Patriots hire Cam McCormick after 9-year college football career

Looking around the NFL, no two individuals have the same 'football journey.' Whether it be players, coaches, front office staffers, etc., everybody took at least a slightly different path to get where they are.

That being said, Cam McCormick's football journey stands out from the pack. And now, it takes him to New England.

Over the weekend the Patriots reportedly hired McCormick as a scouting assistant, as first reported by 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. McCormick joins the Patriots after a nine year college career than ran from 2016 to 2024. His veteran status as the amateur level became somewhat of a legend in recent years, and was profiled by ESPN's College Gameday prior to the start of his ninth and final season last year.

A three-star recruit coming out of high school, McCormick committed to Oregon as a junior in high school in February 2015. However, he tore his ACL in his senior year of high school, forcing him to redshirt his first year with the Ducks in 2016. McCormick returned in 2017 after an offseason heath scare, and was healthy for the full season but played a limited role.

Prior to 2018 McCormick was named the starting tight end for Oregon but suffered a torn ankle ligament and broken leg in the season opener, costing him another season, and adding a medical redshirt year. Complications from that injury then cost him the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and he underwent an ankle reconstruction in 2020.

The next season McCormick was once again cleared to play and got onto the field. However two weeks into the season - on his first catch since 2018 - he tore his Achilles tendon once again ending his season early.

Finally in 2022 McCormick played a full season for the firs time since his redshirt freshman year in 2017. That included making six starts, and catching three touchdowns. Granted additional medical hardship redshirt seasons, the next year McCormick transferred to Miami/ Over the last two years he played in 26 games with 12 starts, catching three more touchdowns.

Now 27, McCormick went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. During his nine college seasons he did earn two degrees - a bachelor's degree in journalism with an emphasis in advertising and a master's degree in advertising and brand responsibility, plus post-baccalaureate studies - but he'll instead be taking his first job out of college working in football operations for the Patriots.