FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have had a rich history under offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia of developing unheralded prospects into front-line contributors, and Cole Croston is one of the latest in the pipeline.
One of the surprise stories of 2017 training camp, the undrafted free agent from the University of Iowa made the initial 53-man roster and is being groomed behind the scenes.
That Croston is in the NFL is one of the more improbable turns of events, considering he didn’t have any scholarship offers coming out of high school and was a 200-pound walk-on at Iowa. Now he’s a 6-foot-5, 315-pound rookie who has shown enough promise that the Patriots have kept him on the roster all season, with him appearing in three games (eight total snaps, all late when the outcome was decided).
Croston, who turned 24 on Christmas, is one of three Iowa alums in the Patriots’ locker room, joining practice squad players James Ferentz and Riley McCarron. Ferentz sees similarities between Croston and Seahawks offensive lineman Matt Tobin, a five-year NFL veteran who also played at Iowa.
“He showed up to camp as just this tall string bean, and the first time you see him, he’s really not passing your eye-ball test,” Ferentz said. “But then you watch him play with the pads on and it’s really quick that you notice something different about this guy. ... He keeps improving, and a guy who continues to do that will always have a place on a roster. In a lot of ways, he does everyone in Iowa a lot of proud, because that's what we are as a program -- continuing to improve and develop.”
Patriots fans should be learning more about Croston, who is from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, in the coming years. As a sneak preview, he shares his “football journey” in ESPN.com’s weekly feature:
When he first started playing football: “As early as you could possibly play with pads, and before that, I was playing flag football for my dad [Dave]. My whole life has been football.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “My dad played for the Green Bay Packers, so they were my favorite team. And my favorite player was Brett Favre.”
Role models in his life: “My dad. He’s been there for me in situations where nobody else would be able to -- going through football, the college level [at Iowa in the mid-1980s]. No one really understands that like he does because he’s been through it before, through the NFL. He’s had tough times, and he can empathize with me on that.”
First positions: “I was mostly on the line because my dad had helped me out the whole way with some of that basic stuff. I wanted to catch passes, too, so I played a little bit of tight end. But in high school, we were short linemen and I had to hop in, and have been a lineman ever since.”
Top memories at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School: “We weren’t necessarily the winningest team, but we had a lot of great times, great camaraderie. You’re learning the whole basics of football and what it’s like to be a team. It was an introduction to the next level and I got a taste of 'Friday Night Lights.' It’s an indescribable feeling.”
How he ended up attending Iowa: “For me, it was Iowa or bust. I visited Augustana in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Morningside College back home. That was until [Iowa assistant coach] Reese Morgan came to my high school and informed me that they wanted me to be a preferred walk-on, and I took it right away. I was going to go to Iowa to be a student [regardless], or go to Iowa to play football [as well], and luckily the football part worked out.”
How Reese Morgan opened the door: “He had visited my school a couple times, but honestly, to me, it’s still a mystery. I didn’t have an exciting junior or senior year. I was 6-5 and 200 pounds, so I looked like a twig out there. But I owe it all to him and [head coach] Kirk Ferentz, for what they saw in me. Iowa is a developmental program where it takes a couple years and they invest in guys, and see guys’ futures down the road.”
Top memories at Iowa: “I had a ton of them. My roommate freshman year was Jeremy Nelson, who I had played against throughout high school. We met almost every year in the playoffs and they always kicked our butt. But that was a great experience having him as a roommate and that was my first experience living with somebody else, living outside of my house. It was a great learning experience and Iowa was very welcoming. Great dorm system, great first-year program how Kirk Ferentz runs things, how he introduces guys into the program. He set me up for success.”
Top football moments: “I came in as a tackle and was behind Brandon Scherff [of the Redskins], so I got to learn a lot from him -- a guy who went top-five in the draft and to try to emulate him and Brett Van Sloten, who was a captain.”
Iowa pride: “Iowa isn’t always going to get the top recruits, the four-star, five-star guy, so a lot of guys who do come through that program do have chips on their shoulders. Going through the program, it’s a grind, but the guys that stick -- that’s kind of what makes Iowa, Iowa.”
Preparing for the 2017 NFL draft: “I was a little nervous coming in because I hadn’t played much most of the year. I was able to come back for the Outback Bowl, which was very exciting, getting back out there with my seniors and the rest of the team. We were able to put up a fight in the first half against Florida, but it didn’t end the way we wanted. Then going into the draft, I wasn’t sure if I would get picked. You hear people talking, but you can’t trust that, so I kind of just kind of put my head down and worked with [strength] Coach [Chris] Doyle. I had some calls on draft day, but it didn’t work out to get drafted, but I was able to get an opportunity here when Coach Scarnecchia called me and said, ‘You should consider coming out here.’”
Why coming to the Patriots was the right choice: “The Patriots are obviously an outstanding organization. They know how to win, and they’ve been winning for a while. I’ve heard the things Coach Scarnecchia has done, having been in coaching for 30-40 years, and he’s a guy that when you talk to him he has invaluable knowledge that most other coaches don’t have. I was excited to get to work with a coach like that.”
Detailing his work behind the scenes: “It’s been a lot of time in the weight room. I knew that had to happen in order for me to be where I want to be, to potentially be out on the field. So this year has sort of been like my first couple years at Iowa, where it’s been a developmental process. Just being around these guys, being around pros, is a new experience, and I think that will only do me well.”
What he loves about football: “So many things. When you’re in the huddle with your teammates and looking guys in the eyes, and they trust you, and you trust them. You run a play out there, and it all translates -- that camaraderie kind of follows you off into the locker room after the game. When you’re out in the real world, you’ll never have that type of experience again like you do in the locker room after a game, celebrating with your teammates.”
Summing up his football journey: “It’s been a journey, to say the least. When I look back on it, it’s one obstacle after another. Being 200 pounds in high school, somehow getting a walk-on spot at Iowa, getting a scholarship that third-fourth year, and then a shot at the NFL -- that’s all I could have ever asked for. My whole life, I was just thinking, ‘If I could ever get a foot in the door, I’m going to make the most of it.’ So far, things have worked out.”