Over the years, the Patriots under Bill Belichick have been adept at finding and developing talented players from untraditional football backgrounds.
The latest is fullback Jakob Johnson, who was born in Stuttgart, Germany. The 24-year-old became the first player from the NFL’s International Pathway Program to make a 53-man roster.
Johnson, who was cut by the Patriots before the regular season but retained on the practice squad, was activated for his NFL debut after starter James Develin was ruled out against the Jets on Sunday with a neck injury.
In the 30-14 win over the Jets, Johnson played two snaps on offense and six on special teams.