FOXBOROUGH — Ja’Lynn Polk knows this path.
As a collegian at Texas Tech, then Washington, he started slow. A dislocated clavicle suffered on the first play from scrimmage in the 2021 opener with the Huskies hindered his development.
But that injury and the journey back, one that culminated in an appearance in the national championship game last season, is what he believes prepared him for what he’s going through as a rookie with the Patriots .
“This is the same process a little bit, if you kind of think about it,” Polk said. “My freshman year (at Texas Tech) wasn’t the most perfect year.