FOXBOROUGH – It all happened so fast.
John Saunders Jr. was in Miami getting ready for another day on the Dolphins practice squad when his phone rang. Eliot Wolf was on the other end, and he told the rookie safety that the Patriots were signing him to their 53-man roster.
That’s when Saunders had to scramble.
The safety quickly packed a suitcase, got as many belongings together as he could, and went to the airport. He landed in Boston by 4:30 a.m. the next morning. For Saunders, this is a dream come true.
“I’ve never experienced this before. I entered the portal a few years ago, but that, you’ve got days and months before you have to leave,” said Saunders, who signed with the Patriots last week. “This is like I packed my bags, talked to Eliot Wolf the same day, and then at 4:30 in the morning, I was here in Boston. It was crazy, I can’t even explain it. This is different, but it’s a blessing to be able to go from one place to the next and start learning.”
When Saunders walked into Gillette Stadium, it wasn’t his first time in the building.
A standout defensive back at Ole Miss, Saunders took one of his pre-draft visits in Foxborough with the Patriots this past spring. The Patriots liked the athletic safety, who finished with three interceptions last fall.
However, when the draft ended, Saunders became a coveted undrafted free agent and signed a deal with Miami that guaranteed him $120,000. The rookie impressed in training camp, but was cut by the end of August and spent this season on their practice squad.
The Patriots didn’t forget about him. When the team traded Kyle Dugger to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, they needed to add more depth to their safety position. The next day, they signed Saunders away from Miami.
He said stepping back inside the building was surreal.
“The main thing I remember is when you walk in the player entrance, you’ve got all the Super Bowls right there,” Saunders said. “Then, outside the doors, all the Super Bowl titles. This is football tradition. Serious, rich tradition. Winners. This is the winningest team since I’ve been born. Being a part of this is a blessing. Just excited to help continue this legacy.”
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