FORMER FSU STAR RICHARD MEDLIN ENJOYING THE NFL EXPERIENCE

Exuding confidence but staying humble, Medlin trying to stay within himself as he works out for Patriots

BY ALEX PODLOGAR
FSU Sports Information

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Quietly confident but exuding humility, Richard Medlin was minding his own business as he prepared for one of his first practices last week with the New England Patriots.

Players milled about the swanky locker room, professionalism mixed with anxiety. It is a emotional stew that simmers as a crowded clubhouse of nearly 100 players – only half of whom will eventually make the team just days before the regular season kicks off – readied themselves to try to show their worth to a coaching staff and front office led by the legendary Bill Belichick.

Medlin, a star running back and kick returner at Fayetteville State who was named the CIAA’s top special teams player in 2008, mostly kept to himself, a rookie knowing his place in the Patriots’ pecking order. That’s when a tall man with a shaggy haircut appeared in front of Medlin’s locker room.

“Hey, man, what’s your name?” the broad-shouldered guy asked the rookie.

“Richard Medlin.”

“Nice to meet you, Richard,” came the replay. “I’m Tom.”

**

Medlin is in a crowded backfield. He knows that. New England drafted two running backs, one in the second round and one in the third round, back in April. They have former Division-II star Danny Woodhead back in camp. They signed back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. They also brought in the ageless Kevin Faulk and equally ageless Sammy Morris.

But Medlin isn’t allowing himself to think about the odds. He signed an undrafted free agent contract on Aug. 3 and set about trying to impress anybody he can.

“I can’t worry about that kind of stuff,” he says by telephone after Friday’s practice. “If I do that, it will get in the way of what I’m trying to do. I’m focusing on getting better and learning the offense so I can do the best I can. If do anything other than that, then I’m not playing my game.”

So far, it’s working.

Medlin saw extended playing time in the Patriots’ first preseason game on Thursday, rushing 14 times for 54 yards and two touchdowns. His first carry as an NFL running back went for a 2-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter of New England’s 47-12 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium.

Medlin rushed six straight times on New England’s next series, picking up all 31 yards in the drive that began with a Patriots’ interception and ended with another 2-yard dive into the end zone. Two plays earlier, Medlin ripped off an impressive 17-yard run on third-and-3 to keep the drive going.

On the next series, he rushed seven straight times as the Pats ran out the clock to end the game.

Eighteen hours later, Medlin still couldn’t find a way to describe the emotions of his NFL debut.

“I can’t put it into words,” he says. “There’s just no way. I mean, it’s just something you have to experience to understand. It’s amazing.”

**

It’s the standard cliché, but it’s a way of life for Richard Medlin. One day at a time.

He can describe his schedule simply, and succinctly.

“Wake up, go to meetings, practice, go to meetings and learn,” he says. “Learn. Learn Learn. Learning all you can.”

It’s a different world in Foxborough. Maybe the town isn’t that big, and perhaps it compares somewhat to Fayetteville. But Foxborough is the NFL. All the time.

“I mean, we have 18,000 people show up to watch us practice,” says Medlin. “It’s crazy. The fans here — they’re just bananas.”

And faithful. And knowledgeable. Already.

“Some of them are yelling my name. How do they know my name?”

**

Far away from his hometown of Raleigh, Medlin is accommodating himself well in the NFL sphere of influence. He’s making connections, at the very least, and trying his best to take advantage of the opportunity given him.

At the same time, he’s making sure to relish the experience. And to show that he feels like he belongs.

“I always envisioned myself playing in the NFL,” he says. “My faith carries me, and I’ve had to believe it. If you can envision it, if you can see it, you can achieve it. I always saw myself playing in the NFL.”

But that confidence comes with a side of humble pie. But that’s just the Patriot Way, it seems. And Medlin fits right in.

“You have to be confident in yourself,” he says,” but you have to humble, too. Everybody here is humble.”

Take All-Pro star quarterback Tom Brady, for example.

“I mean, that’s Tom Brady. Everybody knows who he is. And he comes up to me and asks my name, where I’m from and just says, ‘I’m Tom.’ It’s unbelievable.”

**

But it is believable, and not just for Medlin. Fayetteville State head football coach Kenny Phillips isn’t surprised one bit where Medlin is today.

“The thing about Richard is that he is a tireless worker who never quits,” says Phillips. “Getting to the next level is all about the work you put in and what you do with your opportunities. That’s who Richard is. He’s always put in the extra effort and done everything he’s needed to do to get to that next level.”

And Medlin isn’t letting the bright lights blind him. He may not be able to answer his cell phone every time it rings or answer every text, but he’s hearing the voice mail and reading the texts, many of which are coming from Fayetteville and the FSU campus.

“I appreciate the people so much,” he says. “I can feel all of the love and support they’re giving me. I know a lot of them are wishing me well, and all I can say is thank you. The phone calls, the texts — they’re all letting me know they’re still thinking about me. I’m truly blessed.”