Long snapper Julian Ashby is the dependable, team-first player the Patriots need as they continue to establish culture.

Julieann Challacombe

Stepping onto the field as a bright-eyed freshman at Parkview High School, Julian Ashby's aspirations of being a quarterback couldn't be stopped by a 10-foot brick wall.

It was his dream to become a dependable leader for his team. At the time, fulfilling that dream meant being quarterback, but he spent his freshman year sharing the position with a fellow teammate.

His time on the field was cut in half, and in the moments he stood on the sideline he realized one thing -- what mattered to him most was being there for his teammates, not the position he played.

The time came to immerse himself in the world of varsity sports. The long bus rides full of music and motivating speeches. Being pushed harder than you've ever been and doing it as a unit, at the highest level.

Ashby caught word of an open tryout at long snapper for the varsity squad, he saw his opportunity and knew he couldn't pass it up.

"It was the best way to help my team through high school," said Ashby in his post-draft press conference.

After making his first few snaps, he was immediately approached by Parkview's running backs coach Rod Twyman. Twyman clocked Ashby's snapping accuracy and advised him to work on fine tuning his craft; he had potential to make it far. Turns out, Twyman is right.

Ashby went on to play 39 games and handled 276 snaps covering placements and punts for the varsity squad. In doing so he earned nearly a full ride to Furman University, but more importantly, left an impact on those he was leaving behind in Lilburn, Georgia.

The Young and the Selfless Teammate

The first thing former Parkview head coach Eric Godfree noticed about Ashby was his character. Coming from a family which, according to Godfree, strives to 'lead by serving others,' it wasn't shocking to him that Ashby wanted to be there for his teammates in any capacity.

"He wanted to contribute for his team, he wanted to help out," said Godfree. "Because of the person Julian is, and his work ethic, and his character, we all wanted him on the field too."

Ashby's desire to support his team turned into taking on two roles. He continued to take most reps as the second-string quarterback, which meant improving at long snapper bled into his free time before and after practice.

Ashby's commitment to being the best where his team needed him outweighed the teenager within him that wanted to play video games or hangout with his friends. The work was his outlet, and it ended up paying off. He was the perfect guy for the job.

"He turned out to be better than we could have imagined because of how hard he works at things. It's one of those spots that nobody recognizes until you mess up, or until you don't have one," said Godfree. "It really is a selfless job, and that really is him, he's an others-first guy."

As Ashby begins his campaign to take a spot on the Patriots 53-man roster, Godfree isn't worried about his success. The numbers that made him the sixth-best long snapper in Georgia and later the best in the NCAA will speak for itself. It's really Ashby that will blow New England away.

"The way that he works at it, cares for others and treats his teammates, he's going to be respected in the locker room," said Godfree. "As soon as you get to know him, you find out real quick that you're pulling for him."

Immediate Impact

After three seasons at long snapper and graduating with a degree in physics from Furman University, Ashby decided to take his final year of collegiate eligibility to Nashville to and play for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Ashby made the most of his opportunity and dove headfirst into what Music City had to offer, both on and off the field.

His resume as a Commodore quickly stacked with accolades like being named to the CSC Academic All-American, CSC Academic All-District and SEC Football Community Service Teams, as well as being named a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, which is reserved for the best long snapper in the country who exemplify "Excellence, Integrity, Effectiveness, Teamwork, and Balance" according to the award'sbeneficiary website.

"Julian makes a huge impact wherever he goes, he was one of our leaders in community service," said Vanderbilt special teams coordinator Jeff LePak. "He came in and made an instant impact and was a huge part of our culture in his short amount of time here."

LePak was present for the Patriots first encounter with Julian Ashby. Head coach Mike Vrabel, special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and a crew of Patriots team-ops staff were present to see the top-ranked long snapper in the country for themselves.

Both LePak and Ashby recall the workout being intense. Coaches walked him through the expectations and opportunity the Patriots were offering, making him only more hopeful the Patriots would throw the first punch come draft night.

"He pushed me hard and that's what got me excited about this opportunity," said Ashby. "It's a high standard which I think is a great expectation to walk into, and I look forward to doing my part to keep the great line of specialists through New England going."

LePak has complete confidence Ashby can become a leader on special teams as New England establishes its culture. He can build relationships with anyone, it's what he does best.

"The franchise is getting a great human being first of all, as well as a talented long snapper," said LaPek. "Anyone that comes in contact with him is going to come off the back end better for it."

Laying the Foundation

In a few short months, Ashby will take the practice field at Gillette Stadium. His motivated and dependable character remains as strong as it was back in Lilburn, Georgia, but his purpose lies elsewhere.

Tangibly, Ashby will work hard and won't stop until he's made everyone else's job easier.

"For me, dependability has always been the word," said Ashby. " That's staying healthy, and staying available, but it's also doing the job well so that the coach can worry about scheme and the rest of the game rather than the actual operation of a punt or a kick."

Intangibly, on all of his past coaches' accounts, Ashby can become a solid piece of the foundation VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden spoke of in the hours following drafting the nation's best long snapper.

"There's an idea here that can't be overstated enough: if you don't get the person right, then a lot of that other stuff can go by the wayside," said Cowden.

"I think we've been trying to be very intentional about the people to build the foundation that Coach Vrabel and his vision has here for this football team."

Julian Ashby

#47

LS

• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 231 lbs
• College: Vanderbilt

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