One little big man
Danny Amendola may be small by NFL standards, but that hasn’t stopped the Patriots’ wideout from making a big impact
The Woodlands’ Danny Amendola does it all for the high and mighty Patriots.
The backyard became an important proving ground for Danny Amendola while growing up in The Woodlands, his hometown where he intently honed a talent and skill elusive to many football players.
Always undersized and known as the perpetual little brother whether that was his actual brother, Matt, or figuratively when he was dubbed Wes Welker Jr. at Texas Tech, the surehanded future New England Patriots wide receiver remained determined to do whatever it took to catch a pass.
If that meant avoiding, running through, or over bushes, parked cars or absorbing punishment from bigger athletes during an actual game, Amendola shrugged off the rigors of the sport and embraced a constant quest for self-improvement.
“Danny always had one speed, always full speed because he loves to compete and loves to play games,” said his father, Willie Amendola. “He has a great passion for all sports. He always had that competitive nature and a great passion.
“To develop his catching to the point of concentrating and perfecting it, that’s when it becomes an art form. He’s always had great hand-eye coordination. Growing up, he enjoyed mundane drills. That has helped him develop whether catching around trees or fenders or bushes around the house. He always found a way.”
Amendola’s path has propelled him to yet another Super Bowl next Sunday in Minnesota against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Game-winning grab
As successful as he has been at every stage of his career, there have been few moments bigger than his dramatic game-winning touchdown catch in a comeback AFC championship game victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend.
Amendola made an acrobatic leaping catch in the back of the end zone while tapping his right foot and left foot inbounds for the second of two TD passes thrown to him by Tom Brady.
“It’s a lot about preparation, circumstance, opportunity, being ready and no fear,” Amendola told New England reporters this week. “Just get out there and get it done. That’s what we’re all about in this building.”
It was a signature clutch moment for Amendola, who has been an electric performer this postseason with 18 receptions for 196 yards and two scores on 22 targets, helping make up for the absence of Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski due to injuries.
“He’s made so many big catches,” Brady said. “I’m always looking for him at some point. I mean, he’s a big part of what we do, so he’s never not part of what we’re doing.”
The latest round of dynamic catches from Amendola didn’t come as a surprise to those who know Amendola best.
Washington State coach Mike Leach coached Amendola in Lubbock and witnessed firsthand the trademark intensity of a player determined to do whatever it took to get the job done.
“Danny always had a lot of energy, always intense, but a fun intense, not a ‘Lighten up, Francis’ intense,” Leach said. “Out of all of the players I’ve coached, he would lock into exactly what you told him and he would just literally fight through people, handto-hand combat, bayonet style to get to the ball.
“Maybe the greatest catch I ever saw him make was when we came back to beat Oklahoma and we had to score on the last drive. It was fourth down and some people were in his way. The ball was high and getting to it was impossible, but he got his fingertips on it and brought down the ball and it was entirely contested and he comes down with that sucker. Unbelievable.”
It took awhile for the NFL to believe in Amendola. He started as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys and spent time on the Eagles’ practice squad before making a name for himself with the St. Louis Rams to earn a five-year, $28.5 million free-agent contract with the Patriots.
During the Patriots’ win over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional round, Amendola caught 11 passes for 112 yards. He continued that production against the Jaguars. He leads the Patriots in every receiving category in the playoffs this year.
“When you look up ‘good football player’ in the dictionary, his picture is right there beside it,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “It doesn’t matter what it is — fielding punts, third down, big play, red area, onside kick recovery — whatever we need him to do.”
Sizing him up
Listed at 5-11, 186 pounds, Amendola has acknowledged he’s actually 5-10, 180 pounds.
He was much smaller as a 138-pound high school sophomore looking to prove himself in competitions with his brother and older boys. He wound up making the varsity squad as a wide receiver and safety.
“He was about a buck under 140 pounds in 10th grade, but he always has been really competitive with his older brother,” said his father, who’s heading to Minnesota to watch his son compete in Super Bowl LII. “Being the younger brother, he understood that size doesn’t matter. He’s always been a little undersized, but he’s never let that affect him.”
Amendola always had an irrepressible spirit. It was difficult to get him to sleep. He once jumped off a doorway over a bed and slammed his head through the headboard without even batting an eye.
As a baseball player, Amendola was overly aggressive and loved running over the catcher. He never wanted to slide, and he could always catch the football better than anyone else on his high school teams.
“When Danny first got here in junior high, he was kind of small and not impressive from a physical standpoint, but he could catch a football whether it be with one hand or a poorly thrown ball he had to dive for or elevate himself,” The Woodlands coach Mark Schmid said. “As a seventh grader, we knew he was pretty special in terms of being able to catch a football or make an adjustment. It’s an art, but he always had that natural ability.
“When I was watching them beat the Jaguars with my wife and Danny makes that catch, we were all excited about that because we know the impact of that play. Were we surprised he made that? No, not at all. Danny has always been the same. He’s quiet. He’s never been a guy who wanted to draw attention to himself. He’s a humble, very nice young man. You see him walking down the street and you wouldn’t know he’s a very big-time receiver.”
As a senior at Texas Tech, Amendola caught 103 passes for 1,177 yards to finish his college career with 204 catches for 2,246 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The comparisons to Welker, a Texans assistant coach and gritty former Patriots Pro Bowl slot receiver, in college were inevitable.
“Danny was a great example, and I do bring him up quite a lot,” Leach said. “Part of it is he’s just utterly fearless, one of the most fearless guys I’ve ever coached. He doesn’t put limitations on himself. He always gave himself a chance the way Wes did.”
He got overshadowed, though, by freshman wide receiver and Biletnikoff award winner Michael Crabtree, who led the nation with 125 catches for 1,861 yards. Nothing has fazed Amendola, though.
“I just love playing the game,” Amendola said years ago. “I learned it from my father, and he taught me to play every play as hard as you can. I’m not the biggest dude, and I’m not the fastest dude, but I feel like I can play this game.”
Indeed, he can. Amendola won his second Super Bowl title last season, playing a big part in the greatest comeback and first overtime win in Super Bowl history. Amendola helped the Patriots recover from a 28-3 deficit.
His two-point conversion tied the game in regulation. He also caught a 20-yard pass from Brady in regulation to move the Patriots down to the Falcons’ 21-yard line prior to the two-minute warning. In that big game, Amendola delivered eight catches for 78 yards and one touchdown. That score in the fourth quarter brought the Patriots to within eight points of tying the game.
A hometown favorite
Whether it was leading The Woodlands to the Class 5A state title game at Rice Stadium or becoming a pivotal figure in the Patriots’ growing dynasty, Amendola has consistently made an impact.
The timing Amendola has built with Brady and his accomplishments continue to resonate in his hometown.
“We’re so excited for Danny and so happy he’s been able to do so many great things and do what he truly loves to do and have all the success he’s having,” Schmid said. “We’re in constant contact with him. To be able to perform at the highest level of his field and still reach out and have that connection to his high school coaches is pretty special. Whenever he’s been back in Texas, he swings by the high school and visits with us.
“When he was here, he wasn’t the biggest or the fastest or the strongest, but his attitude was always that he was going to run great routes and catch any ball in his vicinity. He always found a way to make everything a competition in every drill. That’s what he’s like today. It’s his attitude that sets him apart.”