FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots fans have received a quick introduction to defensive end Eric Lee during the last three games.
Signed off the Bills’ practice squad on Nov. 21 because of a depleted personnel situation, Lee has been thrust into a front-line role and made a positive first impression.
“He’s a hard-working kid, stays late, comes early, football is important to him,” head coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s tough, taking a lot of snaps, and putting a lot into it. He’s great to have, a great kid to work with.”
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Lee has totaled 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception, and in Monday’s loss to the Dolphins, played all 73 defensive snaps. The week before, in a win over the Bills, he played 57 of 67 defensive snaps and was one of the players of the game.
Lee got his NFL break thanks to an old Patriots friend, Mike Vrabel, who had worked him out in his role as Texans linebackers coach in 2016. Lee spent 2016 on the Texans’ practice squad and was with Houston until he was released on Sept. 2 of this season. The Bills then signed him to their practice squad before the Patriots swooped in.
The 23-year-old Lee shares his “football journey” as part of ESPN.com’s weekly feature.
When he first started playing football: “Ninth grade. I was intimidated to play. One of my administrators asked me to start, and I was sort of scared of him. So I decided to play; I was a receiver and was horrible. They ultimately moved me to defensive end four or five games into that year and that’s where I was the rest of my career.”
Favorite players and teams growing up: “I didn’t really have a favorite team. I wasn’t that interested in football then. I was doing taekwondo, drama, band -- everything but football. My dad was born and raised in Philly and is a die-hard Eagles fan, so I just piggybacked off that for the most part. [Donovan] McNabb, young DeSean Jackson. ... The Super Bowl against the Patriots was a childhood memory of mine, being in my living room, watching that with my dad.”
Role models in his life: “My dad [Rodney]. My two older brothers [Rodney Jr.; Jonathan]. We all support each other in everything we do, even though we’re all different. My mother [Estella], too. That’s why I did a medley of things, just trying to figure out what was best for me.”
Memories that stand out at Daphne (Ala.) High School: “I remember freshman year, whenever we messed up or had a bad practice, we would have to roll on the playing field. The playing field would be full of stickers and we’d go from sideline to sideline, about 55 yards, and you’d feel these little prickly things in the grass. That wasn’t a fun experience. My junior year, we went to state and beat Hoover, 7-6, so that was a great experience -- 15-0, a big moment in my life I cherish. Everyone is on Facebook and every once in a while someone will post a picture from that championship game, so those are huge memories. We used to have watermelon runs in the summer, relay races and stuff like that which were bonding experiences. They had a lift-a-thon, right before the season, and that was always fun.”
Enrolling at South Florida: “I was more concerned with playing early. I had graduated early from high school, so I could go a semester early to college. I wanted to go to a school that had a prestigious MIS program, which is basically a business degree with a computer science application. South Florida had one. I made the decision pretty early, so once they made me my offer, they were the top choice from that point. I visited Illinois and Minnesota, as well. South Florida was the last visit. I didn’t necessarily want to go to a bigger school because I felt I was undersized. But I also wanted to start early and felt like South Florida was an up-and-coming school and football program.”
Football memories at South Florida: “My spring freshman year, I remember gaining like 25 pounds in two months, drinking blender shakes. That wasn’t the most pleasant memory. The first camp was hard, but fun. We went to camp in Vero Beach, Florida, and that was basically at a sports complex. It was so hot. You look back on that and say, ‘I’m glad I made it through that.’ It was a bonding memory. Winning-wise, we didn’t have too much of that going on. But my senior year, we were able to break a five-year bowl-less streak.”
Expectations entering the 2016 NFL draft: “I had a Plan A and a Plan B. The Plan A was going to the NFL. Plan B was to get into the working force and my industry was more IT oriented. I was interviewing for IT jobs around the nation as well as training. Just trying to set myself up for the best possible situation. So basically I went to a gridiron showcase in the winter and then was just training for the pro day. No combine. I had a workout with Coach Vrabel in South Florida. He came down and worked me out. There was a small possibility I could squeeze into the draft, but my expectations were non-existent. I was thinking, ‘If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, so be it.’ Then I got a call from Houston and they said, ‘Be ready in three days.’ That was awesome.”
Texans practice squad in 2016 before being released in September of 2017: “It was basically like learning a whole new position, going from defensive end [in college] to outside linebacker. Learning to stand up and being comfortable in a two-point [stance], learning coverage, learning special teams because I was only on the punt shield in college. In a sense, it was like the redshirt year I never had. It was a lot of learning how to be comfortable in my own body in this new position. Putting my hand down is more natural. Being able to develop myself as a player was a big thing for me.”
Signing with Bills practice squad in September of 2017: “I was on different special-teams positions, so I learned more from a different perspective because they saw me as a different type of player, as well as playing in a different defense and scheme. Just continuing to have the right mindset, that perseverance mindset of being ready that I learned in Houston. That was a big part of it after having been cut. I took it as a learning experience. I learned a lot from [defensive line coach] Mike Waufle. It was a change after having the same coach for a year and a half [in Houston]. It was a change of scenery -- being in the cold. So I think both Buffalo and Houston prepared me for this from a scheme standpoint and environment standpoint.”
Life as a Patriot: “It’s everything I want it to be. I’m in a position where I can contribute and to do that on a daily basis is all I wanted from the jump. To apply myself with everything I’m learning, and then I get evaluated as someone who is playing a multitude of snaps -- being on that level, rather than a practice-squad level, and held accountable. There is no complacency. Trying to create that culture. It’s more on my shoulders, but I always wanted that -- to have that pressure and have results come from that effort.”
What he loves about football: “Just the competitiveness and being around teammates -- laughing, joking around -- and then that competitive edge. I feel like if you love football, you have some competitive edge. You want to win. You’re going to do what it takes.”
Summing up his football journey: “Unpredictable. Everything hasn’t been clear from the beginning. I wasn’t projected to be the highest-rated athlete, but it was always just doing what I had to do and trying to lead by example. Don’t be a talker, just lead by example and do what I had to do. I wasn’t always the most talented but made sure to work hard. So it’s having the right mindset and attitude, and it took me pretty far. You might hit a wall, but you continue to do those things, and fruits bear from that hard work.”