Greg Scruggs’ first few mornings with the New England Patriots were a little rough.
The tight end didn’t immediately have a key card to the Patriots’ facility after signing Saturday, so he’d have to wait for a fellow player to let him into the building when he’d walk over from a hotel in Patriot Place at 6 a.m. before he could dive into his new offensive playbook.
“I’m usually here a lot earlier than people, so I kind of had to sit at the front and wait for someone to come help me in. I think it was Sebastian (Vollmer), so that was pretty cool. …
“I try to get here as soon as I wake up, so 6 something, and I’ll stay until — last night I left at 9:20, in the middle of the vice presidential debate. I put in as much time as I have to to be ready and be prepared. That’s why I like coming to an organization like this, because it’s right along the lines of the way I like to prepare.”
Scruggs signed with the Patriots after working out with the team earlier in the week. He said he never left the area before signing his contract.
Scruggs began his NFL career as a defensive lineman before converting to tight end with the Chicago Bears this summer. He has only worked at one position with the Patriots.
“I worked out at tight end,” Scruggs said. “That was pretty much what it was. That’s why I am where I am. If I make the move to defense, I’m going to request a workout there first, make sure I still got it. Just tight end. That’s where all my work has been.”
Scruggs only has been with the Patriots for five days, but they’ve already made an impact on his life.
“The only thing I can say personally is when I leave here, I’ll be able to prepare much better, not only as a football player but in life,” Scruggs said.
“The little things, always details, always trying to figure out how to do things, how to do your job. The attention to detail and the requirement out of us to have attention to detail to our work, which should be a standard requirement of life. The emphasis on it here is something that stands out so far.”
Thumbnail photo via Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports Images
