April 30, 2023 • 7 mins
Listen in as the Patriots Unfiltered crew interview New England Patriots 2023 first-round draft pick, Christian Gonzalez.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is the twenty twenty three Patriots Unfiltered Draft Show,
presented by Aristocrat Gaming Bilker.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
All right, we're joined now on Patriots Unfiltered Draft Show
by Christian Gonzales, the Patriots first round pick. And I
gotta tell you we put in a lot of work
to the draft. When we heard your name, we were
all like hallelujah, because usually the guys that we want
don't get picked, but you were the consensus guy that
everybody wanted. Some congratulations from being a Patriot.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Yeah, I appreciate it. It means a lot.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah. So, have you had a chance to breathe yet?
I mean, I know you got on a plane first
thing this morning, went out here. What do you think
so far?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
It's amazing. I can already just feel the atmosphere just
being around. The coach is super excited to learn and
just come in and work. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Absolutely, I mean that's what we hear about you. You're
a head down, just work coach pleaser. Where do you
get that from?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Just kind of just raised that way with my sisters.
You know, I took the way of being I was
the baby for ten years until my younger sister was born,
and just always watching my two older sisters. Kind of
just had to keep my head down.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
That's a lot of pressure when you're the boy two
older sisters who are good athletes. You got to keep
up right for sure.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah, when did you finally turn the tide with your
older sisters? Like playing sports the backyard, that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I mean, was it competitive with them growing? Very competitive
to the smallest things of playing cards. We competed everything
we did. But really I probably started beating them in
races and stuff when I was ninth tenth grade. So
so yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
I wanted to ask you a little bit. I know
Evan's probably gonna have some real film breakdown. Evan's our
resident football junking, So we'll leave the football stuff to Evan.
But I wanted to ask you about I'm just watching
some of the highlights as the draft just getting ready
to get under way tonight. Just what the atmosphere was
like in Kansas City for you. You know, we got
to see you get out there and you had your
custom suit and you know, seeing you know, Commissioner Goodell.
(02:11):
Just what was the atmosphere overall like last night?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Oh, it was amazing. It was a dream come true.
Kind of flew by, you know, just sitting in the
green room with a lot of people I know too,
my family and then all the other prospects. Being able
to just you know, we worked so hard for that
moment and being able to go in there and just
enjoy it with our families meant everything to me.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And we were just talking to the assistant coaches and
coach Mayo told us that he came out to Oregon
to talk to you and meet with you before the draft.
What was that meeting like and did you have an
inkling at all after that meeting that the Patriots might
be called.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Oh, it was a great meeting. H know. We sat down,
talked ball, he was teaching me stuff. But you know,
I didn't really think anything of it of gonna end
up here. Kind of just went along with the process.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
And at Oregon you played in the coverage system that's
pretty complex. You know in college sometimes teams just sit
in one type of coverage. But you guys really spun
the dial on quarterbacks. I know coach Loupoid was at
Alabama and you know Patriots connection to Alabama. What was
that system like and how multiple was it? You know,
in terms of your mental side of things.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah, it was a lot, but I think that was
great to be able to play in that and just
learn it was It's gonna give me a good transition
to the league. You know. There's still so much more
to learn that I'm super excited to learn. But I'm
glad I played in that system.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
But yeah, you you played a lot of positions growing
up in football, and then you know you've settled on
cornerback once you did that, once you said okay, I'm
a cornerback. Was there a guy you know in the
NFL that you kind of fashioned yourself after, you know,
former player, a current player that he said, yeah, I
(04:03):
want to be like that guy.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
When I started playing really for real. It was Pastor Tan, big, tall,
kind of corner you know, I'm kind of around the
same size. He's a big technician, elite technician, So someone
I could try to play like seeing someone move at
this size, being fluid kind of just what I try
(04:27):
to model my game after.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, I wanted to.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Ask you a little bit about that speed that you have,
and obviously you've been pretty versatile in that secondary or
for Oregon, but if you have any return experience, I
figured with that kind of speed and athleticism that you'd
be a natural with the ball in your hands if
you had any attorneys to do that something the coaches
keep you away from because they're trying to make sure
they protect you.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I mean I did in high school and kind of
wanted to in college. Never really did. I would in practice,
but never really never did in the game, but I
definitely got.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
I'll let you in on something. I heard your position
coach talking about it on the radio today and he
said it was intentional. He wanted to make sure he
was a little selfish and made sure it kept you
away from that. He knew you had that ability.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He did that.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
It's a little old school, but look up on YouTube
Mike Haynes highlights from back in the day. Hall of
Famer going to do my homework, Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Petrade Hall of Famer return Skills. One play I wanted
to ask you about it is again call Colorado last
year and you're playing zone. I think I think it
was cover six. I'm not sure if it was cover
six and you it's a post wheel and you kind
of carried the post and then came off the post
and jumped the wheel route and When I saw that play,
I was like, this guy's pretty good, right, you can
(05:44):
do that? And then yeah, that returnability down the sideline.
Just walk me through that play. What was that play
alive from your perspective?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, they actually hit us earlier on the same exact
play earlier in the game, and I knew the play
was coming again. That was their go to when they
got the nasty bunch. So I told my we were
actually in the cover three. I told my nickel and
my safety. I told my safety hold the post because
I'm a jump the corner news coming, and I just
(06:13):
trusted my instincts.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
So yeah, a little extra sweet that it was against.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Colorado, It was, it was a little it was cool
to have two picks that game.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Speaking of that, you know you took advantage of the portal.
How grateful are you to have that ability to have
made that move.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I'm very grateful because that was my whole thing is
I wanted to play with Demetrius Martin. Yeah, committed to him.
He told me he's gonna get me in and out
in three years. So that's what I You know, I'm
loyal to my coach, and that's that's what's super intriguing
about being here is is Hall of Fame coaches. So
(06:50):
I'm just excited to be in that, in this opportunity
to work with them.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I can tell you if you love football, this is
the place for sure. This is the place.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Well, any any other questions, I know you've got a
lot of other things to do.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
You're now the best athlete in the family.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I talk to you a little bit, sister yesterday, my
little sister says she not.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I just picture though, like we all like played, you know,
one on one basketball with our dads in the driveway.
I could just picture your dad just swamming away balls.
Did you ever do that with it?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Oh? Yeah, we got and.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
He didn't take it easy. Yeah, just like bang try again.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Kid.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
All right, Well, congratulations again and welcome. You know. I
know there's a lot to learn. Uh so you've got
a lot ahead of you, but it's really exciting, and
you know, you should be proud of yourself that you
kept this far. Okay, all right, Christian Gonzales here on
Patriots Unfiltered. We'll be right back after this
This is the twenty twenty three Patriots Unfiltered Draft Show,
presented by Aristocrat Gaming Bilker.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
All right, we're joined now on Patriots Unfiltered Draft Show
by Christian Gonzales, the Patriots first round pick. And I
gotta tell you we put in a lot of work
to the draft. When we heard your name, we were
all like hallelujah, because usually the guys that we want
don't get picked, but you were the consensus guy that
everybody wanted. Some congratulations from being a Patriot.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Yeah, I appreciate it. It means a lot.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah. So, have you had a chance to breathe yet?
I mean, I know you got on a plane first
thing this morning, went out here. What do you think
so far?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
It's amazing. I can already just feel the atmosphere just
being around. The coach is super excited to learn and
just come in and work. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Absolutely, I mean that's what we hear about you. You're
a head down, just work coach pleaser. Where do you
get that from?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Just kind of just raised that way with my sisters.
You know, I took the way of being I was
the baby for ten years until my younger sister was born,
and just always watching my two older sisters. Kind of
just had to keep my head down.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
That's a lot of pressure when you're the boy two
older sisters who are good athletes. You got to keep
up right for sure.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah, when did you finally turn the tide with your
older sisters? Like playing sports the backyard, that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
I mean, was it competitive with them growing? Very competitive
to the smallest things of playing cards. We competed everything
we did. But really I probably started beating them in
races and stuff when I was ninth tenth grade. So
so yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
I wanted to ask you a little bit. I know
Evan's probably gonna have some real film breakdown. Evan's our
resident football junking, So we'll leave the football stuff to Evan.
But I wanted to ask you about I'm just watching
some of the highlights as the draft just getting ready
to get under way tonight. Just what the atmosphere was
like in Kansas City for you. You know, we got
to see you get out there and you had your
custom suit and you know, seeing you know, Commissioner Goodell.
(02:11):
Just what was the atmosphere overall like last night?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Oh, it was amazing. It was a dream come true.
Kind of flew by, you know, just sitting in the
green room with a lot of people I know too,
my family and then all the other prospects. Being able
to just you know, we worked so hard for that
moment and being able to go in there and just
enjoy it with our families meant everything to me.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And we were just talking to the assistant coaches and
coach Mayo told us that he came out to Oregon
to talk to you and meet with you before the draft.
What was that meeting like and did you have an
inkling at all after that meeting that the Patriots might
be called.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Oh, it was a great meeting. H know. We sat down,
talked ball, he was teaching me stuff. But you know,
I didn't really think anything of it of gonna end
up here. Kind of just went along with the process.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
And at Oregon you played in the coverage system that's
pretty complex. You know in college sometimes teams just sit
in one type of coverage. But you guys really spun
the dial on quarterbacks. I know coach Loupoid was at
Alabama and you know Patriots connection to Alabama. What was
that system like and how multiple was it? You know,
in terms of your mental side of things.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah, it was a lot, but I think that was
great to be able to play in that and just
learn it was It's gonna give me a good transition
to the league. You know. There's still so much more
to learn that I'm super excited to learn. But I'm
glad I played in that system.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
But yeah, you you played a lot of positions growing
up in football, and then you know you've settled on
cornerback once you did that, once you said okay, I'm
a cornerback. Was there a guy you know in the
NFL that you kind of fashioned yourself after, you know,
former player, a current player that he said, yeah, I
(04:03):
want to be like that guy.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
When I started playing really for real. It was Pastor Tan, big, tall,
kind of corner you know, I'm kind of around the
same size. He's a big technician, elite technician, So someone
I could try to play like seeing someone move at
this size, being fluid kind of just what I try
(04:27):
to model my game after.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, I wanted to.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Ask you a little bit about that speed that you have,
and obviously you've been pretty versatile in that secondary or
for Oregon, but if you have any return experience, I
figured with that kind of speed and athleticism that you'd
be a natural with the ball in your hands if
you had any attorneys to do that something the coaches
keep you away from because they're trying to make sure
they protect you.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I mean I did in high school and kind of
wanted to in college. Never really did. I would in practice,
but never really never did in the game, but I
definitely got.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
I'll let you in on something. I heard your position
coach talking about it on the radio today and he
said it was intentional. He wanted to make sure he
was a little selfish and made sure it kept you
away from that. He knew you had that ability.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He did that.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
It's a little old school, but look up on YouTube
Mike Haynes highlights from back in the day. Hall of
Famer going to do my homework, Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Petrade Hall of Famer return Skills. One play I wanted
to ask you about it is again call Colorado last
year and you're playing zone. I think I think it
was cover six. I'm not sure if it was cover
six and you it's a post wheel and you kind
of carried the post and then came off the post
and jumped the wheel route and When I saw that play,
I was like, this guy's pretty good, right, you can
(05:44):
do that? And then yeah, that returnability down the sideline.
Just walk me through that play. What was that play
alive from your perspective?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, they actually hit us earlier on the same exact
play earlier in the game, and I knew the play
was coming again. That was their go to when they
got the nasty bunch. So I told my we were
actually in the cover three. I told my nickel and
my safety. I told my safety hold the post because
I'm a jump the corner news coming, and I just
(06:13):
trusted my instincts.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
So yeah, a little extra sweet that it was against.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Colorado, It was, it was a little it was cool
to have two picks that game.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Speaking of that, you know you took advantage of the portal.
How grateful are you to have that ability to have
made that move.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I'm very grateful because that was my whole thing is
I wanted to play with Demetrius Martin. Yeah, committed to him.
He told me he's gonna get me in and out
in three years. So that's what I You know, I'm
loyal to my coach, and that's that's what's super intriguing
about being here is is Hall of Fame coaches. So
(06:50):
I'm just excited to be in that, in this opportunity
to work with them.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I can tell you if you love football, this is
the place for sure. This is the place.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Well, any any other questions, I know you've got a
lot of other things to do.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
You're now the best athlete in the family.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I talk to you a little bit, sister yesterday, my
little sister says she not.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I just picture though, like we all like played, you know,
one on one basketball with our dads in the driveway.
I could just picture your dad just swamming away balls.
Did you ever do that with it?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Oh? Yeah, we got and.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
He didn't take it easy. Yeah, just like bang try again.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Kid.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
All right, Well, congratulations again and welcome. You know. I
know there's a lot to learn. Uh so you've got
a lot ahead of you, but it's really exciting, and
you know, you should be proud of yourself that you
kept this far. Okay, all right, Christian Gonzales here on
Patriots Unfiltered. We'll be right back after this
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