Most New England Patriots players probably can safely assume that football isn’t rocket science, but only one knows for sure.
Offensive tackle Cameron Fleming majored in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford, where he’ll graduate next month. But since Fleming, at 6-foot-5, 323 pounds, is an inch too tall to be an astronaut, he’ll give this football thing a try for now.
Fleming wouldn’t decide whether football or rocket science is more difficult when asked after being selected 140th overall by the Patriots in the 2014 NFL draft.
“I don’t think either one is harder than the other one,” Fleming said Saturday during a conference call with the media. “If I was going to go down that path, then I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to try to be the best rocket scientist. I can’t be an astronaut; I’m too tall. I’m actually an inch too tall. But if I was going to go down that route, I would have given it my all. Now I’m going down the NFL route and playing with the Patriots, and I’m just going to give it my all. I don’t think there’s any one that’s more difficult than the other.”
Fleming will have a lot to discuss with Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who majored in aeronautical engineering at RPI.
“We’d probably just nerd out a little bit,” Fleming said. “Talk about whatever new planes — I’m a big plane guy. The astronautics I like a lot, but I’m more interested in planes and jet planes and things like. If he’s into that, we can just talk all day.”
Fleming was hosted by Patriots offensive tackle Marcus Cannon when he visited TCU out of high school, so there will be some familiarity for the big man in the New England locker room.
