Really good stuff. Lots of praise for the University. Can't blame him for leaving early. If i was being coached by Hughes, I probably would have too. Especially if you got a positive draft grade like he did. Definitely made the right decision. One of the top rookie DTs this season.
http://www.espn.com/blog/new-englan...valentines-football-journey-is-just-beginning
With New England Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, pending appeal, rookie Vincent Valentine would be the next man up.
The third-round draft choice from the University of Nebraska has made a solid first impression and is coming off arguably his best game in Sunday’s 30-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers (two tackles, one for a loss).
“He’s an improving player. It’s headed in the right direction,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s certainly had some positive plays in every game. There might have been a couple more last week, but I’d say it’s trending the right way.”
The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Valentine arrived with NFL-type size, but there were some mixed reviews from NFL scouts on him after a junior season in which he didn’t have much production. Part of that was a result of his playing through an ankle injury.
But the 22-year-old Valentine, who is the second-youngest player on the roster behind fellow rookie Elandon Roberts, hasn’t looked out of place with the Patriots as the No. 3 player at the position behind Branch and 2015 first-round pick Malcom Brown.
He shares his “football journey” as part of ESPN.com’s weekly feature.
When he first started playing football: “When I was about 12. When I was younger, I was bigger, so I couldn’t really play because of the weight limit. My dad was a football and baseball coach, and he always had me around sports. I always loved sports. When I got out there, it felt like what I was destined to do.”
First positions: “Offensive guard, and then I ended up playing defensive tackle my seventh- or eighth-grade year. That’s where I’ve been since.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “Definitely the Redskins. My dad was a big fan, so I fell into that with him. My favorite player was Sean Taylor; rest in peace to him. He was a great safety. He made me love football, and the physical part of it. He would just come down and lay people out.”
Role models in his life: “I would definitely say my dad [Vincent Sr.]. I watched him get up, work tirelessly for my family, from midnight shifts, to the morning, to the next night. At times, he wouldn’t be at home because he was working trying to provide for our family, so I looked up to him my whole life. That always drove me. Seeing him work like that made me want to work and get better for myself.”
Top memories at Edwardsville (Illinois) High School: “Junior year, I got all-state for the first time, and I ended up going to the University of Illinois, and they presented us with plaques and everything. My uncle was out there with me. It was a surreal moment and felt like a lot of hard work was paying off, while at the same time motivating me to push myself more and get to college and where I am now.”
Enrolling at University of Nebraska: “I’m really scrambling, trying to figure out where I wanted to go. I took three official visits: to Illinois, Florida and Nebraska. I was pretty close to going to Florida but decided it was too far, and I couldn’t do it. Illinois was a good pick too, but they had just fired their head coach [Ron Zook]. So I ended up picking Nebraska. I loved the program, the atmosphere, the weight room. They had a top-of-the-line program, and I felt they could get me to my goal of getting to the NFL. I feel like it was one of the best decisions I made in my life.”
Top memories at Nebraska: “Every Saturday was great memories. Memorial Stadium is one of the craziest stadiums in the country. The fans were amazing. Being in that atmosphere is something you’ll never forget. We played at Penn State my redshirt freshman year [in 2013], and that stadium is amazing. There’s a lot of history in that stadium, and it was snowing that day, so it was the first game I played in the snow. We ended up winning [in overtime] on a field goal, and I was on the field goal team. Just a great memory.”
Declaring for the NFL draft after his junior season: “The season didn’t go as well as I wanted, and my coach [Bo Pelini] had just got fired. They cleaned house, and I just felt like the program wasn’t going in the direction I wanted, so I made a personal decision to myself. I prayed on it, talked to my family and felt like it was the best opportunity for me to declare early. I ended up training out in Arizona with a couple of my teammates.”
Selected by the Patriots in the third round: “It was the best day of my life when I got the call. I was in my backyard with my family, it was like 25 of us, and everybody started going crazy.”
Life as a Patriot: “It’s great. It’s definitely one that you have to be disciplined. You have to be tough. You have to be mentally strong and just making sure you’re on top of things. The history, the trophies, the coaches -- they have it all.”
What he loves about football: “The physicality part of it, because I’ve always been a guy that’s always been bigger and strong. I also love the brotherhood, being around my guys, my teammates. We form like a family.”
Summing up his football journey: “A roller coaster, but it’s been a great roller coaster. I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done so far. Everything happens for a reason, and I think my journey is just beginning.”
http://www.espn.com/blog/new-englan...valentines-football-journey-is-just-beginning
With New England Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, pending appeal, rookie Vincent Valentine would be the next man up.
The third-round draft choice from the University of Nebraska has made a solid first impression and is coming off arguably his best game in Sunday’s 30-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers (two tackles, one for a loss).
“He’s an improving player. It’s headed in the right direction,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s certainly had some positive plays in every game. There might have been a couple more last week, but I’d say it’s trending the right way.”
The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Valentine arrived with NFL-type size, but there were some mixed reviews from NFL scouts on him after a junior season in which he didn’t have much production. Part of that was a result of his playing through an ankle injury.
But the 22-year-old Valentine, who is the second-youngest player on the roster behind fellow rookie Elandon Roberts, hasn’t looked out of place with the Patriots as the No. 3 player at the position behind Branch and 2015 first-round pick Malcom Brown.
He shares his “football journey” as part of ESPN.com’s weekly feature.
When he first started playing football: “When I was about 12. When I was younger, I was bigger, so I couldn’t really play because of the weight limit. My dad was a football and baseball coach, and he always had me around sports. I always loved sports. When I got out there, it felt like what I was destined to do.”
First positions: “Offensive guard, and then I ended up playing defensive tackle my seventh- or eighth-grade year. That’s where I’ve been since.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “Definitely the Redskins. My dad was a big fan, so I fell into that with him. My favorite player was Sean Taylor; rest in peace to him. He was a great safety. He made me love football, and the physical part of it. He would just come down and lay people out.”
Role models in his life: “I would definitely say my dad [Vincent Sr.]. I watched him get up, work tirelessly for my family, from midnight shifts, to the morning, to the next night. At times, he wouldn’t be at home because he was working trying to provide for our family, so I looked up to him my whole life. That always drove me. Seeing him work like that made me want to work and get better for myself.”
Top memories at Edwardsville (Illinois) High School: “Junior year, I got all-state for the first time, and I ended up going to the University of Illinois, and they presented us with plaques and everything. My uncle was out there with me. It was a surreal moment and felt like a lot of hard work was paying off, while at the same time motivating me to push myself more and get to college and where I am now.”
Enrolling at University of Nebraska: “I’m really scrambling, trying to figure out where I wanted to go. I took three official visits: to Illinois, Florida and Nebraska. I was pretty close to going to Florida but decided it was too far, and I couldn’t do it. Illinois was a good pick too, but they had just fired their head coach [Ron Zook]. So I ended up picking Nebraska. I loved the program, the atmosphere, the weight room. They had a top-of-the-line program, and I felt they could get me to my goal of getting to the NFL. I feel like it was one of the best decisions I made in my life.”
Top memories at Nebraska: “Every Saturday was great memories. Memorial Stadium is one of the craziest stadiums in the country. The fans were amazing. Being in that atmosphere is something you’ll never forget. We played at Penn State my redshirt freshman year [in 2013], and that stadium is amazing. There’s a lot of history in that stadium, and it was snowing that day, so it was the first game I played in the snow. We ended up winning [in overtime] on a field goal, and I was on the field goal team. Just a great memory.”
Declaring for the NFL draft after his junior season: “The season didn’t go as well as I wanted, and my coach [Bo Pelini] had just got fired. They cleaned house, and I just felt like the program wasn’t going in the direction I wanted, so I made a personal decision to myself. I prayed on it, talked to my family and felt like it was the best opportunity for me to declare early. I ended up training out in Arizona with a couple of my teammates.”
Selected by the Patriots in the third round: “It was the best day of my life when I got the call. I was in my backyard with my family, it was like 25 of us, and everybody started going crazy.”
Life as a Patriot: “It’s great. It’s definitely one that you have to be disciplined. You have to be tough. You have to be mentally strong and just making sure you’re on top of things. The history, the trophies, the coaches -- they have it all.”
What he loves about football: “The physicality part of it, because I’ve always been a guy that’s always been bigger and strong. I also love the brotherhood, being around my guys, my teammates. We form like a family.”
Summing up his football journey: “A roller coaster, but it’s been a great roller coaster. I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done so far. Everything happens for a reason, and I think my journey is just beginning.”
