FOXBORO, Mass. -- In addition to being among the NFL's top centers, David Andrews is one of the foremost leaders on the New England Patriots. Voted a co-captain the last five seasons, Andrews also has been a key contributor on two Super Bowl-winning teams.
But how has he done it? How has a player who went undrafted in 2015 become such an important piece both on and off the field for the Patriots?
Well, it all goes back to a rookie season filled with hard lessons that Andrews hopes to pay forward. The 29-year-old shared one Wednesday during a press conference at Gillette Stadium.
"Sometimes, when you win games are the hardest Mondays to come in here," Andrews said. " ... That's something I've learned here in my time, is nothing's ever good enough ... gotta always try to be better, no matter what."
That mentality was drilled into Andrews by a pair of former Patriots offensive linemen, both of whom played in New England from 2009 through 2015.
"I tried to soak up as much as I could from different guys," Andrews said Wednesday. "Ryan Wendell was really hard on me my rookie year. There was times he made me lead a film study and I didn't know what was going on most of the time, just trying to figure it out as a rookie. Had Tom (Brady) telling me different things; Ryan getting on me about different things. Obviously, playing next to Shaq (Mason) as a rookie and, sometimes, Tre' Jackson. So, there was a lot of different things going on.
"Ryan was really hard on me. (Sebastian Vollmer) was really hard on me with my communication and getting stuff communicated to him. I know they weren't trying to be jerks; they were trying to get me ready and trying to get me to step and do the best I could do. ... I'm grateful for that because they could've just, you know, let me pass on by. But they challenged me and challenged me to be the best I could and, at a young age, try to be the best of a leader as I could be."
Andrews nearly left the Patriots during the offseason as a free agent, but the Georgia product wound up signing a four-year contract to stay in New England. His desire to help turn things around for the Patriots after the disappointing 2020 campaign was a major factor in Andrews' decision to return.
The seventh-year pro once again is serving as an excellent, stabilizing force on the Patriots offensive line. He also has resumed being a vocal leader for younger players, most notably rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
And you can bet that Andrews isn't shy about being tough on any of them, including the new face of the franchise.
"I think if you just make it easy on them all the time ... it's not easy, it's stressful in the games and it's stressful at times," Andrews said. "And it's stressful out there when you can't communicate and you gotta know what to do. I think that's what (Wendell and Vollmer) were trying to get me to learn. I still think that's really important. Do you answer? Do you rise to the occasion? Or do you kinda crumble and get frustrated and lay down? How are you gonna respond to a moment of stress?
" ... I can remember sitting in the O-line room and Ryan Wendell's grilling me about a team we're playing in preseason and their blitz package. And we hadn't even really put in a gameplan yet. And I'm like, 'I don't know, how I'm supposed to (know)?' He's like, 'Well, you should've film studied this, you should've done this, you should've done that.' And, you know, that was the last time I let that happen. So, I think there's something to that. ... It's just kind of how I remember those guys."
Wendell now works for the rival Buffalo Bills as an assistant offensive line coach, a position he has held since 2019.
"I think I could've probably guessed that my rookie year," Andrews said of his former teammate.
Could Andrews, a player who has "future coach" written all over him, follow a similar path? Don't be surprised if you see him back on a sideline once his playing days are over.
"I don't know what else I would do at this point now," Andrews said. "I love this game a lot and it's been really good to me. I can't imagine one day just not being any part of this game. ... Since I was in first grade that's all I've really ever done. So, I don't know, we'll have to see.
"At some level, I'd have to be involved, I think. I just don't think I could go to bed at night."
