Toughness is a non-negotiable for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, and Lan Larison is known for being “cowboy tough.”
Larison, the undrafted rookie who signed with the Patriots after the 2025 NFL Draft, spends his free time jumping off horses and seeing how quickly he can wrestle a steer to the ground. The Caldwell, Idaho, native was a state champion steer wrestler and, according to those who knew him, the nation’s No. 1 bulldogger at his age.
It’s a product of Larison coming from a long line of rodeo. His family, with older siblings and rodeo athletes, is used to waking up at 4 a.m. Mountain Time (MT) and riding horses.
“He loves the dirt,” UC Davis head coach Tim Plough told NESN.com during a phone interview, which you can hear on NESN’s “Foxboro Rush” podcast.
So while football might be Larison’s second-best sport, it’s the one he’s pursuing until he climbs off the proverbial horse and onto a real one.
Larison reportedly signed one of New England’s richest undrafted free agent deals. Vrabel, Plough said, called Larison before the NFL draft ended to tell the three-time All-Big Sky selection he had a place in Foxboro, Mass. It was that moment Larison knew he would chase his dream 2,700 miles from home.
Plough believes the Patriots are the “best fit” for Larison, and he’s thrilled about his record-setting running back landing with Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Plough even compared Larison’s skillset to former Patriots running backs Rex Burkhead, Danny Woodhead and Kevin Faulk when he spoke to NFL scouts before the draft.
“I swear I’m not making it up,” Plough said.
Such a fit makes up for Larison not being drafted, which Plough believes was due to injury.
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Larison tore a ligament in his ankle during a FCS playoff game in mid-December. He needed surgery after the season-ending loss. It cost Larison the 2025 Senior Bowl and 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, despite the fact that he returned some six weeks ahead of schedule.
“He was going to get invited to both those things, and I think he would have done really well,” Plough said.
Returning nine weeks into his expected 15-week recovery, scouts flew to the UC Davis Pro Day to see Larison. The FCS All-American went through every workout and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash. Experts viewed the program’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards (6,504 yards), as a sixth- or seventh-round pick following that workout.
Perhaps Larison would’ve been if not for the injury. Perhaps he would have been if he had left UC Davis and transferred elsewhere.
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The former Vallivue High quarterback, who only received one college offer, had a dozen SEC and Big 12 programs reaching out last spring. Those big-time programs all hoped Larison would transfer and offered him approximately $400,000-$500,000 in Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, Plough said.
Plough can’t envision many other 21 or 22-year-olds making the same decision Larison did.
“People will remember that loyalty as much as they remember all the touchdowns,” Plough said.
That sort of character surely appealed to Vrabel and company.
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Despite sporting a moustache that trendy teammates might be jealous of, Larison wasn’t a recognizable face before the draft. Videos of Larison’s steer wrestling, his impressive one-handed catches and leaping hurdles, however, quickly started trending after he signed in New England.
His college production — Larison ran the ball 641 times for 3,634 yards and caught 127 balls for 1,626 yards with 53 total touchdowns in 50 games — only stoked the fire. There’s real, external hype regarding Larison this spring.
Plough and Larison are well aware of what lies ahead, though. Arguably the best FCS player in 2024 will have an uphill battle to earn a roster spot. He’s behind incumbent starter Rhamondre Stevenson, second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson in the running back room while others also will compete with Larison on special teams.
Larison, however, is familiar with hard work and grit. It’s been instilled in him over the years. Now, it will travel with him as he looks to tackle his next challenge.