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PrintMaking an Impact
Four men. Four lives in football. Four futures still left to play.
(page 7 of 9)
Patrick’s 2008 salary was $375,760. His loser’s share from the Super Bowl was $40,000. He’s using his NFL earnings to help free himself, his mother and brother from debt and set up a comfortable future for all. He owes special thanks to his mother. “She’s always supported my brother and me,” he says. “She went to almost every game we ever played.
While claiming he’s “not a real flashy guy,” the 25-year-old Patrick does have at least one passion—cars. He owns three, including a 2007 Cadillac Escalade SUV —the requisite ride for many NFL players—which he bought just before he was drafted. True to his conservative nature, however, he vows never to buy another new vehicle after seeing the Escalade’s value drop precipitously in the first year.
Patrick is a rarity among NFLers in another way—he wants to go back to school, to become certified as a personal trainer and massage therapist, maybe open a gym. “I think training athletes would be fun,” he says.
A bachelor, he hopes to have a family someday, but he’s in no hurry. “I have a 5-year-old niece, and that’s as close as I want to get to children right now. I like my space. I have two dogs at home, and that’s plenty for me. No kids no time soon.”
He makes it back to Delaware occasionally to visit UD Coach K.C. Keeler and his staff as well as ex-teammates. But he admits to some divided loyalties. “I bleed blue and gold,” he says, “but Duke owns my soul.”
Page 8: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
