Hinesville native Gary Guyton just finished roughing it out with the other rookies at the New England Patriots mini-camp last weekend.
Just two days later, Boston Globe staff writer Mike Reiss posted an online blog as part of the Globe’s regular update of the Patriots called Reiss’ Pieces.
Guyton gives us a brief insight into his new whirlwind life inside the NFL.
In the interview Guyton said the furthest north he’s been was Minnesota and that he was looking forward to checking out the Boston area. He said his main focus now was to absorb everything he could like a sponge telling Reiss, “I’m just hoping to stick around, make the team, and I’m ready to play. Right now, I just feel like I’m living a dream.”
He said he was disappointed at first that he was not chosen in the draft. But he said it worked out in the end because it gave him a choice of playing where he wanted and not the other way around.
Guyton almost signed with the San Francisco 49ers before finalizing his decision to sign with the Patriots. He said the opportunity of playing for a team like the Patriots didn’t happen on a regular basis. He added that it was the best option for him.
“I know the Patriots have a great legacy and I want to be a part of it,” he told Reiss. “At the end of the day, that was the bottom line for me.”
In fact early news reports from the west coast erroneously reported that Guyton had signed for the 49ers. Early blog entries from Patriot fans on Reiss’ postings indicated there was some confusion when the Patriots announced Guyton signed with them.
Guyton said the Patriots have a great defensive core of veteran players and said he was warned about having to work his tail off. But he said that would be nothing new to him.
Reiss reported that it was Guyton’s performance at the NFL Combine that raised his stock value by out performing the other linebackers in five of six events.
In another Reiss’ Pieces Patriots blog, Reiss reported that Guyton received a $12,000 signing bonus with the Patriots. An amount that Reiss said was a lot for a non-quarterback rookie free agent and reflects that Guyton was a high priority guy for the team. Reiss said he believed it was the richest signing bonus among the rookie free agents that they signed.
Just two days later, Boston Globe staff writer Mike Reiss posted an online blog as part of the Globe’s regular update of the Patriots called Reiss’ Pieces.
Guyton gives us a brief insight into his new whirlwind life inside the NFL.
In the interview Guyton said the furthest north he’s been was Minnesota and that he was looking forward to checking out the Boston area. He said his main focus now was to absorb everything he could like a sponge telling Reiss, “I’m just hoping to stick around, make the team, and I’m ready to play. Right now, I just feel like I’m living a dream.”
He said he was disappointed at first that he was not chosen in the draft. But he said it worked out in the end because it gave him a choice of playing where he wanted and not the other way around.
Guyton almost signed with the San Francisco 49ers before finalizing his decision to sign with the Patriots. He said the opportunity of playing for a team like the Patriots didn’t happen on a regular basis. He added that it was the best option for him.
“I know the Patriots have a great legacy and I want to be a part of it,” he told Reiss. “At the end of the day, that was the bottom line for me.”
In fact early news reports from the west coast erroneously reported that Guyton had signed for the 49ers. Early blog entries from Patriot fans on Reiss’ postings indicated there was some confusion when the Patriots announced Guyton signed with them.
Guyton said the Patriots have a great defensive core of veteran players and said he was warned about having to work his tail off. But he said that would be nothing new to him.
Reiss reported that it was Guyton’s performance at the NFL Combine that raised his stock value by out performing the other linebackers in five of six events.
In another Reiss’ Pieces Patriots blog, Reiss reported that Guyton received a $12,000 signing bonus with the Patriots. An amount that Reiss said was a lot for a non-quarterback rookie free agent and reflects that Guyton was a high priority guy for the team. Reiss said he believed it was the richest signing bonus among the rookie free agents that they signed.