Julian Ashby
LONG SNAPPER FOR THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU HEAR of a student athlete going from the engineering lab to an NFL locker room. Julian Ashby, mechanical engineering master’s student at Vanderbilt, was selected by the New England Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft—not bad at all for a long snapper who was “teaching himself how to snap using YouTube videos.”
Ashby’s path is anything but typical: With a degree in physics and a master’s in mechanical engineering nearly complete, he balanced equations and football practice in a way that would have many others thinking twice. “[It] creates a pretty busy schedule,” he said. “I have to do a lot of compartmentalization.”
His 5:45 a.m. mornings started with meetings, practice, and training. By afternoon, he was shifting gears—attending lectures, working in labs, and finishing homework. “I might have a class at one o’clock… then maybe do a little bit of rehab work or watch some film… and if there’s anything left I need to do for class, I can go back over to the engineering facility.”
“There’s a cool intersection there where my discipline from being a student athlete helps me to organize my studying and make sure that I’m staying on top of my classes. So the two definitely support one another. But when it’s time to lock in, I try to keep my barriers up.”
—Julian Ashby
Despite the grueling pace, Ashby never let one pursuit shortchange the other. “A lot of times the question is, why did I choose to still focus on both at a high level?” he said. “And I think a lot of that does go back to my faith… to really just have a drive and motivation to do my best, whether it’s on the field or in the classroom.”
What drives him isn’t just personal excellence—it’s impact. Ashby mentors younger teammates who hope to pursue engineering, reminding them they don’t have to choose between their passions and their professions. “There’s a path forward where you can get everything you want both in the classroom and on the field.”
Looking ahead, Ashby is focused on training for the NFL while finishing his degree. “If I don’t get the opportunities there, then I’ll still be able to come back to Vanderbilt, finish my master’s,” he said, sharing that he was also eyeing a future in rehab technology and assistive devices sparked by his time in Vanderbilt’s CREATE lab.
Professional football is a huge step up, but Ashby will always remember his time at Vanderbilt fondly. “Just getting to work with guys I really care about every day… there’s a special connection we had here,” he said.
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