FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In 2001, the New England Patriots selected Greenville, Ohio, native Matt Light in the second round of the draft and had their left tackle position secured for the next decade.
In 2016, the club selected Centerville, Ohio, native Joe Thuney in the third round and now hopes history repeats itself at the left guard position with a Light-type tenure.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Thuney is off to a good start, as he has been the starter at the position from the first day of spring practice. His approach has made an impression on coach Bill Belichick.
"Really consistent, and he’s a smart guy," Belichick said. "He’s a good technique player, he plays with good footwork, balance, hand placement, he’s got good awareness, he sees things well. For his lack of experience he plays like a pretty experienced player."
Thuney, 23, played all five positions on the line at NC State, which is the type of versatility the Patriots generally covet.
During a break in preparations for Sunday's home opener against the Miami Dolphins, he shared his "football journey" with ESPN.com:
When he first started playing football: “Seventh grade. All my friends were playing in middle school and I figured I’d join them.”
First position: “Left guard, actually. I wanted to be fullback because I wanted to touch the ball and I wasn’t super fast or athletic, so I thought fullback or tight end might be good. But they put me at left guard and the rest is history.”
Favorite teams and player growing up 45 minutes north of Cincinnati: “I was always a Bengals fan. I grew up watching them, and players like Corey Dillon and Carson Palmer, who we just played against, which was kind of surreal.”
Top initial football memories: “Just growing up with the guys. Everyone on the team, you were really close with. I went to a Catholic high school and there was a feeder program that probably only had 20 or 21 guys on the team. So everyone was real close with each other, growing up in the same neighborhoods.”
Football success at Archbishop Alter High School: “We won state sophomore and junior year. My senior year, we lost in the state semis. So it was a lot of fun. Chris Borland, who played linebacker for the 49ers, was our running back when he was a senior and I was a sophomore and that was fun to play with him. I just remember him making spectacular plays all over the field.”
Enrolling at NC State in 2011 after considering Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Virginia: “I got a good feel for it. Tom O’Brien was the head coach and I really liked how he ran his program – a great stand-up guy. Great coaching staff and the facilities were great. It’s a great school and Raleigh is a great city, so I thought it was a great fit. I was a little undersized, probably 250 [pounds], so I redshirted and needed the time to bulk up. I played sparingly at center my redshirt freshman year and then tackle and guard the last three.”
Top football memories at NC State: “Our home games were awesome. Our fans were great and it was always sold out. We didn’t have any crazy stellar years when I was there, we always kind of were in the seven- or eight-win area, but they always supported us. We beat Florida State my freshman year, which was awesome and then we beat UNC, our big rival, at Chapel Hill my junior year. That was great.”
Earning a degree prior to his junior year and the importance of academics: “I’ve always taken [academics] seriously because I know football isn’t going to last forever; you have to have something to do after you’re done. It’s important to get a degree. Also, if you don’t place the emphasis on academics, then it becomes a distraction and you can’t play as well.”
What stimulates his intellect: “Nowadays it’s the unique fronts and players we’re going against. It’s great to study, to see any ‘tells’ guys may have, or ‘tells’ the defense has as a whole. It’s new every week, so it’s always a new challenge.”
Expectations entering the NFL draft: “I didn’t know because I played tackle but was projected as a guard and I didn’t know how that would translate. But as soon as New England called, it was the greatest feeling in the world. It was awesome.”
Role models in his life: “My parents [Beth and Mike] have taught me that you have to work for what you want and nothing is given to you. You have to earn everything, and stay humble and positive throughout everything. My siblings also helped me a lot along the way – Monica, Eric and Megan. They’ve been great and are always there for me; if it’s a tough day and I call. But I definitely got picked on a lot [growing up], so hopefully it grew some toughness within me. Now I’m the biggest [laughs].”
Describing life as a Patriot: “It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s great to get close to the guys. Everyone here has the same mindset – we just want to win.”
What he loves about football: “As an offensive lineman, it’s the camaraderie with [others at the position] and also preparing all week for something and seeing the results, and hopefully winning at the end of the week. Seeing all the hard work pay off is really gratifying.”
Summing up his football journey: “Just do whatever the team needs me to do and be a team player. I don’t need all the lights and the show. I just like to work with my brothers and hopefully get a win at the end of each week.”
