Sure, Chase Winovich wants to impress Bill Belichick. But his dominant performance on Saturday night was yet another effort to earn his grandmother’s love — which comes with $5 and a candy bar.
The New England Patriots linebacker gave credit to his grandma after logging six tackles, one sack, three quarterback presses and two tackles for loss during the Patriots’ 22-17 preseason victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.
“Ever since high school, my grandma has been promising me, if I played hard and I didn’t get hurt, she’s been promising me $5 and a chocolate bar, either Hershey’s or Sarris Candies,” Winovich told reporters postgame. “So today was just another day where I just went out there and I said, ‘You know what, I’ve got to play hard. I need that $5, and I need the candy.’”
If he keeps earning those tokens from his grandma, he may also earn the affection of Belichick, who can help Winovich earn a whole lot more than $5. The rookie linebacker is buried on a depth chart which features EDGE talents like linebacker Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins, among others. But Winovich is making it hard for Belichick to keep him off the field when the regular season rolls around.
