1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,759
Speaker 1: It's like fifty seven people on the call. We're ready

2
00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:04,960
Speaker 1: to welcome you to New England. So we'll start with

3
00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,760
Speaker 1: the questions. We're gonna start with Ian Steele fall by

4
00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:13,720
Speaker 1: Karen Greigi. Hey Hunter, as Stacy just said, welcome to

5
00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:18,880
Speaker 1: New England. Thank you, appreciate it. Just curious you know

6
00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,360
Speaker 1: what the free agency process was like for you and

7
00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,760
Speaker 1: how you feel about coming in with another tight end

8
00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,440
Speaker 1: as well, just you know the combination that you guys

9
00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,920
Speaker 1: can have in New England. Yeah, it was. It was

10
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,760
Speaker 1: a little stressful, um at the beginning, just trying to

11
00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,239
Speaker 1: figure out everything and just figure out where you know,

12
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,159
Speaker 1: me and my wife were gonna be and um, but

13
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,120
Speaker 1: in the end, man, we were excited, super pumped to

14
00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,720
Speaker 1: be able to come to New England be a Patriot

15
00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,680
Speaker 1: and then also to join John new Um. It's I mean,

16
00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,080
Speaker 1: it's gonna be awesome. So I feel like we compliment

17
00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,880
Speaker 1: each other. Well, UM, I feel like we're gonna compete,

18
00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,480
Speaker 1: and you know, I got to meet him last week,

19
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,520
Speaker 1: so you know, I continue to build that relationship and

20
00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,320
Speaker 1: excited to kind of just see it, um show off

21
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:11,600
Speaker 1: on the field. Great, Thank you. Next question, Karen Greegan

22
00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:19,479
Speaker 1: followed by Chris Ryan. Sorry, next question Karen Greegan, followed

23
00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:29,959
Speaker 1: by Chris Ryan. I think you're muted. Okay, we'll go

24
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,959
Speaker 1: to Chris Ryan. We'll come back to Karen. Great. Chris, Hey,

25
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,440
Speaker 1: I don't want to echo echoed everybody else said, and

26
00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,319
Speaker 1: welcome me to uh New England. UM. Two things first,

27
00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,560
Speaker 1: you know anybody that you modeled your your game after

28
00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,920
Speaker 1: as as a tight end a and and be just

29
00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,280
Speaker 1: the thoughts of being a part of this offense, particularly

30
00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:56,800
Speaker 1: with Cam at quarterback. Yeah, to your first question, I

31
00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,960
Speaker 1: think a guy that I watched a lot was Jason Witten.

32
00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,960
Speaker 1: Um growing up was a guy that UM, I really

33
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,320
Speaker 1: enjoyed watching a guy that could uh do a little

34
00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,400
Speaker 1: bit of everything. Obviously, UM, I mean obviously UM great

35
00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,880
Speaker 1: in the passing game, but it was very physical run game,

36
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,400
Speaker 1: took it on, had a lot of pride in it.

37
00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,200
Speaker 1: And another guy I grew up watching was Tony in Zalez.

38
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,040
Speaker 1: UM and a guy that you know obviously was a

39
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,800
Speaker 1: freak and just um a basketball player turned into football player.

40
00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,080
Speaker 1: UM was so dominant and then you know, I feel

41
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:31,799
Speaker 1: like he really put his hat in there in the

42
00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,320
Speaker 1: run game or had a lot of Pride obviously, you know,

43
00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,320
Speaker 1: Hall of Famer. Um, you know to two guys that

44
00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:44,640
Speaker 1: I enjoyed watching how to Model My game? Thanks right? Um.

45
00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:51,320
Speaker 1: As far as second, yeah, I'm very um and just

46
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,440
Speaker 1: very excited. Obviously, we're gonna have to get to work,

47
00:02:55,080 --> 00:03:02,240
Speaker 1: get into the practice. It's flung with things and you

48
00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:14,760
Speaker 1: know a little bit of chemistry to build that next one.

49
00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:19,840
Speaker 1: Johnny Crocs, followed by Mark Daniels. Hey, Hunter, A lot

50
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:27,079
Speaker 1: was made about Eli check had for you prior to

51
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,679
Speaker 1: free agency. How would you characterize your relationship prior to

52
00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:36,720
Speaker 1: this season and uh, now that you're playing for him? Yeah,

53
00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,320
Speaker 1: so yeah, it was pretty unique connection. Um. He actually

54
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,320
Speaker 1: became pretty good friends of my high school coach, so

55
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,320
Speaker 1: that kind of um brought us together. I met him

56
00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,960
Speaker 1: before coming out in the draft, and I've always talked

57
00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,800
Speaker 1: to my high school coach about him, um, and so

58
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,160
Speaker 1: we kind of had that mutual connection so over the years. Um,

59
00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,400
Speaker 1: obviously just kind of building that throughout the year, and

60
00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 1: you know, it's I have time to respect for coach

61
00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,200
Speaker 1: and the Patriots, and I'm just excited to kind of

62
00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,280
Speaker 1: be under him now and for him to be my coach.

63
00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,960
Speaker 1: So I'm excited to learn and become a better football player.

64
00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,440
Speaker 1: Our next question Mark Daniels, follow by Karen Greegan. Hey

65
00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,320
Speaker 1: Hope popeball as well. Um, we talked with Kendrick Bourne

66
00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,679
Speaker 1: today who said he was out there in Socale throwing

67
00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:26,960
Speaker 1: with Jared Sidham. I know you work right in that

68
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,120
Speaker 1: same area. Did you meet up with the guys now

69
00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,719
Speaker 1: you're planning on throwing with Jared at all? I did, Yeah,

70
00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,000
Speaker 1: I just got well that's why I'm sitting here in

71
00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:39,200
Speaker 1: my car. Sorry, we just got done. Yeah. How was

72
00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,440
Speaker 1: that just you know, just beating up the guys for

73
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:46,480
Speaker 1: the first time. Man, it's awesome. Um, that's the best

74
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,960
Speaker 1: part about football Sometimes it's just the guys U. The

75
00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:52,840
Speaker 1: locker room, the guys you get to meet, all that

76
00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,520
Speaker 1: kind of stuff is just a blast. So um looking

77
00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,920
Speaker 1: forward to kind of immersing myself in that locker room,

78
00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,520
Speaker 1: the culture everything, So it's uh, it's diving U. Man.

79
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:03,960
Speaker 1: It's good to kind of be able to put that

80
00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:08,360
Speaker 1: now even an awesome thank you. We'll go back to

81
00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,160
Speaker 1: Karen Greegi and fall by Evan Lazar. Hi Hunter, I

82
00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,360
Speaker 1: think you can hear me now there you go, Hi,

83
00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:21,800
Speaker 1: Welcome to New England. Thank you. I was wondering two things. One,

84
00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,400
Speaker 1: how fierce the competition was for you and you know,

85
00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,839
Speaker 1: if there were many teams that you had to choose from.

86
00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,960
Speaker 1: And also secondly, in the lead up to your free

87
00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:38,080
Speaker 1: agency you talked about the quarterback situation being important. How

88
00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:44,240
Speaker 1: did those factors play into your decision? Um, to your

89
00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,760
Speaker 1: first question, it was, Yeah, there's a few teams that

90
00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,160
Speaker 1: got a little stressful there for a little while, just

91
00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,600
Speaker 1: trying to figure everything out. But super happy with our decision,

92
00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,279
Speaker 1: super happy to be a Patriot, fired up to end

93
00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,800
Speaker 1: up where where we ended up. You know, it's a

94
00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,800
Speaker 1: really cool process. It's crazy, but finally you have it

95
00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,520
Speaker 1: kind of behind me and look forward to what's to come.

96
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,920
Speaker 1: Is exciting. And then to your second question, Um, you know,

97
00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,560
Speaker 1: I'm excited for the guys that we got. Um, it's

98
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,800
Speaker 1: going to be a blast to build that connection, to

99
00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,400
Speaker 1: build that camaraderie. M to just get out there and work,

100
00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,120
Speaker 1: um and put the work in. I think that's a

101
00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,920
Speaker 1: big thing. I trust all the coaches, I trust that

102
00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,120
Speaker 1: building what we're building here um with the Patriots. So UM,

103
00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,880
Speaker 1: I think that was a big, big into my decision

104
00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,960
Speaker 1: on why I wanted to be a Patriot was just

105
00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,720
Speaker 1: the trust of coach Fello what we're building there, and

106
00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:45,160
Speaker 1: I'm just fired up to be a part of it.

107
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,480
Speaker 1: Have you spoken with Cam Newton yet, by any chance

108
00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:54,120
Speaker 1: I have yes? Are you excited to come into an

109
00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,040
Speaker 1: offense with him as a quarterback? I am. I am

110
00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:02,960
Speaker 1: very excited. Thank you. Next question Evan Lazarre fall by

111
00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,080
Speaker 1: Ben Volin. Hey Hunter, welcome to New England. Thank you.

112
00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,760
Speaker 1: The problem I just was wondering when throughout this process,

113
00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,720
Speaker 1: if you and Johnny spoke before you signed with the Patriots,

114
00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,840
Speaker 1: and if you kind of had any feeling about signing

115
00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,200
Speaker 1: with him, you know, as a package type of not

116
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:22,760
Speaker 1: a package deal. But you know what I'm saying, you know,

117
00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,120
Speaker 1: having another tight end come in with you. Um, is

118
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,000
Speaker 1: that something that you had to be convinced into or

119
00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,760
Speaker 1: did you like the idea right from the jump. I

120
00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,400
Speaker 1: had not previously met john Um, I hadn't talked to

121
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,680
Speaker 1: him before, and you know, it just kind of happened. Honestly,

122
00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,120
Speaker 1: I didn't think this would happen where we both end

123
00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,920
Speaker 1: up in the same place. We hadn't even talked about that.

124
00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,280
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't think anybody you really even thought

125
00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,400
Speaker 1: about that. Obviously, when I saw him go to Patriots,

126
00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,280
Speaker 1: you know, right out of the gates, I was like, wow,

127
00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,640
Speaker 1: that's I was really happy for him. Um. And I was,

128
00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,200
Speaker 1: you know, I just didn't know if it was gonna

129
00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:06,680
Speaker 1: happen for me too. Um. And then obviously we started

130
00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,080
Speaker 1: talking again and got to figure it out and was

131
00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,720
Speaker 1: fired up to join join too, because I just feel

132
00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:15,240
Speaker 1: like we, you know, can compliment each other in a

133
00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,000
Speaker 1: in a cool way. Obviously, the Patriots have a lot

134
00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,360
Speaker 1: of success with tight ends, and so I'm excited to

135
00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:26,640
Speaker 1: kind of be able to hopefully add to that. Next

136
00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,760
Speaker 1: question Ben Vaughan, followed by Bob Socy, you know her,

137
00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:34,920
Speaker 1: congrats on becoming a Patriot. Excuse me, thank um. Just

138
00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,320
Speaker 1: as a follow up real quick to Evans question, when

139
00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,640
Speaker 1: you saw that Johnny Smith's signed with the Patriots, do

140
00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,719
Speaker 1: you think, like, oh, man, I guess I'm not going there.

141
00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,839
Speaker 1: Initially yes, Initially to be honest with it, yes, but

142
00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,440
Speaker 1: who I never knew, no, h And then I guess

143
00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,959
Speaker 1: we're be surprised that it rekindled. Um. I was a

144
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,600
Speaker 1: little surprised, but I was all I was honestly really

145
00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,320
Speaker 1: excited that it came back so it was very exciting

146
00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,839
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I just I didn't. I didn't know,

147
00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,199
Speaker 1: I didn't like you said. And then for it to

148
00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,000
Speaker 1: all come back, I was excited to join UM and

149
00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,719
Speaker 1: real quick, just uh, what's your health like these days?

150
00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,080
Speaker 1: How's your body feeling? Body is feeling great, Body's feeling great,