At 10:44 p.m. Thursday, fans of the New England Patriots were offered a respite from the tumult. That’s when Caleb Lomu, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound tackle out of Utah, was announced as the team’s first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
The news came a bit earlier than expected, this because the Patriots moved up to get Lomu, swapping their 31st pick and a fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for the 28th overall. And that was a good thing in this respect: The sooner Pats fans were able to get some good news, the better.
On a day that included the announcement that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel would be taking a day off from the draft on Saturday to seek counseling, as the fallout continues from his relationship with Dianna Russini, Lomu gave the Patriots two things they desperately need.
In terms of the big picture, they need protection for quarterback Drake Maye on the offensive line. The Patriots believe Lomu can help them in this area.
In the short term, though, the Patriots needed to be able to put someone in front of the cameras who could inspire their fans to feel good about the upcoming season. And Lomu did exactly that — not just by the words he spoke but by the manner in which he carried himself when it was announced he was headed to New England.
Lomu didn’t attend the big Draft Night Spectacular in Pittsburgh, which means he wasn’t guided out to the stage for the obligatory hug with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. He instead attended a packed family-and-friends watch party in Arizona, where he grew up. His reaction to being drafted by the Patriots was not to jump around the room and high-five everybody. What he was, was emotional. This was a moment for long hugs and words that appeared to be whispered, not shouted.
He is 21 years old, and this was the biggest moment of his life. And he treated it with solemnity.
What a shocker: A feel-good moment for Pats fans. Lomu gave them that. Lomu also presented himself as upbeat and forward-looking during his first news conference, an online affair. Coming in the aftermath of two awkward news conferences featuring Vrabel, who we hope can make things right with his family, Lomu’s news conference was a friendly, casual icebreaker.
Lomu’s first words as the newest New England Patriot: “I’m doing great, I’m feeling amazing now.” He described being drafted as “… such a surreal feeling, something I’ve been waiting for my entire life. So when it actually happened, it was a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
It’s precisely because this is something Lomu’s been waiting for his entire life that the 21-year-old was spared any questions about the ongoing drama involving Vrabel. All this kid cares about, for now, is that he’s heading to the NFL. Whether he’d been drafted by the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks or the forever-trying-to-figure-things-out New York Jets, Lomu likely would have talked in glowing terms about his new team. But it’s the Patriots who drafted him, and Lomu showed his appreciation.
“Everything I got from them, the meeting with them (at the NFL Scouting Combine) … I got great feelings from them,” Lomu said. “They’re just a great organization. I think personally, I wanted them to always be in the mix; they’re just such an amazing team.
“It’s a place I always wanted to be, and a team I always wanted to play for.” Lomu continued. “Maybe it was just me, wanting them so super bad, once I got that call, it was crazy.”
Lomu did talk about Vrabel, but in that golly-gee, I-can’t-believe-I’m-interacting-with-a-real-live-NFL-head-coach kind of way.
“I loved him,” Lomu said. “I walked in there, and he was definitely playing his role. He was kind of just mean-mugging a little bit, and so I walked in there, and that made me a little intimidated, and he just started asking questions.
“He was getting on me a little bit, and it was awesome,” he said. “And right after, it was all smiles. He came up to me and shook my hand, and said, ‘Really good job.’ … I loved it. He was a very serious guy. He’s an amazing coach. I can’t wait to be able to play for him.”
The Patriots already have Will Campbell (who sent Lomu a congratulatory text) at left tackle. Could Lomu play on the right side, as the eventual successor to the 35-year-old Morgan Moses, or perhaps at right guard? Lomu may only be 21, but he answered that question like a seasoned pro: “I’m so excited for the opportunity. I’ll play wherever. I’m coming in to play some football, the game I love. I’m able to play any position, so wherever the team needs me, I’m going to be able to play. I’m just so excited to be part of it.”
It’ll be a while before it’s business as usual at Gillette Stadium. And who knows, the day may come when Lomu wonders what he got himself into.
That’s all later on. For one night, Caleb Lomu gave Football New England a chance to calm down for a moment, to chill, to breathe.