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After 20 seasons of unprecedented success, the New England Patriots are looking at possibly their second losing season in the past three years.
Since winning Super Bowl LIII, Tom Brady’s last game for the Patriots, the helm, New England has gone 18-21 (including last year’s 47-17 Wild Card loss to the Bills) and currently sits at 1-3, last in the AFC East.
So, looking to add something positive to their roster, the Patriots have turned to Uncle Maddio’s Pizza in Minot, North Dakota for some help.
24-year-old Sebastian Gutierrez, who played college football at Minot State University before being signed by Denver in May as an undrafted rookie free agent, has been making pizzas at Maddio’s ever since he was released by the Broncos in August.
Sebastian Gutierrez’s boss at the pizza parlor had no idea he’d hired a potential Patriots player
“I saw him behind the line making pizzas and I just, I thought my manager Denise must have hired someone to head off security I guess,” Losson Leonard, the owner of Uncle Maddio’s Pizza, told KFYR News.
“He’s like, you’re my favorite pizza place, so might as well get a job here so that’s what happened. My manager, Denise gave him a job, and he worked for us two, three days a week whenever he could when he’s not training,” Leonard added.
Now, Gutierrez, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive lineman, is the newest member of the New England Patriots’ practice squad.
“Never thought in a million years I would have a NFL player working for me,” Losson wrote on Facebook. “So now he will stop working for me and begin working for Bill Belichick.”
Losson may be losing an employee, but he’s more than happy with the reason why.
“I think he’s a great young man and I wish him the best,” said Losson. “I think he’ll do well. I think once they let him in the door, he’ll never come out, I think he’ll have a great career in the NFL.”