Zero To Hero...Off The Street Pick-Ups

Reading a thread earlier in the week where it listed some wanabee JAGS who have been brought into work out for the NE coaches. Most will never be heard of again but it led me to thinking do these kind of players ever stick ?

Would be interesting to hear who people think are the biggest rags to riches stories in their time as a Pats fan. In other words which guys have made the most impression after being in street clothes when the Pats found them.

Paul.

gaffney for sure . he was a street fa came in week 6 make 600k per 2 yrs and signed a 10 million dolla contract

Biggest impression or biggest contract?

I'd throw Vrabel in there but I believe he was a RFA. Heath Evans would be one. Troy Brown would be another...

Vinatieri went undrafted.

Mike Wright was an UDFA.

robertweathers said:

Biggest impression or biggest contract?

I'd throw Vrabel in there but I believe he was a RFA. Heath Evans would be one. Troy Brown would be another...

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Troy was drafted in the last round iirc.

eagle eye said:

Troy was drafted in the last round iirc.

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Oh yea thats right. For some reason I thought he was an undrafed FA but he was the 9th or 10th round pick in 93 or something...

Yeah, Troy was drafted in the 1993 Draft in the eighth round, the last year the draft had an eighth round.

McGownen

who was he before he came here

I've been impressed by him already this year

Gary Guyton has to make this list as an UDFA.

Read somewhere that 23 of our 53 are udfa... betyou Kyper would not like that stat...

Stephen Neal. He was a wrestler who Belichick signed to the practice squad and developed into a starting NFL guard.

Bill B. said:

Stephen Neal. He was a wrestler who Belichick signed to the practice squad and developed into a starting NFL guard.

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Well done..

Bill B. said:

Stephen Neal. He was a wrestler who Belichick signed to the practice squad and developed into a starting NFL guard.

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Wasn't he signed by the Eagles first??

Randall Gay. That's an easy one..surprised no one mentioned him yet.

Pats726 said:

Wasn't he signed by the Eagles first??

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New England signed him as an undrafted free agent on 7/23/01. He was later waived (8/26/01) and signed to the Eagles PS. He was then signed off the Eagles PS by the Patriots on 9/4/01 to our roster.

How about Randy Vataha? Pats picked him up after the Rams cut him before the season started. Yes he was drafted - but in the 17th round, back when the draft actually had that many rounds. To put that in perspective, that would be like comparing him to the 10th most likely UDFA to make a team today.

In his rookie season Vataha was 5th in the NFL in receptions, 6th in receiving yards, and 2nd in touchdown receptions. When he left the Pats in 1976, at that time he rankd 5th in team history in receptions, 4th in receiving yards, and 4th in receiving touchdowns. Even after all the years, and the change in rules allowing more emphasis on the pass, Vataha still ranks 10th in team history in touchdown receptions and 15th in receiving yards (Randy Moss just passed him in that category last week.)

Not bad for a guy who was drafted 418th overall and picked up by the Pats just nine days before their season opener.

Most of the original Patriots were on the NFL scrap heap before becomming members of the AFL.

I'm blanking on which Patriot went street rags to riches being called out of the stands watching the game in street clothes to suiting up and playing. Mosi? Don't think so. Before him I think. The other old time fans without senior citizen syndrome will remind us.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Most of the original Patriots were on the NFL scrap heap before becomming members of the AFL.

I'm blanking on which Patriot went street rags to riches being called out of the stands watching the game in street clothes to suiting up and playing. Mosi? Don't think so. Before him I think. The other old time fans without senior citizen syndrome will remind us.

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Bob Gladieux

The Patriots are also pretty good at taking undrafted free agents from the Dolphins and turning them into pro bowlers, Wes Welker and Larry Izzo