He doesn’t want to be noticed, and he probably wouldn’t mind it if Patriots fans continuously mispronounced his name (it's "kuh-TOO-la" if you're curious). As the team's new long snapper, Katula just wants to fall in line.
"I kind of just focus on my job, and my job is to make their jobs easier," Katula said. "I should be unnoticed. Hopefully, after this, I don’t have to talk to you guys much anymore. That’s kind of the goal."
Katula, who signed a two-year contract with the Patriots, was surrounded by a sizable media contingent Wednesday. After all, his position was glorified in New England — maybe more than most places — due to Lonie Paxton's long-standing excellence from 2000-08.
And then, Katula was signed this week to replace second-year long snapper Jake Ingram, whose flawless rookie season was washed away by a tumultuous last month when he developed a surprising case of the yips.
Katula, a Wisconsin product, played every game with the Ravens from 2005-09 before getting released in August. He said he stayed sharp by snapping three to four days per week, and he worked out with a personal trainer in the Baltimore area. Now, he can put that regimen on the back burner.
"I'm extremely excited," Katula said. "You can only watch so much football, having played it and when you're not really ready to be done."
