Draft Rewind: Rhamondre Stevenson was surprised about the Patriots picking him

Former Sooners running back, reunited with Ronnie Perkins, will probably have to wait his turn in New England, but he has the skill set to contribute in a number of ways

John E. Hoover | May 3, 2021

Rhamondre Stevenson’s bond with Ronnie Perkins got a whole lot stronger over the weekend.

After enduring a six-game NCAA suspension over Oklahoma’s 2019 and 2020 college football seasons for failing a drug test, Stevenson learned Saturday that he and Perkins’ journey will continue as teammates with the New England Patriots.

“That was really my guy," Stevenson said Saturday on a conference call with reporters. “That’s my right hand, so it’s crazy that we got drafted to the same team. We actually talked about this during the season, so it’s crazy we manifested it.”

Stevenson, the junior college transfer who began his OU career as the third-team running back and ended it as the Cotton Bowl MVP, said the call from Patriots brass came as something of a shock.

“It was totally a surprise to me, actually,” Stevenson said. “I’ve had more conversations with other teams other than the Patriots. So I think that’s because the Patriots, they had a good idea on me.”

Pats coach Bill Belichick explained after drafting Perkins on Friday that he was comfortable with the team’s background check process and had no character concerns about Perkins. The same was true of the 6-foot-1, 231-pound Stevenson.

“We had a great Zoom interview,” Stevenson said, “so I don’t think they really needed to talk to me much. It was just a surprise because I haven’t been communicating with them as much as other teams.”

In Foxboro, Stevenson would seem to have time to learn the Patriot Way under Damien Harris, Sony Michel and James White — if Belichick intends to keep four running backs. He may not. Rookie running backs usually have to wait for their turn in the spotlight in New England (Michel in 2018 became the Patriots’ first rookie to lead the team in rushing in 13 years).

But the physical, fast and elusive Stevenson showed at OU that he can contribute in the running game and the passing game, so perhaps he’ll get a shot.

“Now,” Stevenson said, “we’ve just got to go to work.”

Published May 3, 2021

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.