New England Patriots offensive guard Shaq Mason has enjoyed the week practicing at his former college Georgia Tech.
“It’s been great,” Mason said. “Getting to the Super Bowl in general is a blessing. The fact that being at Tech I got to see a lot of the old teammates and friends. It means a lot.”
Mason was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He started immediately as a rookie and is set to make his third Super Bowl start when the Patriots play the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Mason, who played at Tech from 2011-15, likes Tech's spiffy locker room.
“The locker room is crazy,” Mason said. “That was my first time walking in there and being in there and seeing it in person. I was taken back by that.”
Mason, of Columbia, Tenn., signed a five-year $50 million contract in August of 2018. He played for Paul Johnson, but has met new Tech coach Geoff Collins.
“I talked to coach Collins,” Mason said. “I like what he has to say. He’s very positive. He brings a lot of energy. The guys on the team, they like him. I think that’s very key that the players want to go out there and put on their best display for a coach. He’s getting it out of those guys.”
Mason will be a central figure in the Super Bowl. He has a nasty matchup against Los Angeles trio of defensive tackles in Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers.
Mason, center David Andrews and guard Joe Thuney will need to keep the interior of the passing pocket firm for quarterback Tom Brady.
“We have a tough matchup,” Mason said. “Those guys on the other side of the ball, they are great. They deserve all of the recognition they get.
“We’ve definitely got our work cut out for us. We are definitely looking forward to going out there and competing with those guys for however many minutes it takes.”
About the Author
