The idea for most college football players is to get selected in the NFL Draft. That wasn't necessarily the focus of Brian Lewerke.
By sliding through all seven rounds the former Michigan State quarterback was able to pick his place of potential employment, landing with the Patriots. It allowed Lewerke to engage in legitimate competition for the Pats' No. 3 QB spot with fellow rookie free agent J'Mar Smith.
It is a reality reinforced by Lewerke's quarterback coach Mike Giovando.
"I'm not disappointed that he's a free agent and didn't get drafted," Giovando told The Detroit News. "And he's the same way. He's happy he's got a chance.
"He's a great quarterback who's gonna learn his playbook, and I think there are going to be some other things they're going to see that they like. And when they get him out there and watch him throw it, they're gonna be like, 'He can spin it. He can spin it.' He can throw it and he can move it around the field. And when he gets in a game, he's kind of a gamer, man. When he gets in the game and chips are on the line and when he's healthy and feeling he's tough to deal with. He's a good player, a really good player."
Giovando's comments come after University of Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown sang the praises of Lewerke in Andy Hart's WEEI.com piece recently
After a promising sophomore season, Lewerke battled through a shoulder injury in his junior year before underperforming in his third year of starting for Michigan State. The way Giovando looks at it, the adversity the quarterback has faced throughout his career with the Spartans will prepare him well for what lies ahead.
"I've always liked his demeanor," Giovando said in The Detroit News story. "I've always liked his personality and he's just got a way of you can tell that things don't bother him. He's athletic, you know, a really, really good athlete, and I think that he's super intelligent. He's a smart guy that understands football really well. He gets it and he's got all those intangibles and the leadership ability, and he can throw the football, man. He's can make the throws. There's not a throw he really can't make. He has a strong arm and he does a lot of things really, really, really well."
