Patriots

I was on LinkedIn looking at jobs’: Patriots rookie Quinn Nordin described his circuitous NFL path

"The Patriots were my only call."

Quinn Nordin at Patriots minicamp in May, 2021. AP Photo/Steven Senne

August 10, 2021

Though he was once such a highly-touted college recruiting prospect that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh offered to sleep over at his house to try and get a commitment, kicker Quinn Nordin initially didn’t get a call from the NFL.

Ultimately, it was just the Patriots who gave the former Wolverine a chance as an undrafted free agent. But for a few days, Nordin heard nothing.

“I waited four days,” Nordin told reporters. “I was on LinkedIn looking at jobs. I was thinking of maybe going into the military. The Patriots were my only call.”

“Honestly I was literally on LinkedIn typing in, ‘What to do after college,” Nordin added.

How can you not root for this guy to make the #Patriots?

Rookie Kicker Quinn Nordin: "I was on @LinkedIn looking at jobs. I was thinking about maybe going into the military…Honestly, I was on LinkedIn like typing in 'what to do after college?'

via @Patriots @NBC10Boston pic.twitter.com/gCtTDU7hJ3
— Craig Kolodny (@NBCBostonCraig) August 10, 2021

Nordin set a record at Michigan for field goals over 40 yards with 14, but made just 42 of 58 (72.4 percent) career field goals in college. He also missed the final three kicks of his collegiate career in a 48-46 win over Rutgers in triple overtime.

“My senior year was a humbling experience,” Nordin explained.

“That’s kind of stuck with me throughout the process,” he added. “I think that’s really kind of turned me into the person I am today.”

At Patriots training camp, he’s in competition with 36-year-old veteran Nick Folk, but the 22-year-old Nordin has impressed so far.

He went 10-10 in field goals during a game simulation played inside Gillette Stadium on Friday, including booming kicks from 55 and 57 yards that were both good.

With preseason set to begin on Thursday against Washington, Nordin will get a real chance to showcase his ability.

“Quinn’s improved,” Bill Belichick said of Nordin on Monday. “He’s still got a long way to go, but he’s improved. It’s a good opportunity for him to kick inside. Of course, it’s ideal conditions. Can’t get it really much better than that. No wind, turf. We’ll keep challenging him in different situations and see how he responds just like everybody else. No rush.”

And for Nordin, he’s been able to appreciate his journey over the last few months.

“Literally, I think it was two days after [the draft], my dad needed the deck power-washed,” said Nordin. “All my buddies had signed with teams, and I was like, you know what, I could rent this power washer and I could power-wash decks in the neighborhood. But I wanted to give [the NFL] a shot. This is every kid’s, person’s dream to get a chance to play for the New England Patriots.”