FOXBOROUGH – Brenden Schooler is coming off his best NFL season, but understands there’s more.
Last year, the special teams ace earned Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. Now, entering his fourth training camp, Schooler has big aspirations and hopes to follow in the footsteps of some of the great leaders in Patriots special teams history.
“I think more of a leadership role,” Schooler said. “I know we kind of talked about that last year as well, but Joe Cardona was still here — a seasoned vet in the special teams room. So to kind of be thrust in that role, I’m very excited about that, and to hopefully get to wear a ‘C’ on my chest and be elected by these guys on the team.”
Schooler came to the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and was immediately mentored by Matthew Slater. One of the greatest special team aces in NFL history, Slater was also a longtime captain and leader for the Patriots.
Schooler has followed in Slater’s footsteps on the field. Now, he hopes to do the same in the locker room.
“When it comes to punt, punt return on the perimeter, just anybody who has any questions, like I want to be that guy and have great mentors like Cody Davis, Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel, and even Joe Cardona,” Schooler said. “Just taking those guys under my wing and showing them all the ways that I would and pouring into them because those guys poured into me… Any way I can be a role model or teacher.”
Schooler also developed a role on defense last year and finished with a career-high two sacks to go with three quarterback hits. He said he hopes to play more of a role in Mike Vrabel’s new defensive system this year.
In the end, his biggest goal is to become a first-time captain in New England.
“I want to be that guy. I want to be part of something great that we’re going to build here. It’s about the guys on the team,” Schooler said. “To wear that ‘C’ on my chest, it’s a huge deal – especially at this level, coming in as a guy who was undrafted, to hopefully get to wear a ‘C’ on my chest, that would be a huge honor. I wouldn’t want to let anyone down who wore that before me.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
