Football is a sport of brotherhood. Players often talk about how their teammates become friends and a lot of them become family. Few position groups are as close as the offensive line.
In an ideal situation, the same five guys will play nearly every snap of a season together. Naturally, those guys spend a lot of time together. In New England, two of the most important players on that offensive line have been center David Andrews and right guard Shaq Mason.
While Andrews was discussing his team with NBC Sports Boston’s The Camera Guys, he joked about what their relationship is really like, especially with Andrews coming from Georgia and Mason coming from Georgia Tech.
“We had to go to a lot of counseling. So, that’s been tough,” Andrews explained. “I’m a little worried [because] we haven’t been in a while. It’s kind of like a marriage, so we might have to go back.”
The two offensive linemen had their college programs square off four times during their four-year careers spanning from 2011-2014. Andrews’ Bulldogs won three of the four meetings, but Mason’s Yellow Jackets took the final game in their senior year.
They both joined the Patriots in 2015, Mason as a fourth-round pick and Andrews as an undrafted free agent. Together they formed a talented, reliable duo on the interior. However, when Andrews missed all of last season due to blood clots in his lungs, Mason had his arguably his worst season in New England.
With Andrews expected to return this season, some counseling may be in order to get them back on the same page. However, without longtime offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, the task will be a little more difficult.
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