Patriots Christian Gonzalez: Childhood Cowboys Fan Living 'Crazy' Dream Playing with Zeke
FOXBORO — New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez has made himself at home in the northeast since joining the team in April's draft.
He remains, however, Texas born-and-bred.
Gonzalez, a native of Carrollton (a suburb of Dallas), unsurprisingly grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan. In fact, Gonzalez was the proud owner of a replica Cowboys jersey adorned with the number 21 — crafted in the image of the uniform worn by now former running back and current Patriot, Ezekiel Elliott.
"It's crazy," Gonzalez said of Elliott being his teammate in New England. "I had his jersey as a kid. Always been a fan of his."
While Gonzalez's fandom of Elliott appears to be firmly intact, its nature has seemingly drafted from that of idolatry to admiration. The former All-Pro earned an impressive pair of touchdowns during Red Zone work against the Green Bay Packers' defense during last Thursday’s joint practice session. In addition to breaking Green Bay’s defensive seal for eight yards to find the end zone, Elliott also scored on a goal-line carry. The former Cowboys standout showcased his pass-caching skills on Tuesday, by hauling in two passes from quarterback Mac Jones and one from Baily Zappe during backfield drills. Needless to say, Gonzalez was likely in awe of watching his Elliott perform well in the same uniform which he now proudly wears.
Still, the Patriots first-round (no. 17 overall) Draft selection is keenly aware and singular focused on his most important task: playing football.
"There is still so much to learn," Gonzalez said. "But I'm blessed to be here ... to wake up and play football."
Since the start of training camp, Gonzalez has made been making a strong case to be the Patriots primary boundary cornerback at season’s start. He is adequately sized at 6-2, 200 pounds, with the agility to match up against opposing teams’ top receivers on the outside. In a game setting, Gonzalez has been at his best in man coverage. However, his ability to maintain eye contact with the quarterback makes him a potential asset in zone, as well. While he has experienced some rookie growing pains in such settings, Gonzalez's performance during the entirety of the preseason is likely to be the deciding factor in his role at the start of the season. In fact, many believe that has already shown enough athleticism and field savvy to ensure that he will be a notable part of their corps of cornerbacks, even as a rookie.
However, Gonzalez remains grounded by his goals, and humbled by the work that lay ahead. With the regular season fast approaching, the spotlight will be brighter, and the expectations will be higher. Rest assured; the 21-year-old is already letting his on-field production speak for itself ... leaving little doubt that he is ready for the challenge.
"It's what I always dreamed of as a kid," Gonzalez said with a smile.
Accordingly, the Pats rookie corner is living proof that if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true ... and it might just mean playing on the same team as your adolescent hero.
Well-deserved for a talented, hard-working kid from Carrollton.
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