Brace looks to learn

defensive line jobs quickly

By Justin A. Rice

Wednesday August 12, 2009, 5:43 PM

Associated Press New England Patriots rookie defensive lineman Ron Brace takes on the blocking sled during training camp at Foxborough.

By JUSTIN A. RICE

FOXBOROUGH - One is an NFL rookie, and the other is embarking on his college career. But both Brace brothers are in the same position on their respective depth charts.

As former Boston College defensive tackle Ron Brace learns both the nosetackle and defensive end position in New England Patriots training camp, his younger brother, Marquis Brace, is also learning a new position.

The former Springfield Central High School standout linebacker is a redshirt freshman free safety at American International College.

Associated PressRon Brace, left, confers with Vince Wilfork during New England Patriots training camp at Foxborough..

"The boy gets moved around a lot, wherever they need him that's where he'll play," said the Patriots rookie, who grew up in Springfield before attending Burncoat High in Worcester. "That's the same thing I'm trying to do right now."

Before Marquis started his own camp on Aug. 5, he watched Patriots training camp for a day. His mother, Sheila Henry, was amazed how calm he was about the whole experience.

"At the end of the day he's my brother," the 18-year-old said. "It's just regular for me, it's normal."

That will change, Marquis said, when he sees Ron on the game field for the first time, which could be during New England's first preseason contest in Philadelphia Thursday night.

"I can't wait, but I got camp too, so I don't know if I'm going to be able to watch the game," Marquis said.

Still, watching Ron on the practice field proved to be motivational enough for Marquis.

"Coming into college you have to be open to learning a new position, so it was definitely (helpful)," he said. "He pushes me, and I look up to him."

Beyond telling his brother to listen to the coaches and do what it takes to get on the field, Ron has a difficult time dispatching advice.

"I've never played safety before, (I haven't played) anywhere in the backfield," Ron said. "The only way I can help (him) is to say, 'Keep doing your best.' Tell him that every time, do your best, learn your book. The quicker you learn your book the quicker you see yourself start getting better on that field."

It might be a little easier for the 40th overall pick in the draft to give that advice than to follow it. His Patriots playbook is larger and more complicated than most of his textbooks were in Chestnut Hill.

And he hardly had time to master nosetackle before the Patriots asked him to play defensive end recently, a position he's never played.

"I think when you look at Ron, he's got that frame, he's got good height and a good long frame to play end, as opposed to some players who might be big players, 300-pounders that don't have the length to play out there," Pats coach Bill Belichick said of the 6-foot-3, 330-pounder. "I think Ron has that combination of size and power and length."

Playing on the end might still feel like he's on an island, but Brace has taken to nosetackle by playing behind one of the most heralded nosetackles in the league, Vince Wilfork. But Belichick said Brace has a long way to go to catch Wilfork.

"Vince is way, way, way ahead of him," Belichick said of Wilfork, who is in camp even though he still hasn't settled his contract extension. "(He's) been playing a long time. I mean, Vince is as good a player at his position as there is in the league, a very experienced, versatile guy. Ron has never played a down in the National Football League; he's been out practicing for a week.

"He's not going to be able to make up that kind of ground against Vince Wilfork in one week of practice. There's just no way. So there's a pretty big gap there," Belichick said.

Besides playing two new positions, another big change for the jovial defensive lineman who fried homemade donuts for his BC teammates is that he has to damp down his personality.

"I'm a rookie, pretty much my role right now is speak when spoken to," Ron said. "I don't have time to joke around, I still have to look at that thick book and get ready for Philly. I can't really joke around right now. I can joke around once I learn my role and the season is over, once we all get to know each other."

He has, however, had some laughs with fellow rookie and former Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer.

"I thought he was the one who completely crushed me on one play, but I wasn't sure and he wasn't sure," Hoyer said of BC and MSU's meeting in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl. "We might have to go back and check the tape.

"He's funny. He's kind of a quiet giant. He doesn't say much, but when he does it's pretty funny."