A professional lacrosse player reportedly is getting a shot to earn a New England Patriots roster spot.
No, that’s not a joke.
Dox Aitken, a former All-America laxer at Virginia, will attend the Patriots’ rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis, according to a report Friday from Doug Kyed of A to Z Sports.
It’s unclear which position Aitken is trying out for. He was a standout wide receiver, safety and punter at Haverford (Pa.) High School but hasn’t played in a football game since 2015, focusing almost exclusively on lacrosse for the last eight years.
Aitken did transfer to Villanova in 2020 with the intention of playing receiver, but he wound up returning to Virginia’s lacrosse team in early 2021 before ever suiting up for the Wildcats.
The 25-year-old Aiken appeared in 77 lacrosse games over five collegiate seasons, scoring 138 goals and earning first-team USILA All-America honors in 2018 and 2019. A midfielder, he was nominated for the Tewaaraton Trophy (lacrosse’s version of the Heisman) in both of those years and helped lead Virginia to a national championship in 2019.
Aitken currently is under contract with Altas Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League. He played in five PLL games in 2021 and eight in 2022, totaling 15 goals and four assists. Atlas’ online roster lists him at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is a lifelong lacrosse fan and is friendly with PLL founder Paul Rabil. Former New England wideout Chris Hogan famously played lacrosse at Penn State before making it in the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
Rookie minicamp tryouts don’t often result in contract offers, but players have taken that route to the Patriots’ 90-man roster in the past. Gunner Olszewski did so in 2019 after converting from cornerback to receiver, then parlayed that chance into a 53-man roster spot as New England’s primary punt returner.
We’ll see if Aitken can do the same.
