Patriots release Grafton’s own Obi Melifonwu
Grafton native Obi Melifonwu has been released by the New England Patriots after just two seasons the football team has announced.
Melifonwu, 26, was a star athlete at Grafton High School, playing defensive back, quarterback and running back before his graduation in 2012. He was a standout at the University of Connecticut and had a legendary performance at the NFL Combine in 2017.
He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft (56th overall) but began his rookie campaign on injured reserve. He appeared in five games with one start in 2017 and started the 2018 season on injured reserve once more before he was released.
While the Patriots picked him up in November 2018, Melifonwu played only two games with the team in the regular season and one postseason game — enough to claim a Super Bowl ring.
Melifonwu was released by the Patriots last fall and signed to the practice squad.
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