From One Patriots Rookie to Another: "It Feels Great To Belong"

Most of the rookie players at this week's New England Patriots rookie camp are surely going over the basic fundamentals of the sport. 

Coach Belichick and his staff are putting the first year players through drills and routines that they have performed hundreds of times over their football careers while playing Pop Warner, high school, and college ball.

This time, however, they are executing them under the watchful eye of the master coach and what they may have learned in the past no longer matters. Proper execution of each drill, Bill's way, may go a long way in determining their future for the Patriots and in the NFL.

As if not facing a daunting enough task as you strap on the Patriot's logo for the first time, just imagine if it was your first time strapping on a football helmet...ever.

No Pee Wee. No high school. No college.

While fellow teammates are talking about snap counts, driving off the ball and trap blocks, one Patriots' rookie isn't even sure what the terms mean.

Jermail Porter, who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State University is experiencing his first NFL rookie camp much like the other guys. Although Porter was an All-American, he didn't play a single down for the Golden Flashes football team.

Porter, who is 6'6" and weighs 285 pounds, earned his All America status as a heavyweight wrestler, yet finds himself amongst the other Patriots plebes, all vying for future spots on the final Patriots roster.

I can't help but think what must be going on in Porter's head and see an amazing similarity between the position he finds himself in and the position the budding Bleacher Reporter writers find themselves in.

As Porter plays for a spot on the roster of the final 53 Patriots, we are 'playing' for one spot per team on the CBS/Bleacher Report final cut to 32.

While Porter's goal is to suit up this fall to cover punts, our's is to suit up and cover the entire event. Same scenario, simply on a different side of the ball.

I can't help but think of the questions I'd ask Porter, if I was privileged enough to be interviewing him after the first day of rookie camp.

I envision myself standing by the edge of the practice field with the other "journalists" jockeying for position like the Washington press corp outside of the White House Rose Garden.

Actually, maybe a bit more like the three guys in the Coors Light commercial asking Jim Mora about the new blue label (Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?).

Coach Bill blows his whistle and the team begins to jog towards the runway to shower. I can feel my palms start to sweat a bit, like they did when I asked Helen Cournoyer to my Junior Prom.

I hear the oft repeated words of Belichick echo in my head as the photography crew begins to snap photos of the approaching herd. "Act like you been there before, kid."

I've done interviews before in my previous career and as a teenage reporter for the New Leader News, but never a Q and A with a real live pro.

As Brady and Moss and Taylor and Welker head to the showers, the press begins to swarm around them like ants on a melted ice cream cone.

I step back and shake my head. Clearly aggressive enough to participate in the well rehearsed drill, but unsure that I care to play.

It's what I've longed for, for much of my adult life. Now that I see it, it's not as what I hoped it would be.  I have the same feeling in my gut that I had the first time I saw Plymouth Rock, all tucked down in that hole. Nice, but just a rock.

I scribble a few things down on my pad as Brady talks about reads, and slants, and pass routes. "No Gisele talk today, Tom?," laughs the reporter from the ProJo. The pack of other scribes laugh in unison. Brady smirks and shakes his head, no.

I walk away from the pack of hyenas and start to rip the page out of my note book. I've decided not to play.

And then I see Porter trying to muster up enough energy to get himself to the locker room. Sweat runs down his face and swan dives off of his chin, quickly followed by the next. He looks wiped. 

I see him glance towards the pile of equipment that the others have thrown on the ground, waiting for some equipment intern to haul back into the locker room.

He scratches his head as if contemplating an "early retirement" from the sport he never grew to love.

He looks at me and nods. I do the same to him.

As Porter approaches, I get a second wind and clear my throat.

Porter looks left and then suddenly does a quick end around away from the other members of the press corp, who are still trying to get their question heard by Tom.

"Hey, Jermail" I say. "How does wrestling a defensive lineman on the field compare to wrestling a heavyweight on the mat?"

He looks at me and nods his head slightly as the other members of the press corp turn in my direction. One of them laughs, assuming that my rookie question will go unanswered as Porter hustles to the lockers.

Porter stops and begins to walk towards me. I look at the throng of reporters, who have looks on their faces as if realizing they are about to lose their starting positions.

Jermail begins to respond. Some of the other writers gather around and begin to jot notes down in their note books, while others push the record button on their recording devices.

Momentarily unaware that he is responding to my question, I nod as he tells me about balance and leverage, strength and positioning.

I shake my head and think to myself. "I've arrived. I'm one of them."

As Porter finishes his first answer, some of the other reporters begin to bark their questions towards the sweaty mountain of a man. I mimic their every move as I try to learn the ropes from my more experienced colleagues.

But Jermail turns to me and smiles. He says to the other reporters, "Move along, guys. Talking to this guy."

The reporters turn their heads slightly like my dog does when I say something he doesn't understand. Jermail puts his arm on my shoulder and we sit on the bleachers out on the field.

I begin to fire questions at the wide-eyed rookie, trying not to let him know that I'm equally wide eyed.

I fumble with my notebook but quickly regain my composure.

"First interview?" he laughs.

"Feels like it," I respond chuckling to avoid ever answering.

I feel my confidence return though and start asking him questions with the speed and agility of a seasoned pro.

"Does the fact that Stephen Neal (a former collegiate wrestler) plays here, help your confidence?"

"Antonio Gates was a Kent State alum who did the same with the San Diego Chargers, does that help?"

"Are you able to participate with the rest of the team or is most of your work one on one?"

"Many players talk about the speed of the professional game, are you at the point where you are aware of the speed?"

"What did your parents say when you told them you were going to play for the Patriots?"

"How about your wrestling coach?"

Porter sits with me for about 20 minutes and answers each one of my questions like an equally "seasoned pro."

We seem to have a mutual respect for each other and don't want our first moments of fame to end even though he hasn't yet figured out that I'm a newbie of sorts.

We get up from the bleachers and start to go in our separate directions. He towers over me and physically dwarfs my build.

"Can I ask you one more question, Jermail?"

"Shoot" he says in his large, deep voice. "Whatcha got?"

""How does it feel to belong to the team?" I asked.

"You tell me, rookie." he says. And he pats me on my sweaty head.

"It feels really great, rookie... Really great."