Patriots WR - Tyquan Thornton – 2022 Draft, Pick 50
Conference Call
April 29, 2022
Q: Congratulations, first of all. For those who don't know you, what would you say your biggest attributes are and what type of player are you bringing to New England?
TT: I am willing to learn the game and always coming in day in and day out to get better and put in work. So, that's what I bring to the New England Patriots, is bringing a lot of excitement, and I'm ready to learn and work with the coaches and the players here as well.
Q: Can you tell us where you are right now and what that moment was like when you got the call?
TT: I'm in Miami, Florida right now, my hometown, and I'm here at the house with my family and with my mom, my dad, my two little boys, my girlfriend and all of us. Getting the phone call from the New England Patriots, I mean, it was a dream come true. Just seeing my family's smiles and everybody cheering, my heart was racing. It was a feeling that I never felt before.
Q: If I'm not mistaken, you're familiar with Gillette Stadium. What can you tell us about your impressions of the stadium and from having been up here?
TT: I love the stadium. It's very beautiful. Being there just for the day I was there, I mean, I was amazed.
Q: Welcome to New England and congratulations on getting drafted. I wanted to ask you about that visit. What was it like and what were some things you learned about the Patriots, and they learned about you?
TT: I learned a lot of history about the Patriots, man. Just walking around that facility and seeing the pictures and all the greats that walked through that facility. You know, I was very excited just to be there, and I was all at a high and just meeting the coaches and seeing the schemes and everything that they do, it was definitely great.
Q: I just wanted to ask you in Baylor's offense were you mostly playing X, Z? What role in the offense were you playing?
TT: I feel like playing at Baylor they prepared me pretty well. Just running different offenses for the first few years, my freshman and sophomore year and then Coach Brown coming in and bringing in a different offense, you know? I feel like they got me prepared as far as site adjustments and converting the routes as well. I learned all positions, the L to the Z, so I'm not just learning just one position. You've got to learn the whole concept.
Q: I just kind of wanted to ask you about your last season at Baylor. It looked like you made quite a jump, what went in to taking that next step and how do you think your speed will translate the NFL?
TT: I feel like what made the big step was just staying true to the process. At Baylor we talk about pounding the rock. So always hitting at that route, knowing that it's not going to break on the first hit, so just continuing to put that work in day and day out and staying true to the process, then you'll start to see the results.
Q: And obviously you ran a 4:28 at the combine, how do you think that speed is going to translate at the next level?
TT: I think it's going to translate pretty well and just getting in the building and working with the coach and working with the players and just learning new things. So, you know, it's just putting it together with my speed, I'm excited to see.
Q: Where did that speed come from, and have you always been that fast? When did you remember just knowing that you were faster than everybody out there?
TT: So, I was always quite a speedster growing up. I mean, I ran track growing up, so at a young age, I was about 12 I would say. In my first year running track, I won the Junior Olympics with like, I am not going to say much training, but I mean, so I was just naturally fast, but I was kind of like a long strider. So when I got to college, I had speed because I was checked out of high school and just adding the weight room to my game, it allowed me to be a lot more explosive. So like I said, adding to the process, putting in the weight room and everything into it, and I got more explosive and now my speed went to a different level.
Q: How much do you think growing up where you did in Miami helped you elevate your game as a football player?
TT: It helped me elevate my game as a football player a whole lot. Growing up in Miami, there's a lot of adversity going on. There's a lot of things going on outside of you that you can't control. So, I mean, that's basically football. You've got to control what you control, so you've got to come in every day, put your head down and go to work. You just can't worry about what's going on around us.
Q: Just wondering on your initial impressions on Bill Belichick based on some of the conversations you've had with him and your thoughts on getting ready to play for a coach like him?
TT: Oh man. I love him already, man. He's a big process guy. That's all we spoke about at Baylor, staying true to the process and I'm very excited to get to work with him and come in every day and learn my job. I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to compete and learn with the coaches.
Q: Have you heard from Mac Jones yet and what are your impressions you have on him based on what you watched from him while he was at Alabama or last year with the Patriots.
TT: Oh man. I mean, I watched him at some games at Alabama. He's a stud, man. Just knowing that he's a Florida guy, too. He plays at a high level. He's a great quarterback and I'm excited to get to work with him.
Q: I just wanted to ask you when growing up, did you follow the Patriots at all and what does it mean to be drafted by the Patriots organization and what do you think of the Patriots?
TT: I mean, of course I watched the Patriots. Tom Brady. I mean, they won a lot of Super Bowls there and that defense was pretty good. I remember just watching a highlight video of the pick six and them blocking the field gold and returning it for a touchdown and Tom Brady and all those touchdowns and everything. I mean, the Patriots, it's a very historical team. I knew a lot about them, and I was impressed what I thought just being there in New England and just being there where you're in the same hall that Tom Brady once walked through and those other greats that walked through the building. I was very excited to be there.
Q: When did you think you would get drafted?
TT: I really wasn't thinking like when or where exactly, but I mean, I was expecting myself to get drafted on day two.
Q: If you could describe your style of play, how would you describe it?
TT: I would describe it as very versatile, and I'm very coachable. So, you know, just being here at New England, getting ready to work with the coaches, I would love to adjust my style and critic it any way I could and just I'm willing to learn and grow. Definitely.
Q: On your visit, who did you meet with and what was your impression of the coaching staff?
TT: I met with both receiving coaches and we talked a little ball and just meeting different coaches. I met with different coaches, but just meeting with them and talking ball and seeing what type of coaches they are and what kind of people they are as well. We had great conversations and they were cool people, and I was very excited to be there and I'm excited to get to work with you guys too as well.
Q: Do you model your game after anyone specific?
TT: Yes. I try to model my game after Davante Adams. I just love how he creates separation at the top of the route and at the line of scrimmage as well. So I try to mimic that a little bit with my releases and my route running, while adding speed to it.
Q: Why do you think the Patriots saw you as such a fit and why will you fit up here?
TT: Like I said before, man, I'm coming from a program like Baylor University where we stay true to the process. The process is all we know. You've got to know your job and you've got to do your job at a high level, and I feel like that's something that I did the four years that I was at Baylor. So I mean, I'm ready to get there and power of God, definitely.
