Even if Clint Oldenburg never plays pro football, he just might make it to the NFL as a reporter.
"Yeah, I graduated in December with a degree in journalism," the former Colorado State lineman, and fifth-round pick of the Patriots, told reporters shortly after he was drafted. "Hopefully, at this point, I won't need to use that degree. After my football career is over, I'd like to maybe get into some sports radio."
His older brother, Lee, meantime, thinks he has a future in football, too. Lee actually e-mailed Patriots.com prior to the Draft to put in a good word about his kid brother.
"He thinks that he is a scout," Oldenburg laughed. "He likes to get into that scouting business. He's into it a lot, and he's always been a huge Patriots fan. It's been a great day for him as well. He had me (being drafted) real early, but that is family bias, I think."
Oldenburg said he wasn't surprised, though, to hear his name called on Draft Day. He just wasn't sure when he'd hear it and who'd be calling it.
"After what happened to Brady Quinn, anything can happen. I was expecting to get drafted. There were about 10 or 12 teams that showed interest in me... the Patriots were one of them. They've been scouting me all through my senior year, so there were no surprises that they wanted to take me. I'm happy to be in the situation that I'm in."
That situation may be a challenging one. When he arrives in Foxboro, Oldenburg will be fighting for a job at a position (offensive line) where openings could be few. He hopes his versatility will give him an edge.
"I think the Patriots like guys like that who can play multiple positions. It seems like that has kind of been a trend for guys they select," Oldenburg observed. "Actually, I played a different position every year. I'm 305 pounds right now…I think you can put me anywhere along the offensive line and I would be just as effective at any position."
But his best position may be the one he never had a chance to play at Colorado State. To learn more about Oldenburg's rise to the NFL, check out his in-depth player profile in this month's Patriots Football Weekly.
