en en en en en de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
Former Michigan football star Chase Winovich wasted no time in adapting the mentality of his new team.
Shortly after being taken by the New England Patriots in the third round with the 77th pick of the draft on Friday, Winovich was asked about how much contact he had with New England leading up to the draft.
Winovich chose to respond in what could only be described as "the Patriot Way."
“I’d rather just wait to dive into that further until I receive further instructions,” Winovich said in a conference call late Friday night.
It was a departure from the norm for Winovich, who often turned heads at U-M with his words.
During his time in Ann Arbor, Winovich was never afraid to say what was on his mind, whether that was calling Michigan State "little brother" after a 21-7 win in 2018 or listing a series of changes he asked Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh to make within the program after the 2017 season.
Winovich became a fan favorite thanks to his abundance of confidence and play on the field. He broke out in 2017 and was named to the All-Big Ten team after recording 73 tackles (19 for loss) and 8.5 sacks. As a fifth-year senior in 2018, he was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten pick and tallied 59 tackles (15.5 for loss) and five sacks.
ESPN: Michigan football's Chase Winovich 'is the perfect Patriots pick'
Now, he's heading to one of the league's most-respected teams and the reigning Super Bowl champ.
“I’m speechless," Winovich told reporters on a call Friday night. "It’s a great honor and I’m just very lucky. I feel very blessed, surrounded by my closest family and friends, just a very lucky position I’m in.”
Detroit Lions drafted the guys they coveted. Now they must win with 'em Bob Quinn explains why Detroit Lions picked Jahlani Tavai Detroit Lions 2019 NFL draft grades: What experts think of Day 2 picks Love or hate it, Detroit Lions following own path in 2019 NFL draft Meet new Detroit Lions safety Will Harris: He's a dog, not a cat
Winovich posted a 4.59-second 40-yard dash and a 4.11 second shuttle time at the NFL combine. Those times may have proved key for his NFL future. Although Winovich was a down lineman at U-M, many projected him as a stand-up pass-rusher at the next level.
For Winovich, the position has never mattered. At Michigan, he bounced around the linebacking corps in his first year while struggling to gain weight. When Harbaugh arrived in the winter of 2014, Winovich switched to tight end, spending a year on the scout team. It wasn't until he was entering his third year on campus that he found a permanent home on defense.
Winovich made it clear he'll be fine with wherever the Patriots play him.
“For me, I’ve always prided myself on being a football player," Winovich said. "Wherever the coaches want to put me, ultimately, if you look at my history, I played a lot of different positions, that’s for the coaches to decide where I fit best. That’s their choice, not mine. I’m happy to play anywhere. I just want to get on the field and contribute and work hard.”
New England general manager Nick Caserio was complimentary of Winovich's pass-rushing skills, and also hinted at the possibility of Winovich seeing time on special teams.
"He’s got a good motor," Caserio said Friday. "He’s a pretty instinctive guy. He’s good with his hands. He’s got pretty good technique. And he’s been productive over the course of a couple of years now.
"And he’s got long hair, which I’m sure everyone will enjoy until we tell him to cut it. Has some value hopefully not only defensively but in the kicking game as well with his size, 6-2½, 6-3, 245, 250. He runs fairly well. I think he ran 4.6-ish or something in that vicinity. So, it’s a pretty good combination of his size, speed, toughness, instinctive-ness.
A lot has changed for Winovich in the past few years. Friday night saw him successfully complete his journey from the scout team to the NFL. Still, he'll go forward with the same mindset he's had all this time.
“In my eyes, I’m just getting started and it’s a long journey," Winovich said. "Like I said, I’m just trying to work hard every day and take things one step at a time.
“I think there’s a lot of people who can get complacent. But I like to be myself and not one of those people. I’m always trying to be a better version of myself. I never want to peak. I just want to keep getting better and keep working on the little things, and it really is in the details.”
Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.
Careers Staff Directory Accessibility Site Map Legals Our Ethical Principles Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy PolicyDo Not Sell My Info / Cookie Policy
Contact Us Support Local Business Advertise Your Business Advertising Terms and Conditions Licensing & Reprints Help Center Subscriber Guide My Account Give Feedback