FOXBOROUGH, Mass – Lawrence Guy Sr. only had good things to say about two New England Patriots rookies who have made a large impact in their first two games with the team.  

The defensive lineman spoke with the media on Thursday morning and was asked about Christian Gonzalez and Keion White, both of whom share a similar trait. 

"Quiet," Guy said about the duo, while also expanding on what they bring to the team. "They're wiling to understand if they make a mistake, fix the mistake and continue to go and it shows up in the game."

The defense has been a shining spot for the Patriots this year despite the team's slow start, and both Gonzalez and White have contributed to that success. 

Despite being quiet, they ask the necessary questions and are always looking to learn. 

"You can see the growth on him," Guy said. "He's willing to learn and ask questions and I think the best thing about the young players on this team altogether, you can see both of them, that they're willing to work every single day."

And for Gonzalez, his efforts have shown up on the stats sheet. In his NFL Debut, the rookie sacked Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and then followed it up the next week with an interception on Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

It seems Guy is even a little jealous of Gonzalez's achievements.

" Buddy got a sack and an interception," he said with a laugh. "Like jeez, I want an interception!"

Gonzalez was drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, with White being selected with the following pick in the second round. 

White is another player who doesn't say much, but his presence is always felt. 

"He works so hard. You can see it in the weight room, during treatment, during pre practice, post practice. he puts that work in to understand that whatever he does mess up on, it can be fixed. Nobody's perfect. Everybody's going to do something wrong," Guys said. "You can see the physicality that he plays with. He's not afraid to go attack the blocking, not afraid to go rush the passer."

These traits are something that isn't always apparent in rookies, with Guy explaining how some aren't prepared for the jump in physicality from college to the NFL.  

"That's a great thing to have with rookies that they have that ability to do it because you see some come into the National Football League. Sometimes they're a little timid," he said.

And he gave a special shout out to White, who has certainly not shown that he is "timid." 

"That's not who he is as a personality," Guy said. "He wants to go out there and throw that first punch and do everything the right way. Not afraid of a fight." 

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Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports