Cobbs is in the running

August 31, 2006|Globe Staff

FOXBOROUGH -- The young running back packed his bags for one weekend, because that's all the Patriots promised him.

``They flew me in on a Friday and I was planning on leaving that Sunday," he recalled.

More than three months later, rookie Patrick Cobbs is hoping his longer-than-expected itinerary stretches through the 2006 season. He's making it hard for the Patriots to let him go after totaling 143 rushing yards on 26 carries and making five receptions for 100 yards -- to go with three touchdowns -- through three exhibition games. While much of Cobbs's production has come against second- and third-string players, coach Bill Belichick acknowledged that Cobbs has had some positive plays.

It's been an unexpected rise for Cobbs, who arrived at Gillette Stadium for a tryout during the team's May rookie minicamp. At the time, he had just received a contract to play for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, but put that on hold. It was a good choice -- the Patriots offered him a contract after that minicamp.

Now Cobbs is one of a few on-the-edge players who hope to catapult their way onto the regular-season roster with a strong performance tonight against the Giants (Ch. 5, 7:30). All NFL teams must trim rosters to 53 players by Saturday.

``You know the [cut] date is coming, it's in the back of my mind," said Cobbs, who figures to see a lot of action tonight with the Patriots' first-stringers not expected to take on a heavy load. ``There are a lot of guys that are battle-tested that play on this football team in my position, some great backs. I'm just having fun. I try not to focus on all that other stuff."

The 5-foot-8-inch, 210-pound Cobbs, who was the all-time leading rusher at the University of North Texas with 4,050 yards, is likely battling Heath Evans for a spot behind Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney, and Kevin Faulk. Veteran running back Patrick Pass is also part of the mix, but has yet to practice this preseason.

Cobbs, 23, has quite the underdog story. Coming out of high school in Oklahoma, he wasn't heavily recruited despite leading Class 4A with 2,354 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior.

``Same old story with me," he said. ``I was going to be too short. Too slow."

He ended up at North Texas, the alma mater of Pittsburgh Steelers great Joe Greene. On the day he decided to attend the school, Oklahoma State called, but Cobbs didn't waver. He was keeping his word even though in football-crazed Texas the team was ``overshadowed by all the bigger schools."

Cobbs broke through as a junior, leading Division 1-A in rushing with 152.7 yards per game. He set the school record with nine straight 100-yard rushing games and also established the Sun Belt Conference record for rushing yards in a season.