New England Patriot Gary Guyton is no slouch. Even in the thick of the holiday season, the Hinesville native and former Bradwell Tiger has had little time for relaxation.
After earning his first two career sacks against Buffalo on Dec. 21 and last Sunday against the Jaguars, the linebacker began preparing for the Patriots’ game against the Texans today. The time he spends practicing and studying film would fill most NFL players’ schedules, but for Guyton, it’s just a drop in the bucket.
The second-year Patriot, who was recently inducted into the Liberty County Hall of Fame, is also busy planning his first celebrity sports festival in March at Bradwell Institute. And, according to a recent article in Bleacher Report, he will be the guest of honor at the Patriots’ Jan. 5 playoff party to benefit pets in need.
The event, which will be at Sky Box Restaurant in Tewksbury, Mass., benefits a no-kill shelter run by Jon Goode, vice president of communications for the Lowell Spinners, the Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
According to Goode, fans of all ages are invited to the party and are encouraged to bring cameras and autograph books. Each $25 ticket includes an 8x10 picture of Guyton, an autograph opportunity and a chance to participate in a question and answer session with the linebacker.
After the party, Guyton will jump back into his practice schedule to prepare for a game against the Patriots’ wild card opponent the weekend of Jan. 9-10. New England will have home-field advantage.
Guyton’s influence on the field has been noticed by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who said in news reports to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald that his organization probably drafted the wrong athlete when they originally chose Bo Ruud over Guyton.
Guyton was signed to the squad as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2008. The Patriots drafted Ruud in the sixth round and signed him July 1, 2008. Ruud never made it out of training camp, was placed on injured reserve in August and released April 29, three days after the 2009 draft.
On the other hand, Guyton flourished. Earlier this season, he called in the defensive plays when teammate Jerrod Mayo was out with injuries. He tallied a career-high 13 tackles against the Jets in September and led the team in total tackles against the Falcons, the Jets and the Colts.
Guyton has started in all 15 games this season, compared with two NFL starts last year. During his two years, he has amassed 80 tackles and assisted in 34.
Guyton’s father, Gary Guyton Sr., said his son remains humble and continues to work hard to maintain his recent success at the professional level. Guyton Sr. said the 2008 NFL Combine helped get his son noticed by several NFL scouts. Guyton was among top-performing linebackers in the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.
A day after Guyton was inducted into the local hall of fame, Guyton Sr. said he and his family are proud of the NFL star and his humble mentality. Guyton went back to Georgia Tech, his alma mater, during the off season and worked as an office assistant in the research institute’s office — the same position he held as a student.
His return to a normal life in the off-season was chronicled in one of the New England Patriots game day programs. Michael Jurovat authored the article called, “Labor of Love: Gary Guyton: Office Linebacker.”
Guyton said in the article that if he has the time, he will return to the research institute’s office after this season.
First, though, he’s concentrating his efforts on a possible run at the Super Bowl.
After earning his first two career sacks against Buffalo on Dec. 21 and last Sunday against the Jaguars, the linebacker began preparing for the Patriots’ game against the Texans today. The time he spends practicing and studying film would fill most NFL players’ schedules, but for Guyton, it’s just a drop in the bucket.
The second-year Patriot, who was recently inducted into the Liberty County Hall of Fame, is also busy planning his first celebrity sports festival in March at Bradwell Institute. And, according to a recent article in Bleacher Report, he will be the guest of honor at the Patriots’ Jan. 5 playoff party to benefit pets in need.
The event, which will be at Sky Box Restaurant in Tewksbury, Mass., benefits a no-kill shelter run by Jon Goode, vice president of communications for the Lowell Spinners, the Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
According to Goode, fans of all ages are invited to the party and are encouraged to bring cameras and autograph books. Each $25 ticket includes an 8x10 picture of Guyton, an autograph opportunity and a chance to participate in a question and answer session with the linebacker.
After the party, Guyton will jump back into his practice schedule to prepare for a game against the Patriots’ wild card opponent the weekend of Jan. 9-10. New England will have home-field advantage.
Guyton’s influence on the field has been noticed by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who said in news reports to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald that his organization probably drafted the wrong athlete when they originally chose Bo Ruud over Guyton.
Guyton was signed to the squad as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2008. The Patriots drafted Ruud in the sixth round and signed him July 1, 2008. Ruud never made it out of training camp, was placed on injured reserve in August and released April 29, three days after the 2009 draft.
On the other hand, Guyton flourished. Earlier this season, he called in the defensive plays when teammate Jerrod Mayo was out with injuries. He tallied a career-high 13 tackles against the Jets in September and led the team in total tackles against the Falcons, the Jets and the Colts.
Guyton has started in all 15 games this season, compared with two NFL starts last year. During his two years, he has amassed 80 tackles and assisted in 34.
Guyton’s father, Gary Guyton Sr., said his son remains humble and continues to work hard to maintain his recent success at the professional level. Guyton Sr. said the 2008 NFL Combine helped get his son noticed by several NFL scouts. Guyton was among top-performing linebackers in the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.
A day after Guyton was inducted into the local hall of fame, Guyton Sr. said he and his family are proud of the NFL star and his humble mentality. Guyton went back to Georgia Tech, his alma mater, during the off season and worked as an office assistant in the research institute’s office — the same position he held as a student.
His return to a normal life in the off-season was chronicled in one of the New England Patriots game day programs. Michael Jurovat authored the article called, “Labor of Love: Gary Guyton: Office Linebacker.”
Guyton said in the article that if he has the time, he will return to the research institute’s office after this season.
First, though, he’s concentrating his efforts on a possible run at the Super Bowl.