Patriots hidden gem lives up to the hype by officially making the team despite longshot odds
Dell Pettus did it. The undrafted free agent safety earned a spot on the 53-man roster. He was the only UDFA to make it. For many years, the Patriots had a streak of one or more undrafted free agents making the roster at the end of training camp. But after 19 years, that came to an end […]
Dell Pettus did it.
The undrafted free agent safety earned a spot on the 53-man roster. He was the only UDFA to make it.
For many years, the Patriots had a streak of one or more undrafted free agents making the roster at the end of training camp.
But after 19 years, that came to an end going into the 2023 season, which also happened to be Bill Belichick's final season as head coach of the Patriots.
However, when one streak ends, another one begins.
Jerod Mayo emphasized the importance of UDFA's making the roster when speaking with the media on Friday. Specifically, he highlighted this because it allows them to know that the Patriots are a team where they will always have a fair shot
"I always tell those guys they all were on teams in college where a five-star would come in or a four-star would come in and everyone's like, ‘Ooh,’ but they're trash," Mayo explained. "So, you have that one-star player that actually makes the team.
"I think it's important, and once again, going back to competition and going back to [how] my job is to put the best player on the field no matter where you drafted them. So, that's kind of how I think about it."
Pettus was a name that was continuously coming up during each and every practice.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound defensive back spent five seasons at Troy, where he started 61 consecutive games. He finished his career with 303 total tackles, 13 passes defended, one sack, and one interception, along with one return touchdown
"He's done a fantastic job," Mayo said. "There's been a lot of conversation around him, but he's done a fantastic job up until this point."
"But it is important that those guys go out here and realize, ‘I can play at this level.’ There's always this imposter syndrome where, ‘Am I good enough, or am I not good enough?,’ Mayo added. "For a guy like Dell Pettus, for example, to go out and make those plays just continues to boost his confidence."
He certainly did enough to earn a spot during the preseason and the Patriots coaching staff rewarded him.
