Bailey Zappe can't believe he's an NFL quarterback: "It's still surreal"

BOSTON -- Bailey Zappe's football career has been marked by some huge leaps.

He went from the FCS-level Houston Baptist Huskies -- a small school where a CVS was basically located on the sideline -- to the FBS-level Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He handled that transition quite well, setting single-season NCAA records in passing yards and passing touchdowns in his lone season.

That one season was enough for the Patriots to spend a fourth-round draft pick on Zappe, though the quarterback was inactive for the team's first three games of the season. Then, with Mac Jones getting injured, things happened first. He was active for the first time as a backup to Brian Hoyer, but then was out there playing at Lambeau Field, against the Packers, with roughly 25 million people watching at home. The next week, he started at home and won. Then he started on the road, and won again.

It's all been a lot in a short time for the 23-year-old. And it's something he still hasn't quite wrapped his head around.

"Of course, I had a little confidence that I'd be able to make it in myself. But it's still -- for me, it's still surreal to be in this position and be in the NFL, be a quarterback in the NFL," Zappe said Wednesday. "And I don't think it will ever come to me that I'm playing in the NFL. I think I'll still always take advantage of every day and live this dream that I've had since I was 5."

Zappe has obviously handled that dream opportunity quite well. He's completed 72.9 percent of his passes, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt while throwing four touchdowns and one interception. He obviously hasn't thrown enough passes to qualify among league leaders, but he has the second-best completion percentage and third-highest yards per attempt among quarterbacks in the NFL.

Of course, as a backup, he could still lose his starting position through no fault of his own, as Jones is nearing a return from his high ankle sprain. In the meantime, Zappe said he's just trying to keep the same approach to his job.

"Just doing what I've been doing for the last seven weeks. Taking advantage of every rep that I get in practice, just trying to get better every day. That's kind of my mindset," Zappe said. "[Taking advantage of every opportunity is] 100 percent my goal, and it's very important, because you don't know when your next opportunity is going to come. So, I think once you get that opportunity, you've gotta take advantage of it and hope you get another one. But as far as practice goes, it's every rep that I get, take advantage of it."

For now, it does appear as though Jones will be healthy enough to play this week. If so, Zappe has already proven that he'll be ready to go if his services are needed once again.

"I think for me, it's still the same mentally, the way I approach it," Zappe said. "I still study the game plan the same way I would. whether, like you said, I was third string or a starter. That's kind of the mentality that I take into it every week. That's the mentality I'm going to take into this week. So I think that's going to carry on throughout the rest of the year."