Image courtesy of the New England Patriots
FOXBOROUGH – Alec Lindstrom has gotten the call a few times now. But, this one was different.
Lindstrom has bounced around various NFL camps and other professional football endeavors and while being cut is never easy, he had gotten used to rolling with the punches. Such is the life of a guy just looking to keep the dream alive for as long as possible.
Lindstrom was part of the Patriots cuts on Tuesday when the team had to get down to 53 players on the active roster.
But, while sitting at home on Wednesday, he got a phone call telling him he had to be at practice back in Foxborough as a member of the team’s practice squad.
Lindstrom, fellow former Eagle Jack Conley and former Harvard star Truman Jones were all brought back as part of the 17-member unit.
“I’ve been through it a bunch, but I was home earlier today. Getting the call to come back in, it was a big relief,” Lindstrom said as he got ready for practice. “Obviously, being from here, coming back to the hometown team…I had such a great time during training camp. Being able to come back and be here for the season for real. Like, next week, being here is going to be a lot of fun.
“It was a huge relief, the family was going crazy. Just the fact it was the hometown team is awesome.”
When Lindstrom says he was sitting at home waiting for the call and then learned he had to hurry up and get to practice, he literally means exactly that.
“I went home after cuts (Tuesday), hung out, woke up this morning, hung out a little bit and then it’s just kind of the waiting game,” he explained. “After everything happens, you get the call and it’s like ‘hey, get up here, you got practice at 2:30.’ So, I just drove up here and now get ready to get back to work. It’s awesome.”
Conley wasn’t spotted at practice on Wednesday, but we did get a chance to catch up with Jones as well. The former Crimson defensive end is grateful for another shot to continue living the dream.
“It’s just great to have another opportunity,” he said at his locker. “Not a lot of guys from my school get to play in the NFL, so I take every opportunity very seriously.”
Getting to represent Harvard as one of a few Ivy League guys in the league is something Jones doesn’t take lightly.
“It’s special,” Jones said. “You just think of all the people that have come before me. The 10,000 Men of Harvard and just how great of guys they are. It’s why I chose to go to Harvard in the first place, because of the character of the men that are there. So, representing them, I’m just going to do the best that I can and be the best version of myself.”
Now, for Jones, Lindstrom, Conley and all the others that have an opportunity to continue their NFL dreams with New England, the mindset is the same.
“Just continue to grow as a player, as well as, how can I best serve the team?” added Jones. “My role is practice squad, but I still need to go and develop, so that if and when I am called up I’m ready and prepared to play. Just always making sure I’m the best version of myself I can be to help the team win.”