FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have had several draft picks emerge as top contributors who were never invited to the NFL combine, a group including receiver Julian Edelman, offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer and safety Duron Harmon.
Rookie offensive lineman Ted Karras could be on his way to adding his name to the list.
“It wasn’t the greatest feeling to be left out,” Karras said with a smile this week. “But I had a plan and stuck to it, and was fortunate enough to be in the situation I am now.”
Karras, out of the University of Illinois, was selected in the sixth round (221st overall) after catching the eye of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia at his pro day and playing in the East-West Shrine Game.
Scarnecchia later said that Karras’ size (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) and physicality were traits that the Patriots liked, and his intangibles also were high.
“He’s a unique kid in a lot of ways,” Scarnecchia said in the weeks after the Patriots drafted Karras. “Unbelievable work ethic, really a good person [and] very, very tough. Not as athletic as some, but he’s smart and always going to be in the right position.”
Karras’ primary position is right guard, but he also has experience at center. His family’s history in football is well documented, as his great uncle, Alex, was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Detroit Lions before going on to a successful acting career.
Karras, 23, shares his “football journey” with ESPN.com:
When he first started playing football: “Third grade. I tried a bunch of other sports and nothing really caught my attention. I always wanted to play [football] and my mom finally let me, maybe a bit too soon as an 8-year-old.”
First position: “Nose tackle.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “The Chicago Bears and Olin Kreutz. He had a unique name, and as a lineman as a kid, you find one that you like. He was a really good player.”
Role models growing up: “My dad [Ted Jr.] and grandpa [Ted], a lot of the males in my family. I’ve also had a lot of great coaches. I was very fortunate. My high school coach, Mic Roessler, was a big influence on me -- I played up on varsity as a sophomore and he kind of taught me what it was like [to play] up until that point what I thought was big-boy football. He really turned me into a pretty aggressive player.”
Top memories at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis: “I have five of my high school teammates who flew in [Thursday] night to see the game. We won two state championships; I still talk about my high school a lot; we won eight out of 10 state championships. It’s a great school. I didn’t know much about Indianapolis when I moved there, and through our church there were two Catholic schools [to choose] -- it was Cathedral or Bishop Chatard, where the Martins went [NFL players Zack and Nick].”
Enrolling at University of Illinois: “It was two hours away from Indy and I knew I wanted to play in the Big Ten. I only had one other offer, Indiana. My mom is an Illinois alum and I just really liked Coach [Ron] Zook when I showed up. I think I committed in like an hour.”
Top football memories at Illinois: “Beating Minnesota when they were ranked 16th, at home, our homecoming [in 2014]. That was probably our biggest win. Or Nebraska our senior year. We did what we could at Illinois.”
Drafted in sixth round by Patriots (221st overall): “I was really hoping to be drafted but I didn’t know going into the day. It was crazy, we had about 40 people at the house, family and friends. Regardless of what happened, we were going to enjoy the day. Then to be drafted by the Patriots, it was great. … It’s been really fun, to live your dream out every day and play in the NFL.”
Carrying on his family football tradition: “That is a big deal to me. My grandpa died in January, so he didn’t get to see, but I thought it was cool when we played the Bears [in the preseason] because he had played for them for six years. I knew he was looking out.”
What he loves about the game of football: “I like the team aspect. I think it’s the greatest team game. And I love the fact that you have to physically sacrifice yourself for the team, I think that’s a really cool aspect that instills values in you that no other sport did, at least for me.”
Summing up his football journey: “Very blessed. I always just try to enjoy the day. To continue to be wanted on a team is an honor to me, and I just try to go hard every day.”