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FOXBOROUGH -- For this weekend's rookie minicamp, former Notre Dame offensive lineman Dan Stevenson has been assigned jersey No. 63, which was worn by guard Joe Andruzzi for five seasons in New England (2000-04). It's a nice fit.
Notre Dame coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis had told Stevenson -- and several NFL coaches and scouts who visited South Bend, Ind. -- that Stevenson reminds him of Andruzzi.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 315-pound Andruzzi, who entered the league as a free agent, played on all three Patriots Super Bowl championship teams. Stevenson (6-5, 300) is a sixth-round pick (205th overall), selected with one of the compensatory choices the team received for Andruzzi signing a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns prior to last season.
''Once Coach Weis started comparing me, I started watching film on him, and Joe is an outstanding player," Stevenson said. ''I don't know if I could ever do what Joe did, but I'm just going to come in here, work my hardest, and hopefully help the team out the best I can."
Andruzzi had a blue-collar approach and was an iron man on the New England line (81 starts, including playoffs). Stevenson ended his college career with 34 straight starts, primarily at right guard.
The Patriots return both starting guards in 2006, with last year's first-round pick, Logan Mankins, on the left side and veteran Stephen Neal, a free agent who re-signed with the club for four years, on the right side. Both Mankins and Neal started every game last season.
The team also has veteran backups at guard: Russ Hochstein (sixth year), Ross Tucker (fifth), Gene Mruczkowski (fourth), and Billy Yates (third).
Coach Bill Belichick said both Stevenson and rookie free agent receiver Matt Shelton are in a ''unique situation" because they played at Notre Dame under Weis and ''probably have a better working knowledge of our system than anybody we have."
Stevenson hopes that helps him distinguish himself.
''I think it's an advantage," he said. ''It allows me to focus not just on the plays, but allows me to expand and follow the terminology and exactly the philosophy behind the play. It allows me to focus on some of the technique things."
Source: Boston Globe
Notre Dame coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis had told Stevenson -- and several NFL coaches and scouts who visited South Bend, Ind. -- that Stevenson reminds him of Andruzzi.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 315-pound Andruzzi, who entered the league as a free agent, played on all three Patriots Super Bowl championship teams. Stevenson (6-5, 300) is a sixth-round pick (205th overall), selected with one of the compensatory choices the team received for Andruzzi signing a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns prior to last season.
''Once Coach Weis started comparing me, I started watching film on him, and Joe is an outstanding player," Stevenson said. ''I don't know if I could ever do what Joe did, but I'm just going to come in here, work my hardest, and hopefully help the team out the best I can."
Andruzzi had a blue-collar approach and was an iron man on the New England line (81 starts, including playoffs). Stevenson ended his college career with 34 straight starts, primarily at right guard.
The Patriots return both starting guards in 2006, with last year's first-round pick, Logan Mankins, on the left side and veteran Stephen Neal, a free agent who re-signed with the club for four years, on the right side. Both Mankins and Neal started every game last season.
The team also has veteran backups at guard: Russ Hochstein (sixth year), Ross Tucker (fifth), Gene Mruczkowski (fourth), and Billy Yates (third).
Coach Bill Belichick said both Stevenson and rookie free agent receiver Matt Shelton are in a ''unique situation" because they played at Notre Dame under Weis and ''probably have a better working knowledge of our system than anybody we have."
Stevenson hopes that helps him distinguish himself.
''I think it's an advantage," he said. ''It allows me to focus not just on the plays, but allows me to expand and follow the terminology and exactly the philosophy behind the play. It allows me to focus on some of the technique things."
Source: Boston Globe