FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots obviously thought highly of cornerback Eric Rowe, as they surrendered a conditional fourth-round draft choice that could become a third-rounder to acquire him from the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6.
Patriots fans haven’t had a chance to see Rowe in action yet, a result of an ankle injury that had him inactive for each of the team’s first four games.
But things are looking up for the 6-foot-1, 205-pound press cornerback who entered the NFL as a 2015 second-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles (47th overall) and could be primed to soon make his debut after coming off the injury report this week.
Looking back, things had soured quickly for him with the Eagles after playing in every game as a rookie (five starts) under then-coach Chip Kelly, before a new regime came in and Rowe dropped quickly on the depth chart.
“I wasn’t happy in Philadelphia anymore,” he said Friday. “I was grateful to be on a 53-man roster, but I didn’t want to just hang around; that’s not what really makes you happy. They could have traded me anywhere and I would have been happy. I just wanted an opportunity, and when I found out it was the Patriots, it was a bonus.”
The 24-year-old Rowe, who grew up in Klein, Texas, shares his “football journey” with ESPN.com as part of a weekly feature:
When he first started playing football: “When I was 6 or 7. I did football, basketball and baseball, my dad threw me into athletics. It was something to do on the weekends.”
First positions in football: “Running back and defensive end -- the ‘fast’ spots.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “My grandfather was a big Colts fan because he’s from Indianapolis, and he got me watching them. So I followed them closely when they had Peyton [Manning], Marvin [Harrison], Reggie [Wayne], Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney. All those big playoffs games against the Patriots, it seemed like every year.”
Favorite memories of Klein High School: “The playoffs my junior year. We were decent, but my junior year we broke out and went on a little streak, all the way to the state [semifinals]. Things skyrocketed for me at that point, too.”
Enrolling at the University of Utah: “I visited [Texas] A&M and TCU, Louisville, Baylor. At the time, most of them weren’t as good as they are now. Utah fit my criteria of being a good academic school and having a good football team, and I also wanted something different than Texas. Then it was a plus that they had an open safety spot at the time.”
Top memories at Utah, where he played safety (2011-2013) and cornerback (2014): “The whole overall college experience, the friendships you make, and the football games. There was one game, in 2012 against BYU, which is a huge rivalry. Everyone thought the game was over, so the crowd rushed the field. But there was still 1 second left, so they had to clear everyone off, and they had a chance to kick a field goal [51 yards] to force overtime. We blocked the kick, but there was a penalty for the crowd -- which was already on the sideline -- rushing the field. So it moved the field goal a 36-yard attempt and it hit the pole [left upright].”
Expectations entering the 2015 NFL draft: “At first, I wasn’t high up there like Marcus Peters or Trae Waynes, but going through the process -- after the Senior Bowl and combine -- it started to change and put me closer to the top.”
Selected in the second round by the Eagles: “Rookie year, you’re just trying to figure out how the NFL works and trying to get used to the tempo and life of it. I felt like it went great. I was just special teams and then in the second half of the season, I got in [on defense] and realized how to be a starter. The offseason was cool, but then a whole new coaching staff came in and it was almost like starting over. They want their guys, so I found out the business side of it.”
His favorite part about football: “The competitive part. If you make a good play -- a hit, a pick, a forced fumble -- and all your teammates get excited with you, that’s the best part. Just feeling that adrenaline; I don’t know if you can get that sitting in a cubicle.”
Role models growing up: “My parents [Nelson and Denise], they got me on the right path, doing well in school and that carried over to working hard in practice. A couple of my college coaches would push me, too -- Morgan Scalley and Sharrieff Shah.”
Summing up his football journey: “I wouldn’t really believe it that I would be with the Patriots, playing for [Bill] Belichick and [Tom] Brady, Hall of Fame guys. From 6 years old to now, there have been ups and downs, but I’m still on a good path, a good road.”