Illinois wrestler John Wise invited to Patriots camp

The Patriots have invited Illinois wrestler John Wise to attend minicamp, according to WGEM-TV in Quincy, Ill. The 24-year-old Wise played college football for two seasons with Western Illinois as a defensive tackle before transferring to Illinois and becoming part of the wrestling team. New England has taken chances on wrestlers before — offensive lineman Stephen Neal was a collegiate wrestling champion, while Jermail Porter had a brief stint with the Patriots last season.

Wise does have an impressive high school football resume. He was named Male Athlete of the Year in 2003 and 2004 for his high school football accomplishments. He was named second team all-conference defensive lineman in 2003, first team all-conference linebacker in 2002 and first team all-conference defense in 2001. He was the team captain of his high school football team for two years.

Originally posted by Christopher Price here…