FOXBORO, Mass. — Shortly after Josh Augusta signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent, we shared with you some highlights of him playing wide receiver as a 320-pound high schooler (yes, you read that right).
What was it like lining up against teenaged cornerbacks half his size? According to Augusta, it was a whole lot of fun.
“Oh man,” Augusta said Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, smiling ear to ear. “In my head, I was like, ‘I’m (going to) surprise them. They don’t think I can move.’ So I just surprised them.”
That he did. Augusta’s film from Peoria High School shows him rampaging through opposing secondaries, evading helpless defenders as often as he bulldozed through them.
Augusta also saw time at running back and even returned some kicks for Peoria, but his play on the defensive line was what earned him a scholarship to Missouri. He was an immediate contributor for the Tigers’ defense as a freshman and stayed on that side of the ball until his senior year, when he began to moonlight as a short-yardage fullback.
He carried the ball 10 times in his final collegiate season, gaining 15 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
“When I was in high school, I played both ways,” Augusta said. “I played D-end, D-tackle. I just played wide receiver just to show scouts that I’m athletic. So I came to Missouri and played defensive tackle. New coaches came in last year and said, ‘Let’s try him at fullback in short yardage.’ So they gave me that.”
Augusta weighed in at 390 pounds last season, but he said he’s now back down to 347, thanks in part to a decision to eliminate fast food and late-night eating from his diet. He’s also taken steps to keep his sleep apnea and asthma under control.
“I feel faster,” Augusta said. “My breathing is getting better just because I dropped the weight. So I’m just going to stay on track, and hopefully everything still goes right.”
If Augusta makes the Patriots’ 53-man roster, it will be as a defensive tackle. But while he knows his days of splitting out wide are over, he still believes he can contribute on the offensive side of the ball, as well.
“Probably fullback,” he said. “Probably not wide receiver in the NFL, but fullback. I’m just trying to get in better shape, losing more weight and hopefully they can do that for me.”
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been known to deploy defensive linemen as lead blockers in goal-line situations, so Augusta just might get his wish.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
