As the Patriots look ahead to the new era without Bill Belichick, his legacy lives on through David Wallis. New England’s new undrafted wide receiver is hoping to fill the shoes of Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan.
Yes, it is exactly what you think — he is the next caucasian pass-catcher.
Not only was Belichick known for his ability to win football games, the six-time Super Bowl champion had a knack for finding undiscovered diamonds in the rough. Welker and Amendola went undrafted out of Texas Tech. Edelman played quarterback at Kent State and was drafted in the seventh round. Hogan also went undrafted after playing lacrosse at Penn State and football at Monmouth.
All four wide receivers were crucial contributors to the Patriots’ dominant run in the early 2000s after coming out of absolutely nowhere.
Wallis might be the next in line as part of the new regime. The 23-year-old rookie is quickly making a splash during the preseason and training camp.
He started things off with a nice punt return last week.
His route-running ability made him one of the standout performers during the week.
He followed it up with a big kickoff return on Thursday.
There is still a long way to go between now and final roster cuts. However, Wallis is playing himself onto the team after signing with New England as an undrafted free agent from a school you’ve never heard of… (unless you know someone who went there or live nearby!)
Randolph Macon College is a private liberal arts school in Ashland Virginia. Founded in 1830, the second-oldest Methodist-run college in the country enrolls approximately 1,500 students. Maybe a few more.
It competes on the D-III level and Wallis was a star for the Yellow Jackets!
The 6-foot-0, 184-pound receiver caught 53 passes for 957 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. That’s an average of 18.1 yards per catch. And his stats from 2022 were even more impressive, when Wallis made 41 catches for 1,189 yards and 13 touchdowns.
David Wallis obviously wants to be the first David Wallis, but to be the next Amendola, Welker, Edelman or Hogan wouldn’t be so bad! It’s just the reality of a white, undrafted wide receiver on the Patriots…