At the University of Michigan, Chase Winovich was almost as well-known for a proclivity for headline-making soundbites as any of his stellar exploits on the football field. As a defensive end for the New England Patriots, though, the rookie suddenly finds himself far less verbose.
After Wednesday's minicamp practice, Winovich explained that his standing in the Patriots' veteran-laden locker room has led to his relative silence more than anything else – even the notoriously buttoned-down culture of his new team.
“I don’t know if it’s so much the Patriots,” he said, per Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY. “I’m a rookie. Being vocal, especially in the media, being a blinking light, is not what I aim to be right now. My goal is to make the 53-man roster and contribute to this team in a positive way.”
New England, of course, is the most secretive organization in the league. The reigning Super Bowl champions have prided themselves on team over individual throughout the Bill Belichick era, an edict that inherently lends itself to individual players fading from the public sphere.
Not that the Patriot way hasn't factored at all into Winovich's newly muted persona, though.
“I wouldn’t say ‘put a lid on it,’ but you have to be a little more strategic,” he said. “Turn the dial back a little bit. It’s just a matter of playing football now. This is professional. This isn’t college anymore. And I’m a rookie.”
Winovich, a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, finished his college career with 18 and-a-half sacks and 43 tackles for loss.
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