PATRIOTS ROOKIE RB STRONG
As the fastest running back at the NFL’s Scouting Combine, it’s easy to think Pierre Strong’s greatest asset is speed.
While the 4.37 he ran in the 40-yard dash will certainly come in handy in the pros, he actually has another significant attribute that figures to propel him to greater heights.
What could be better than speed? The size of the chip on his shoulder.
Strong wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. He had no offers and little interest from any prominent schools.
No matter. The Patriots fourth-round pick has used that slight to drive him.
Charles Davis, an analyst for NFL on CBS, who also does draft analysis for NFL Network, brought up Strong’s back story and believes the giant-sized chip has served him well during his college career.
In his senior year alone, Strong rushed for 1,686 yards on 240 carries with 18 touchdowns.
“He’s from Arkansas, and none of the Arkansas schools gave him a look. Not Arkansas. Not Arkansas State. Any of them. That’s how he wound up at South Dakota State,” said Davis. “He went there, and just kept getting better and better along the way.
“So he’s a high-volume runner with something to prove, and the way New England rolls running backs, he’ll have an opportunity.”
Andre Crenshaw, Strong’s running backs coach at South Dakota State, also mentioned the chip prominently. It was the first thing that came to mind when asked what strikes him most about Strong as a player.
“Coming out of high school, he wasn’t highly recruited and then coming out of college, people think because he played at the FCS level, he doesn’t have the talent level to play at a high level,” said Crenshaw. “So he’s always had that chip. His thought process is to continue to prove people wrong.
“He has the want-to, and the willingness to work as hard as he can until he gets everything out of every opportunity he has. That’s kind of his upside in what drives him to be as good as he was for us.”
Plenty of great athletes have been motivated by the belief they were treated or
judged unfairly along the road. It can be a powerful tool. Tom Brady still uses the slight of being taken in the sixth round of the NFL draft as a motivator.
Along with not getting any attention coming out of high school, Strong didn’t get an invite to the Senior Bowl, so that adds to the size of the chip.
Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, however, said he regretted not inviting Strong to Mobile, Ala., for the yearly showcase of college talent.
“I think Pierre Strong is a good player. I think he’ll factor into the mix, and if I regretted not inviting one player to the Senior
Bowl this year, it’s probably Pierre. I really liked him,” Nagy said when reached by the Herald. “You can go back in the fall, I was posting about him in September.
“And there was just enough hesitation leaguewide — I don’t think the league saw him running the way he ran (at the NFL Combine). So there was some trepidation there. When I vetted Pierre out to the league, everyone was mostly (saying) mid- to lateDay 3 for him. And now, this was before the combine where he ran 4.3. But there just wasn’t a lot of love.”
He got it at South Dakota State, where he thrived, receiving first-team FCS AllAmerican
and All MVFC honors in 2021.
Crenshaw said given Strong’s mindset, there wouldn’t be any need for Bill Belichick to push him to work, study, or do whatever’s necessary to succeed in the NFL.
“He’s going to drive himself,” said Crenshaw. “He’s going to figure out everything he can to will himself to be great.”
That all sounds good. But where does Strong fit in? How can he crack a lineup of backs that features Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and James White?
Given his ability to run the ball, serve as a reliable pass-catcher coming out of the backfield, not to mention throw the ball on occasion, the Patriots are sure to find a way to utilize the back, who was in Foxboro this week for rookie minicamp.
Initially, the Patriots might try using either Strong or J.J. Taylor in the third-down back role if White isn’t quite ready at the start of the year, coming back from the major hip injury he suffered last year.
If White is healthy and returns to form, or close enough to it at the outset, Strong might have a tougher time jumping in right away.
But given what he brings to the table, Strong should be a nice complementary piece to what the Patriots already have, along with insurance for White.
South Carolina’s Kevin Harris, taken by the Patriots in the sixth round, might also factor in, although he falls more in the Harris, Stevenson mold as a between-the-tackles runner. He’s a power back who also provides depth behind the two lead backs.
Strong, however, has a little more in his bag of tricks.
Eric Galko, the director of football operations and player personnel for the East-West Shrine Bowl, where Strong was a participant, also sounded like a fan.
“His explosiveness as a zone-blocking runner, and his third-down ability makes him a really special player,” Galko said when reached recently. “I’d imagine the Patriots might want to use him as a change-ofpace back … Long-term, he can absolutely be a threedown player in the NFL.”
Crenshaw also didn’t want to pigeonhole Strong as solely a third-down back.
“I think a third-down back is probably the basement for him,” said Crenshaw. “The ceiling for him,