New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who remains one of the few bright spots in a struggling season, takes pride in being available for the team.
He missed most of his rookie season after going down with a shoulder injury. That injury has weighed heavily on Gonzalez considering it was the first time in his football career that he had missed such a significant amount of time away from the field.
“I take a lot of pride. I mean, not to go back, but I mean last year was the first time I ever got hurt,” Gonzalez told media members. “Not being able to be out there with the team last year hurt a lot mentally. From that point, I always wanna be on the field to help the team as much as I can.”
Gonzalez was battling a hip injury ahead of last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, but he showed up to play and recovered a fumble for a 63-yard touchdown. He also tacked on three tackles and a pass deflection on the day.
It has been a strong bounce-back season for the second-year player, who has quickly turned into a defensive cornerstone for the Patriots.
