Getting to know Stephon Gilmore

[borg]

Stephon Gilmore, Patriots seem a good match - The Boston Globe

Gilmore honed his technique battling Jeffery every day in practice. In SEC play, Gilmore covered A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and several other players who reached the NFL. Those battles brought out Gilmore’s competitive side.

 

[long distance]

Great article . that might be snubbed here on account of the name of the author unfortunately.

Yet it explains a lot about why Gilmore and why so much (and maybe partly also why not Butler - apart from not being UFA).

Some days before FA opened Lombardi was telling that if you bring in a new player on a big contract you should bring one that can be a positive influence on a locker room. (BTW - he was right about NE bringing one “best player available“ UFA). So when I heard the news and saw the number I thought BB must think a lot of Gilmore's character. I am happy to see some of that in this article:


First, Gilmore doesn’t say a whole lot.
“He’s always been a good listener,” said his mother, Linda.

“It’s not shyness, that’s just him. He’s very self-assured, but he doesn’t run his mouth.” said Ellis Johnson, Gilmore’s defensive coordinator in college.

The oldest of six children, Gilmore was a quiet leader in his household.

“He wasn’t trying to replace my dad, but he was like a father figure,” said his sister, Scarlett Gilmore, 16. “When he tells us something, we know it’s not just talk. We know we should actually listen.”

_

And as far as work ethics go - I guess BB, Dante and Tom are getting some solid company..

But Gilmore didn’t simply rely on his natural athleticism. One year he asked then-South Pointe coach Bobby Carroll to open the weight room on Christmas Day. As a senior, he asked Carroll if he could come work out at the school on Sundays after church.

“I told him he couldn’t work out by himself, so he brings somebody with him,” Carroll said. “Not long after that there were eight to 10 of them lifting on Sundays, and he was the one that kind of started that.”
_

Gilmore knew his best chance of getting to the NFL was at cornerback. He had barely played defense when arriving at South Carolina but was determined to make it work.

“I have never been associated with a student-athlete at that age that was mature as he was,” said Johnson, a coach since 1975. “The kid is 17 years old and he’s evaluating himself like a 35-year-old NFL scout. He wanted to be an NFL cornerback, so that’s what he made himself into.”
_

And:

The football team now hands out the Stephon Gilmore Award at the end of every season to the player who best exemplifies hard work and unselfishness.
_


This article is not about Butler and I love Butler . but - it's more to big contract than UFA status and on-the-field performance. At least while BB is running the show..

_

I think we can feel good giving the ball in this young man's hands..

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I was quite shocked when the signing was announced, but I'm really excited to see him in the Patriots environment and how it raises his level of play.

Talib and Revis were short-term deals and we never knew if they would stick around beyond this season. Butler did for a few (and hopefully a few more), but his first few seasons were about proving and establishing himself. It would be nice to be set at #1 corner for a while.

 

[Soliel]

They must have dragged him through decontamination.. Scrub the bills goo off of him..lol

I think he will do well.

 

[Bonzo]

Definitely make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the article for the good stuff....

 

[InRodWeRust]

My only reservation with Gilmore is that I hope he doesn't do any of this crap like letting up off the gas letting Hogan score to ***** at his teammates:

 

[RIpats88]

i would expect belichick to have gilmore playing to his potential more than rex ryan was able to.

To give him that contract bill must see something that he feels they can turn him into a legit #1 with some coaching and better scheme

 

[TBR]

Good article. Although I got a tad concerned when I read this:

He has played in 68 of a possible 80 games, and made it through all 16 games just once in five seasons, his rookie year.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

My only reservation with Gilmore is that I hope he doesn't do any of this crap like letting up off the gas letting Hogan score to ***** at his teammates:

I remember that, but I don't think he would have caught Hogan even if he dove at his feet. My guess is that he was expecting safety help and his teammate screwed up -- I imagine that even the best of us have been annoyed with a coworker for messing up a project or making us look bad. As long as it's not a recurring theme, I'd say we can overlook it.

 

[Uptown]

i would expect belichick to have gilmore playing to his potential more than rex ryan was able to.

To give him that contract bill must see something that he feels they can turn him into a legit #1 with some coaching and better scheme

While I agree with most of your premise, Gilmore was already a legit #1 corner before he arrived here. He's been a top 12-15 corner in the league for about 3 years now.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

im happy we got gilmore

 

[DarrylS]

In BB I trust, after the Pats Brain trust watched him over these past 5 years, they have a good idea regarding his potential and ability..

 

[RIpats88]

I just hope we can keep butler to pair with gilmore. That 1-2 combo would be a nightmare for teams to pass on

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

With both McCourty and Harmon playing behind him, I don't foresee many plays like that .

 

[shmessy]

I remember that, but I don't think he would have caught Hogan even if he dove at his feet. My guess is that he was expecting safety help and his teammate screwed up -- I imagine that even the best of us have been annoyed with a coworker for messing up a project or making us look bad. As long as it's not a recurring theme, I'd say we can overlook it.

When was the last time you saw a New England Patriot do that during a play?

This century?

.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

When was the last time you saw a New England Patriot do that during a play?

This century?

.

Oh come on. We've all seen players get upset. What about Brady's explosion on the sidelines when he and Bill O'Brien got heated? Let's not act like they're all angels.

 

[shmessy]

Oh come on. We've all seen players get upset. What about Brady's explosion on the sidelines when he and Bill O'Brien got heated? Let's not act like they're all angels.

You missed 3 ENGLISH WORDS in that very short post, reamer.

"during a play"


.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

You missed 3 ENGLISH WORDS in that very short post, reamer.

"during a play"


.

The play was over. There was no way he could catch him. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[shmessy]

The play was over. There was no way he could catch him. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

Nice try.

You argued that it was the same as O'Brien vs. Brady on the bench during a timeout.

I'm not going to argue with someone who makes an equivalence argument between a player turning to blame a teammate during a play (Hogan was not even in the endzone) and an argument during a timeout on a bench.

Not worth the time.


.

 

[Mike the Brit]

In BB I trust, after the Pats Brain trust watched him over these past 5 years, they have a good idea regarding his potential and ability..

Me too! But I re-watched the second Buffalo game, and ... boy, did TB torch him! Mike Gillislee, on the other hand, ran really hard and kept cutting his way through the Pats defense. But BB makes the decisions round here and long may that continue.