Former College Player Has Been Standing Outside Patriots Stadium Every Day For Month In Hopes To Get Tryout
BOSTON (CBSNewYork) -- A former college football player has been waiting outside of Gillette Stadium for over a month in hopes of landing a tryout with the New England Patriots.
MassLive.com reported Abiola Aborishade, a former wide receiver at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, has been standing under a bridge near the stadium nearly every day since April 21 in hopes that head coach Bill Belichick or owner Robert Kraft will bring him in for a tryout.
"I honestly was thinking three things could happen from this. The first thing is that they see me so often that they get sick and tired of me," Aborishade told MassLive.com. "So they almost give up, give into it, because I'm not giving in. So they give in and they say, 'OK, let's see what this kid can do.' The second thing is the people who drive around here, who work around here, see me so often that they almost say, 'Hey, we want to see what he can do.' And the third thing is they just leave me out here."
Aborishade is in his workout gear when he arrives outside the stadium – cleats, running shorts, leggings, a sweatshirt and a Patriots winter hat. He also has a poster board that reads "talented hardworking athlete hoping for a chance to prove myself."
According to MassLive.com, Aborishade shows up from 5:45 a.m. until 7 a.m., when he has to go to his job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. He then returns after his shift ends at 1 p.m.
"A lot of people have a Plan B," he said. "I don't really believe in Plan B's. I believe that if you have a goal, go at it as hard as you can. Once you've done everything you possibly can to reach that Plan A, even if it doesn't work out the way you want to, then you move on to another Plan A."
Several Patriots players have stopped to talk with Aborishade, and Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler even posted a photo of the NFL hopeful to his Facebook.
"Leaving practice today, I see this guy standing outside for a opportunity to play this game of football. This reminded me to always be thankful and never take your blessings for granted. … On the other hand, this is the attitude you must have if you really want something," Butler said, adding the hashtag "never give up."
Aborishade set a school record as a senior when he caught 84 passes in 2014.
This isn't the first time an NFL hopeful has stood outside a stadium to get a team's attention. Former NFL receiver Joe Anderson stood outside the Houston Texans' stadium in hopes to get a tryout. He ended up being signed to the New York Jets' practice squad.
