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True Patriot: New England's Joe Cardona excels in commitments to football, Navy

There are Patriots, and then there are patriots.

As impressive as New England’s roster has been throughout the Patriots dynasty, it’s a little-known long snapper who has one of the most notable resumes. Joe Cardona, who’s been on board for the last three Super Bowls, took a few minutes recently to talk with Yahoo Sports about his life on the field … and his life as a Naval reservist.

“I’ve been so fortunate to do two careers that I absolutely love,” Cardona says. “It’s been so special for me. I’m going to keep doing this as long as I can.”

Cardona graduated from the Naval Academy in 2015, the same year the Patriots drafted him in the fifth round of the NFL draft. He required a special dispensation from the Secretary of the Navy to take time off to play in New England, and he’s repaid the faith of the Navy and New England by playing in all 16 games every year of his career.

Along the way, Cardona has won the acclaim of his teammates and the respect of his coaches. “He obviously has a great military career as a lieutenant,” Tom Brady says. “We’re all proud of him. Just a great, great person. Glad to call him a teammate.”

“It’s definitely not lost on me that I play for the most patriotic team in the NFL, and one of the most patriotic areas of the country,” Cardona says. “The patriots of New England are the people who started America. We joke around about that, but realistically, my two jobs intersect in a lot of ways. But the best way to look at it is that I get to be around great individuals on both sides.”

Watch the full video on Joe Cardona, “True Patriot,” above.

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