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Sports

New England Patriots Draft Jimmy Garoppolo

Arlington Heights native will get to play with his favorite NFL quarterback, Tom Brady.

The New England Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night with the 62nd pick.

He will back up his favorite NFL quarterback, Tom Brady, and NFL.com suggests Garoppolo will likely be the Super Bowl quarterback's eventual successor.

He was born November 1991 in Arlington Heights and played in the Arlington Cowboys Youth Football program. He attended Westgate Elementary and South Middle schools in Arlington Heights.

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The Eastern Illinois University graduate excelled at Rolling Meadows High School, where he was an an all-conference and all-state player for the Mustangs in his final two years.

At Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo passed for 13,156 yards, 118 touchdowns and 51 interceptions in 45 games. Garoppolo was named the Walter Payton Award winner in 2013.

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As the NFL draft grew closer, the Illinois quarterback's stock began to rise.

"Garoppolo is much more than a funny looking last name. He isn't the biggest and lacks a huge arm, but he has an above average understanding of offensive football and uses his quick eyes and touch to push the ball downfield," reported CBSSports.com. "He grades as a top 100 prospect for several NFL scouts, and continued to rise during the pre-draft circuit do to a strong week at the Senior Bowl that turned into an invitation to the combine."

Last week, a celebration was hosted at his alma mater, Rolling Meadows High School, where his high school football coach, Doug Millsaps jokingly said of him: "He's a handsome lad with an unbelievable future. And he's going to be rich." 

Garoppolo is the eight QB drafted by the Patriots under coach Bill Belichick and the highest selection at the position, according to Patriots.com. 

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