PATRIOTS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN BYRON COWART
CONFERENCE CALL
April 27, 2019
Q: Did you have any contact with the Patriots in the pre-draft process?
BC: Yes, I did some workouts with them.
Q: Do you remember who it was with?
BC: Yes, it was the D-line coach.
Q: Have you played both defensive end and interior defensive line, or have you mostly been on the interior at Maryland?
BC: I had experience at both positions.
Q: Do you have any preference?
BC: No, I’m going to play wherever they want me to play.
Q: What was your reaction when you got the call from the Patriots?
BC: It was just a sigh of relief. My mother was excited. It’s just a little weight off my shoulders now because I’ve got another opportunity to live my dreams. It’s definitely a little bit of relief.
Q: Was it a relief in the sense you felt you might have gone earlier, or this wasn’t a guaranteed opportunity for you because you didn’t know if you’d be drafted?
BC: I’m just happy to have a dream, and to be able to accomplish that is a relief. A lot of people have dreams and they’re not able to achieve them. So, for this to be one of my dreams, and one of my highest dreams – I’m in an organization that I always wanted to be in, playing Madden and being around it. To be a part of it now, that was just a sigh of relief.
Q: Were you a Patriots fan growing up or did you just play them in Madden?
BC: I’m just an NFL football fan in general.
Q: When you were at Auburn, you played with Jarrett Stidham. To get picked with him on the same day, have you talked to him and what does it mean to you to have a familiar face in the locker room when you get here?
BC: It’s great. I mean, I’m definitely happy for him-him being an Auburn guy – and the Patriots picking previous Auburn guys, so it’s great to be around familiar faces. So, that’s going to be cool.
Q: When you worked out with the Patriots, was that with coach [Bret] Bielema?
BC: It was [DeMarcus] Covington.
Q: Have they discussed plans with you as far as where they want you to play? Do they see you playing on the inside or the outside as kind of a jumper?
BC: No. They’ve just told me I have the ability to play to set the edge or go inside. So, they’re going to throw it at me, I believe, and give me the opportunity to show them where do I need to be within the defense.
