FOXBOROUGH, Mass — It's no secret that Christian Gonzalez isn't a big talker.
Instead, he's someone who leads by example, leaving it all out on the field each and every single day.
"Yes I don't talk that much, but I mean I talk. Everybody thinks I don't say a word. I always stay stuff, but I'm just kind of, I don't talk as much," Gonzalez said. "Kind of more just by example. If guys ever need anything, I know they'll come up and ask me. Just giving tips to rookies, to younger players, and even older players. Like with (Carlton Davis), he's been in the league, and we kind of just run ideas of how we play certain routes off each other, and just little things like that.
"I'm definitely not the rah-rah, have a pregame speech or nothing, but just anyway
I can do to help somebody is kind of how I feel."
While reflecting on his own leadership, Gonzalez, entering his fourth year in the league, was asked about the best leaders he's been around and immediately highlighted one current teammate and two former teammates.
“Drake is a really good leader. He’s found his voice very fast,” Gonzalez explained. “I feel like he’s found his voice and everybody in the locker room respects it. We lean on him and we go as he goes and another one (Ja'Whaun) Bentley was somebody that comes to mind. (Stefon Diggs) was real cool to see how he leads and how he operates.
“That was a real cool person to be around and just learn how he used his voice in a different way. I mean, just from playing the game obviously for so long, but you kind of see his progression. I feel like as he is older he wasn’t as all to himself like the media portrayed. So, I feel like that was pretty cool to see how he was about.”
But Gonzalez’s quiet, lead-by-example approach hasn’t gone unnoticed inside the Patriots’ locker room. His teammates and coaches have seen firsthand the impact he has on those around him.
"One of the first things I noticed when I got here as a rookie was my locker being beside Gonzo. We were kind of across the training room entrance. But it's always cool to get to sit down, and when things are settled, to talk with Gonzo and pick his brain," the quarterback said. "Going back to college when he didn’t play in the bowl game at Oregon and they beat us. Just little things, talking about basketball and things outside of football, you really get to know somebody.
"The one thing with Zo is, you spend time in the sauna, and you go and you talk about things other than football. You get to really understand what type of player he is and what type of guy he is. The thing with Gonzo, he's even-keel. He's kind of similar to myself. We can get emotional sometimes and get competitive. I think you’ve noticed we get competitive, but at the same time, we try to keep it kind of flat. So, one of the best things about playing with Gonzo is watching him play. I think you’ll appreciate a good defensive back on your team. It's one of the coolest things playing quarterback because you realize a route concept they run, what he's doing and mixing up release, jamming and playing shadow. So, it's really cool to see every week, and he just attacks it every day.
"He's not going to say much, but you know that every time the lights come on, No. 0’s going to come to play."
His fellow defensive backs shared similar sentiments, highlighting Gonzalez's efforts on the field despite his quieter nature.
"I just think he's doing a great job at, number one, leading by example," captain Kevin Byard III told Patriots Wire. "I think his practice habits have been great. Zo, he's naturally quiet, but I think he's been doing a great job just in the meetings, voicing his opinion about different things. But I think he's always going to be more reserved, quiet guy. I think his leadership is by example and obviously playing at a very high level, people respect him in this locker room."
"I've definitely seen a situation of us in the DB room and everything like that, talking way more," Marcus Jones added. "So, the verbal aspect is where he's definitely been trying to work on that because, as we all know, he's a quiet guy and everything... We all know the capability that he has when it comes down to being a DB. He makes plays."
"Gonzo is really, I wouldn't say introverted, but once you know him, he opens up. But he is kind of an introvert, and he does lead by example. He's not a vocal leader. That's never been him," Carlton Davis shared. "He's a leader by example. When he goes out to do it game time, he's so locked in and y'all seen the play where he kind of orchestrated it. He takes initiative, so that's always been the kind of guy he is and I think as a corner, that's the best kind of person to be."
Gonzalez has had quite the start to the season, inking a massive deal ahead of the season opener, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, with a four-year, $135 million contract extension, with an average annual value of $33.75 million. And he has certainly lived up to the hype in the first two games of the season, having to cover two of the top receivers in the league: Jaxson Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf.
The cornerback gave up five receptions for 24 yards on 13 targets.
"He's got great relationships with his teammates, and I think it's one of those deals where you might not speak a lot, but when you do, everybody's listening," defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr explained. "He takes this job to heart seriously, and he has great pride in his craft, and he's got a lot of great information and thoughts on how things should be played... I remember explaining to him when I first got here, leadership sometimes is also out there making plays. That's a good way to be a leader, and I see him being vocal. He's now, every play, but he is vocal, especially with the back seven guys. I think all those guys listen to him when he does speak."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Christian Gonzalez is proving he doesn’t need to be loud to lead
