FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – Dan Klecko wasted no time showing that his father Joe isn’t the only family member who could knock down NFL runners.
On his first play with the New England Patriots, he and Ty Warren tackled Ron Dayne for a 1-yard loss. On his third play, they teamed up again to stop Dayne, this time for a 1-yard gain.
By the time his NFL debut was over Thursday night, the undersized nose tackle from a weak football program had a team-high seven tackles, including 2 sacks.
“Was it just me or did I hear his name out there all the time?” Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said after the Patriots 26-6 exhibition win over the New York Giants.
Klecko is just 5-feet-11 and 283 pounds. But he was the Big East defensive player of the year last season. The Patriots drafted him in the fourth round.
Like his father, he played for Temple, which won just four games each of the last three years. And he wouldn’t mind achieving what his father did.
Joe led the NFL with 21 sacks in 1981 when he was a member of the “New York Sack Exchange” – the Jets’ dominant defensive front line that included Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.
He played for the Jets from 1977 to 1987 and retired after playing for the Colts in 1988.
“Who better to learn from?” Dan said early in training camp. “So if he’s got little tips for me, I’m going to listen.”
Last season against Miami, Dan sacked Ken Dorsey for a 4-yard loss and tackled Willis McGahee twice behind the line of scrimmage.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has used Klecko at several line positions and even at linebacker.
“They are really working him out at some different spots and seeing what he is able to do,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “He has really taken advantage of all these opportunities.”
It’s very early in the exhibition season, but other Patriots rookie draft picks have shown great promise. First-round choice Warren had three tackles, including a sack, and cornerbacks Eugene Wilson and Assante Samuel made good plays.
Linebacker Roman Phifer, entering his 13th NFL season, has noticed.
“A lot of young guys stepped up,” he said. “Ty came in and got a sack, Klecko made some plays. Good solid guys, young, aggressive. They have a good future in the NFL.”
The Patriots can use them.
Their defense last season was ranked 23rd out of 32 teams and their run defense was 31st.
So Belichick focused on changing that by signing several free agent veterans – linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, safety Rodney Harrison and cornerback Tyrone Poole. Four of his first five draft choices play defense.
The Patriots held the Giants to two field goals and came up with four turnovers and seven sacks.
“Everyone was, the majority of time, in the position they needed to be,” Colvin said.
That’s difficult in a defense as complex as Belichick’s, especially for rookies playing their first NFL game.
Belichick praised rookie draft choices for their hustle and overall performances. But Klecko and other rookies didn’t speak to reporters.
“I don’t think coach wanted (them) to say too much,” Brady said. “I think he just kind of wanted them to shut their mouths and get ready for practice on Saturday.”
Belichick was careful not to single out the performance of any rookie, preferring to speak about them as a group.
“It’s something to build on,” he said Monday. “I’ll feel much better when we can get positive plays out of those guys in October and November.”
Klecko should be one of those guys.
“He showed everybody in the stadium tonight he can help us,” Bruschi said.
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