New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye will have a familiar face for the upcoming rookie minicamp in May.
The Patriots invited Maye’s former teammate, wide receiver Beau Corrales, to the minicamp after a turbulent college career. Corrales played with Maye at North Carolina in 2021, and the two teamed up again for the UNC Pro Day on March 29. The Patriots took Maye with the No. 3 pick in the draft on April 25.
A 6-foot-3 receiver, Corrales transferred to SMU in 2022 followed by Texas State 2023. Corrales tallied 88 receptions for 1,290 yards and 12 touchdowns in seven injury-riddled college seasons between 2017 and 2023.
“Nothing like what it had been,” Corrales told Spectrum News in August 2023. “Definitely a different picture in my head of how I thought the career was going to go.”
“Ultimately I know that God places these things and obstacles in our lives for a reason,” he said.
Corrales’ best season came in 2019 when he had 40 catches for 575 yards and six touchdowns. The Georgetown, Texas, native will get this shot at the NFL despite four relatively quiet seasons since 2019 amid his injuries and surgery issues.
“With those injuries and surgeries came a lot of mental fortitude,” Corrales said. “I feel like I’m a better man today because of the stuff I had to go through even though it’s not stuff that I would’ve chosen for myself originally.”
Injuries Didn’t Stop Beau Corrales From NFL Pursuit
Things went downhill for Corrales with a sports hernia injury in 2020 followed by a surgery complication of calcium deposits, which also kept him out in 2021. Corrales then dealt with a shoulder injury in 2022 at SMU.
“That’s where that snowball I mentioned started rolling and picking up,” Corrales said about the sports hernia. “Surgery went well. They fixed the sports hernia, but it took two extra surgeries after that one.”
“Last week before the [2022] season got started and got pulled down in the end zone and fell on my shoulder,” Corrales added. “I had a bad separated shoulder.”
Corrales played sparingly at Texas State in 2023 with just two catches for 43 yards in four games. He still decided to give the NFL a shot at the UNC Pro Day despite his seven years full of challenges.
“I have so much ball to show that I have left in me,” Corrales said. “I know how quickly it can be taken, so ultimately I just want to go out there and lay it all on the line and have some enthusiasm while doing it.”
Beau Corrales Caught Patriots’ Attention at UNC
Corrales made an impression at the UNC Pro Day with a plethora of Patriots officials present such as head coach Jerod Mayo. While the Patriots primarily came to see Maye, Corrales got on the team’s radar.
“He recorded a 37-inch vertical jump, tied for the highest mark of the day, and unofficially ran the 40 in 4.53 seconds,” 247 Sports’ Evan Rogers wrote about Corrales on March 29. “Corrales made a number of high-difficulty grabs during Maye’s throwing session, including arguably the catch of the day when he extended and stretched out his left arm to tip back a pass into his body.”
Corrales will get more chances to showcase his talent with Maye in Foxborough at minicamp next.
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