Patriots' Résumé - Danny Amendola

Coach Belichick,

Enclosed, please find the résumé that you assigned all of us to do.  At first I thought it was weird and a waste of time, until I stopped to remember that nothing you do is arbitrary, that everything has a purpose.

I wasn't sure of what that purpose was for writing such, though if there is one thing that I learned pretty fast around here it is that the mantra "In Bill We Trust" is actually the watch word, and not just the lame cop out used by the fans and the media when things happen that they don't understand.

Now, don't get me wrong, Bill, I understand that the fan base is nervous about me still being on the roster solely due to the media's negativity and their wanton embellishment of my protracted injury history - and I didn't help matters much when I said that I would continue to play the game the way I've always played it, and injury history be damned.

But I understand now both why I need to re-evaluate how I play, and why you wanted me to make up a resume - that is, that I need to understand that I have all the tools and talent that I need to be successful and to help this team get to another Super Bowl, but that I can't do that from the press box.

It's not as if I want to be injured, because that sucks.  The torn adductor muscle last season was a tough luck, freakish, non-contact injury and I tried like hell to play through the pain and, perhaps worse, the loss of full range of motion and the weakness demonstrated when making a sharp cut, because there's no useful muscle to keep my leg stable.

But I have been learning to deal without the muscle - since the muscle is completely torn from the bone, that's just one less moving part to worry about - and I think I'm pretty much ready to show the constituency what caused you to sign me to "Welker money" last offseason.

I'm tired of all the injury talk.  I despise the irresponsible Boston media and I see why you do as well - in fact, I ended a radio interview earlier this year when the host of the show strayed off the intended subject matter - a charity that I'm involved with - and harangued me with questions regarding my health, making me curiously certain that I had been set up from the start.

But the questions of health are going to persist until I can stay healthy for a full season, as are the doubts of the fan base, and I understand that.  I am just as frustrated as they are, perhaps even more because I have no leg to stand on, so to speak, when trying to rebut their concerns.

That same irresponsible Boston media had predicted that I would have been traded or been a post-June 1st cut by now, yet I remain.  In the stead of those predictions, now they are prognosticating that I will be gone next offseason if I don't come through with a good statistical season in 2014 - and while I can't control what they write, I know that all I can do is to keep working and earn your respect.

Screw the media.  Your loathing of them is one thing that we shall always have in common.

Respectfully,

Danny

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Résumé

Daniel James Amendola

c/o New England Patriots

Gillette Stadium

1 Patriot Place

Foxborough, Massachusetts 02035

https://twitter.com/DannyAmendola

Career focus: 

To help the New England Patriots win Lombardi Trophies

Education: 

Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies from Texas Tech University (Class of 2008)

Professional experience:

• 2008 - 2009 - Dallas Cowboys (Practice Squad)
• 2009 - Philadelphia Eagles (final cut)
• 2009 - 2012 - St. Louis Rams
• 2013 - Present - New England Patriots

Awards and Honors:

• First-team All Big 12 (2004)
• Second-team All Big 12 (2007)

Regular Season Stats (54 Games):

• 250 receptions for 2359 yards (9.4yds per catch)
• 13 Rushing attempts for 88 yards (6.8 yards per carry)
• 9 career touchdowns
• 90 Punt returns for 947 yards (10.5 yards per return)
• 118 Kick returns for 2776 (23.5 yards per return)

Playoff Stats (2 Games):

• 3 receptions for 77 yards (25.7 yards per catch)

Publisher's note: This"Résumé" is the work of the staff from Foxborough Free Press and is part of an ongoing series highlighting the players who - in our opinion - will be part of the 53 man roster when Patriots' training camp breaks.

Be sure to follow the series, starting with the "Résumés" already posted:

1. Tom Brady - Quarterback & Offensive Captain
2. Vince Wilfork - Nose Tackle & Defensive Captain
3. Ryan Allen - Punter