An undrafted rookie defensive back who ended up making Patriots roster as a punt returner and wide receiver, Gunner Olszewski was one of the feel-good longshot success stories of 2019 in New England.
Though the former Bemidji State star’s rookie season was cut short after just eight games when he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Olszewski’s competitive nature and fearless play couldn’t be ignored.
A year later, Olszewski is a veteran in Patriots training camp, though he’s still clearly very much fighting for his NFL life as both a returner and receiver. After initially being told he was going to be cut at the end of camp last fall before Bill Belichick reversed course, it’s no surprise that Olszewski still takes nothing for granted and gives it his all on every rep.
“Gunner is a tough kid. Gunner is the type of kid you know you have to compete against Gunner,” Patriots cornerback teammate J.C. Jackson said. “He’s coming at you every play, every snap. He’s going to go 100 percent, even in blocking drills. He’s a dog. He has a dog mentality. I love going against Gunner.”
To say that Olszewski made the Patriots as much for his competitive fire as for his polished skill last fall would probably be fair. After all he was learning the receiver position on the fly. Early in camp this summer though, he looks like a more polished route runner and natural offensive player. Just don’t expect the former DB to admit to any gradual transition to a comfort level at the position.
“I've been a wide receiver ever since I came to the National Football League. So I don't really think of myself as a former defensive player,” Olszewski said in a Wednesday afternoon post-practice video call with the local media. “The second I got here, I was a receiver. The second I got here I felt comfortable doing it because I knew my position changed. I didn't think of myself as a DB. I don't think of myself as a former DB now. Everybody comes into the league as a receiver whether they played it in college or not. I think it's a whole new position for everybody. The standards of playing in the NFL as a receiver is a lot different than college. I think I learned just like everybody else did last year. We're all new receivers in the NFL. And this is our second year as NFL receivers. I don't consider myself more behind or ahead of anybody. I've been a receiver since I've been here, and that's the position I play. Comfortability has always been the same. It's the position I play now.”
He does acknowledge that being in his second year in New England and second NFL training camp has its advantages as he builds on a rookie year that included two catches for 34 yards and a 9.0-yard average on 20 punt returns.
“Year 2's a lot more fun,” Olszewski admitted. “You have an idea of how every day is gonna be. Obviously, being a rookie is tough. Especially our rookies this year, not having a spring portion. I feel good. I know our whole class, our rookie class from last year, we're all talking about it, and we all say Year 2 is a lot more fun. Less thinking and a lot more just playing ball.”
Year 1 or Year 2. DB or WR. Running routes out of the slot or the outside.
One thing will always be a constant for Olszewski. He’s going to compete with everything he has, like a “dog.”
“This is the NFL. Competition is hot every day,” Olszewski concluded.
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