and took ownership of it, and it just reminds me of what it took to get to where I am today — a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, a lot of sacrifice. It reminds me of my struggles to get here.

“That’s my baby. Eventually, I will get another car. Who knows when eventually is.”

Morris has hitched his wagon to the star, signing an incentive-laden, two-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys last month. He could earn up to $5.5 million.

“We don’t have a problem earning our money,” Sean Stellato, Morris’ agent, said. “At the same time, we got some guarantees. I think what it really comes down to is the opportunity to put him in the best situation, and I feel his best football is ahead of him.

“…There’s something in the water down in Pensacola. The Cowboys had quite a good run with Emmitt [Smith], and Emmitt paved the way for Alfred to have big dreams coming out of Pensacola. It’s exciting to know that he’s going to a place where Emmitt became one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.”

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