He was one of the bright spots last night. Found this cool article about him. 2/3/06 Ventrone looking to take the next step Tom Casale, Patriots Football Weekly The Patriots announced the players they will be allocating to NFL Europe for the 2006 season earlier this week and while most of the names aren?t very familiar to the casual fan, one player who has a chance to make some noise is safety Raymond Ventrone. Ray Ventrone spent the entire year on the Patriots practice squad but made quite an impression on the coaching staff ? winning the award for Practice Player of the Week on a few occasions this season. Ventrone has the heart and determination Bill Belichick loves and his time in NFL Europe could go a long way in determining if the hard-hitting safety lands a roster spot next season. Below is an article that appeared in Patriots Football Weekly this past November entitled ?Everybody Loves Raymond.? The story tells of Ventrone?s journey to the NFL and his goals for the future. Everybody Loves Raymond Tom Casale, Patriots Football Weekly Every April, hundreds of former college football players wait nervously, hoping to hear their name called in the NFL Draft. For some players, they know they?re going to be drafted; it?s just a matter of when and by what team. For others ? like Ray Ventrone - they sit and wait, uncertain if their dreams of playing in the NFL will become a reality. With one selection left in the 2004 draft and the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on the clock, Ventrone had yet to be drafted. The Patriots were deciding between two players: Ventrone and a tight end out of William Penn, Andy Stokes. Afraid another team was going to sign Stokes as a free agent, the Patriots selected the tight end. Being the last player chosen, Stokes became known as ?Mr. Irrelevant,? while Ventrone saw his dreams of being drafted by an NFL team come to end. He was left to ponder his future and deal with the possibility that his football career may be over. Going into his senior season at Villanova University, the hard-hitting safety was projected by many to be a mid-round NFL draft pick. Then, in the fourth game of his senior season against New Hampshire, Ventrone broke his leg, ending his college career and the probability that he would be drafted. ?It was devastating,? Ventrone said about the injury. ?I always dreamed about playing football at the highest level and I didn?t know if I could once I got hurt.? Ventrone was hoping a team would still take a shot on him despite his injury but he knew the odds were long. ?I thought there was an outside chance that a team might take a gamble on me,? he said. ? But I knew the chances weren?t likely. Once I got injured it was tough because I knew there was a good possibility I wouldn?t be drafted like I would have if I didn?t get hurt. I think it?s every college football player?s dream to be drafted. That?s a great honor.? Luckily for Ventrone, he had done enough to impress pro scouts before his injury. Shortly after the draft, his phone rang. The call would change Ventrone?s life. It was someone from the New England Patriots telling the former Division I-AA star they wanted to sign him as a free agent and bring him to camp. Ventrone?s dream of playing in the NFL was still alive. ?Once I got the call from the Patriots, I knew this was the place I wanted to be,? Ventrone said. ?It was tough not being drafted but in the end, I would rather have come here than go to any other team. This is the best organization in football and my best opportunity to earn a spot and help a team out.? Ventrone worked extremely hard to come back from his injury and prepare himself to play at the next level. He?s thankful all his hard work paid off and the Patriots gave him a chance to prove himself. ?I worked really hard to come back and the Patriots gave me an opportunity,? he said. ?I?m very fortunate to be where I?m at right now.? From the beginning Ventrone?s football career began at a young age. He started playing peewee football when he was 8-years-old and has loved the sport ever since. Ventrone knew way back then he wanted to be a professional football player. ?The first time I stepped on the field, I loved it,? he said. ?Ever since that day, it?s been my dream to play in the NFL. Now I?m living out a dream I?ve had pretty much all my life.? ------------------------------ It's a very long article. here's the link to the rest of it. http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=generalnewsdetail&pid=15349&pcid=41 He's been learnin' well from Westhoff.
He was downright nasty on ST... He's likely competing w/ Washington for a spot...the only issue is whether he fits into a part time defensive role like Washington does.
He was great to watch last night.... I have no idea if he can play on defense, but on specials he is a stud. Pure heart and effort on kickoffs. I hope he makes the squad....
Yer after watching him on ST i hope he makes the team, he got down the field in a hurry. Was like the returner had a red uniform of and he had the mind of a bull lol Nobody could stop him getting to that returner.
This guy is a beast, the best way to make a team is special teams, he is a lock to making the team. What is he btw a safety? lol
The best way to make a team is to be a first round pick and have crazy physical abilities. But if you don't have all the talent, you're going to have to make plays on special teams in order to get noticed...and yes, he is a safety. "lol?"
Nice find JC. Hard not to root for this kid getting a shot. If he can repeat last night's performance in the next two games, he could make it...
If it was just one good play that he made then there would not be so much Buzz but he made 2-3 good plays, every single kick or punt he was getting in the tackle to bring the returner down. Out of all the people fighting to take a space on the roster i really hope that he gets one.
