21 things to know about Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez
Here are 21 facts about Gonzalez as the rookie cornerback turns 21.
Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez turned 21 on Wednesday, so here are 21 things to know about New England’s most recent first-round pick.
1. He’s the first defensive back to be selected in the first round by the Patriots since Devin McCourty.
2. He’s the fourth Oregon player ever drafted by the Patriots and the first since Patrick Chung in 2009, per the school’s athletics website.
3. He’s likely going to be a perimeter cornerback in the NFL, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said earlier this month, but there are some situations where he could play inside or in the deeper part of the field, depending on the game plan.
4. Gonzalez is 6-foot-2-inches, 201-pounds, with a 4.38 40-yard dash time and a 41.5 inch vertical leap. “If you were building a player in Madden, you’d create them very similar to Christian, especially for the corner position,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said during an interview with NBC Sports Boston.
5. Gonzalez’s sisters, Melissa and Samantha Gonzalez, were All-Americans during their college track and field careers. Melissa competed in the 2020 Olympics, representing Colombia.
6. His father, Hector Gonzalez, who is 6-feet-9-inches and played college basketball at UTEP, was born in Colombia before moving to the United States as a teenager.
7. Representing Colombia at the NFL level “means the world” to Gonzalez, he told reporters on draft night when he wore a suit with the Colombian flag’s colors on the inside.
8. Gonzalez was a projected top-10 pick, but slid to the Patriots at No. 17. There was less than a 1 percent chance he was going to be available that late in the draft, according to ESPN. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that questions about his physicality may have been a factor.
9. Gonzalez is the youngest player on the Patriots’ roster. Rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte is also 21, but his birthday was last month.
10. Gonzalez almost quit football after his sophomore year in high school because his coaches thought he wasn’t strong enough and put him on the JV team. He ended up transferring to another school instead.
11. He originally committed to play college football at Purdue, where his brother-in-law (Cardinals quarterback) David Blough played.
12. After decommitting from Purdue, Gonzalez signed with Colorado and played two seasons there.
13. Gonzalez followed his position coach, Demetrice Martin, to Oregon, where he finished his college career. “I don’t even look at him as a coach.” Gonzalez said at the time, according to Sports Illustrated. “He’s more like my uncle.”
14. Patriots offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was on the staff at Oregon while Gonzalez was there. Klemm described Gonzalez in April as a natural leader who didn’t say much, but stood out because of the way he practiced.
15. Gonzalez started the first 12 games for Oregon last year, but opted out of the team’s win over North Carolina in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.
16. Gonzalez wore No. 50 during OTAs and minicamp. The Patriots have given No. 50 to their first selection in the NFL Draft in recent years.
17. After one of the OTA sessions, Kyle Dugger told reporters that Gonzalez is light on his feet and moves fluidly. “It’s pretty effortless just the way he does everything,” said Dugger.
18. Gonzalez told reporters that he wants to “follow in the footsteps” of former Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
19. Gonzalez is the second-tallest cornerback on the Patriots’ roster, behind fellow rookie Ameer Speed, who is listed at 6-feet-3-inches.
20. Gonzalez said he loves seafood. When asked about a pair of New England favorites, lobster rolls and clam chowder, Gonzalez said he’ll “stick to the lobster.”
21. When asked to sum himself up, Gonzalez said: “I’m just somebody that’s extremely trustworthy. Somebody that’s just loyal and keeps a pretty tight circle. Really all about ball. Ready to just learn. I just love to learn.”
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