Jake Ballard

Jake Ballard is a tight end for the New England Patriots of the NFL. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After going undrafted in 2010, Ballard signed with the New York Giants with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2012. In the game, Ballard tore his ACL and was injured/waived by the Giants on June 11, 2012. While most players clear these waivers and go on to play with the team they were waived by, Ballard was claimed off waivers by the Patriots, the team he was injured against during the Super Bowl. Many questioned the move as the Patriots already had two Pro Bowl tight ends on the roster in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. However, in the summer of 2013, Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with murder which resulted in the team releasing him almost immediately after his arrest. This, along with multiple surgeries to Gronkowski's forearm and back, may allow Ballard to get significant playing time in his first season with the Patriots in which he is eligible to play.