FOXBORO, Mass. — When Stephon Gilmore got out to a slow start after signing a massive five-year, $65 million contract this March, the situation could have turned ugly fast for the New England Patriots cornerback. Just ask former high-priced Boston Red Sox signings Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Pablo Sandoval.
Boston is known to be a tough market for athletes. There’s a horde of media members jockeying for attention, and the loudest and most controversial and negative voices tend to win it. So, when communication issues in the Patriots’ defense tended to center around Gilmore through the first four weeks of the season, the hot takers were demanding Gilmore be released, traded, tarred and feathered, sent to prison, guillotined, maybe worse?
Gilmore could have reacted poorly. He could have retaliated with the same hostility and negativity media members showed him. Even some of the most mature athletes would have clammed up or shown obvious contempt when talking to reporters in the locker room, Gilmore didn’t.
“People are going to talk all the time,” Gilmore told NESN.com. “I just really try not to focus on that. I just focus on what I gotta do to get better and just take it to the practice fields and work on my game. I really don’t try to really focus on what the people say or think.”
He stood at this locker after wins and losses and owned up to mistakes. He’s the same person after four consecutive impressive performances as he was through the first four weeks of the season, when he was being blamed for the Patriots starting the season 2-2.
Typically Patriots players don’t have much of an issue with reporters. The team is so good, there’s not as much heat on Patriots as other Boston athletes. Gilmore was the rare case of a player coming to Foxboro, signing a massive contract and appearing as if he wouldn’t live up to his lofty expectations.
Of course, the fact Gilmore turned his season around helped keep his time in New England from turning contentious. He played well in Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers then missed the Patriots’ next three games with a concussion. But he came off the injury stronger than ever and has allowed just 32.5 yards per game with a 48.6 passer rating allowed. That he was able to bounce back, through the increased attention, is impressive on its own.
“I’ve been playing this game for a long time, so I’ve heard it all,” Gilmore said. “Nothing nobody can say can affect the way I am and the way I’m going to try to prepare for the game and work hard for the game. I’ve just always been that way. Just kind of go out and prove myself and help my team win.”
Though Gilmore didn’t react poorly, other Patriots players were more aggressive in defending him. One of Gilmore’s fellow defensive backs cursed out reporters after he told Gilmore he didn’t have to talk to the media. Other players on the roster loudly voiced their support for Gilmore early in the season while he was talking to scrums of reporters.
“I don’t pay attention to it, because the only thing that matters really is the coaches and the players and how we feel as a team. You can’t really let what other people say affect how you play. If you do, you won’t last long.”
It was clear Gilmore had full support from his teammates when they could have thrown him under the bus.
“I wasn’t overly worried about anything during the season because I knew inside that locker room he knew that every guy had his back, and we were going out there as a group,” safety Devin McCourty said.
“I think you can easily find yourself thinking of yourself as an individual when you read too much of the stuff that you guys write. No offense but when you single a guy out and it’s like he’s out there by himself, but that’s just not the case. We’re a group and I always see that, especially in the secondary.”
“Ignore the noise” is a cliche around New England, but it truly seems Gilmore can do just that. And that’s why he was able to work through his struggles, turn his season around and silence his doubters.
