James Develin’s playing career is over. But he’s not about to leave the game of football behind.
The now-former New England Patriots fullback said Tuesday in a video conference he’s considering a coaching job and a non-playing role in the Patriots organization as he plots out the next phase of his career.
Develin announced his retirement from the NFL one day earlier, citing “unforeseen complications” from a neck injury that ended his 2019 season.
“I’m considering any kind of possibility that comes my way,” the 31-year-old said. “It would be an honor to continue to provide support for the (Patriots), albeit in a different way. I have an innate sense in me that I have to give back to this game that gave me so much, so any kind of capacity that I can do that in is something I’d be interested in doing.”
Develin got a taste of coaching life this past season. Though he landed on injured reserve after Week 2, he remained closely involved with the team, traveling to road games and providing insight and assistance to head coach Bill Belichick and his staff.
Belichick lauded Develin’s contributions, saying in December he “can’t say enough about how much (Develin and injured center David Andrews have) added to our football team and to many of the individual players that they interact with — not just the ones at their position, but other players on the team at other positions.”
More Patriots: How James Develin’s Retirement Affects New England Offense
Develin also has experience in all three phases of the game, having played on the defensive line in college at Brown.
“I think I’d definitely consider (coaching),” he said. “Like I said before, I have this feeling like I have to give back to the game, because it gave me so much. I’ve been playing for 25 years, and I know a lot about the game. I’ve been through a lot of experiences within the game, so I think that there’s a certain level of knowledge that I have that I could pass on to the next generation of players, wherever that may be.
“So it was funny to get that experience at the tail end of my career and be able to kind of view it from (a standpoint of) not really being able to perform on the field but being able to pass along information and have that person that I’m passing it along to perform. It was a different type of feeling of pride. It wasn’t like I was personally doing it, but I was helping someone else. Being able to help people in general is always something that I look onto fondly, so being able to do that and also contribute to the game of football, it’s definitely something I’m considering.”
Develin was extremely well-respected by his coaches and teammates, as evidence by the avalanche of praise and well-wishes that followed his retirement announcement. In a team statement, Belichick called Develin “one of the most appreciated and respected players we have ever had.” Numerous current and former Patriots players shared their congratulations on social media.
“It was incredibly humbling, man,” Develin said. “The reason that I played this game was not only to provide for my family but for my teammates. They’re my family away from my own family, and I have the highest respect for everyone that I’ve ever shared a locker room with. So to see that kind of respect reflected (Monday), it was awesome. It was an emotional day seeing all that stuff and kind of being nostalgic all day and just returning the respects that were given to me.
“It’s awesome, man. It’s really a cool feeling to see the appreciation and love.”
Develin won three Super Bowls and played in another during his Patriots tenure, which began in 2012. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2017 and was recognized as the fullback on the Patriots’ All-Decade Team for the 2010s, which will be unveiled Wednesday.
