Former Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) quarterback Garrett Gilbert has a chance to earn a Super Bowl ring if the New England Patriots win on Sunday. He plays for the Patriots’ practice squad. Photo: Erich Schlegel/ USA TODAY Sports
High school seniors can sign a national letter of intent next Wednesday. We’re taking a look back at how former American Family Insurance ALL-USA football players fared after signing day. Today’s player is New England Patriots quarterback Garrett Gilbert, then a quarterback at Lake Travis (Austin, Texas).
Player: Garrett Gilbert
High school: Lake Travis (Austin, Texas).
Position: Quarterback
ALL-USA selection: After leading Lake Travis (Austin) to its second consecutive 4A state title and throwing for a state-record 12,540 career passing yards, he was named the 2009 ALL-USA Offensive Player of the Year.
College: Gilbert committed to Texas a day after signing day in 2008, then signed with the Longhorns in 2009. At 6-4 and 215 pounds, he had offers from nearly every big-name school.
What happened next: As a freshman at Texas in 2009, he saw little time as Colt McCoy’s backup, but did throw two second-half touchdowns in the team’s national championship loss to Alabama after McCoy went down with an injury. The next season, he started all 12 games for Texas, completing 260-of-441 passes for 2,744 yards and 10 touchdowns, but with 17 interceptions. He was injured in 2011 and after being given a redshirt year, graduated early for the Longhorns, allowing him to play right away as a junior in 2013 after transferring to Southern Methodist. That season, he started all 13 games for the Mustangs, amassing 3,278 all-purpose yards with 15 passing touchdowns and eight rushing touchdowns. In 2013, as a senior, he completed 335 passes for 504 yards and 3,528 yards with 21 passing touchdowns and also ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns.
He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the sixth round in 2014, but released by the Rams on Aug. 30 and signed to the team’s practice squad. He was cut from the team’s practice squad on Oct. 28, but was picked up by the Patriots and signed to the team’s practice squad in December.
Interestingly, as a practice squad player, he’ll be out of uniform on Sunday yet he could get a winning Super Bowl ring, something his father, former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, was unable to do despite playing in four consecutive Super Bowls (four with the Buffalo Bills and one with the San Diego Chargers).