FOXBORO — The scar runs up and down Gunner Olszewski’s right hand. It signifies the end of one dream and the beginning of another.

Before the scar, he had big plans. This kid from Alvin, Texas, was going to become a professional baseball player after competing at Division II Bemidji State in Minnesota. He still may have achieved that dream, but it changed in the second game of his junior season in 2018.

“We’re playing at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings [...]

FOXBORO — The scar runs up and down Gunner Olszewski’s right hand. It signifies the end of one dream and the beginning of another.

Before the scar, he had big plans. This kid from Alvin, Texas, was going to become a professional baseball player after competing at Division II Bemidji State in Minnesota. He still may have achieved that dream, but it changed in the second game of his junior season in 2018.

“We’re playing at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings Stadium. It was really cool playing there because there was snow on the ground,” Olszewski said. “The (second) game of the season, I get on first, I steal second base and I break my hand pretty good. I’ve got seven screws and a plate put in. I was hoping that year in baseball, I’d maybe get drafted. I was like, this is it, I’m going to go play baseball if I get drafted because I don’t want to be in school any longer.”

Olszewski was one of the best players in the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The 6-foot-tall catcher/outfielder led Bemidji State with 20 stolen bases and 13 doubles his sophomore season to go with his .311 average. He earned first-team All-Conference honors that season. The year before, as a true freshman, he batted .327 and hit seven home runs.

Everything changed on March 2, 2018 when he broke his hand. A two-sport athlete at Bemidji, football soon became his focus. That’s why he spent this offseason in Foxboro as he tries to defy the odds as a D-II athlete to become an NFL player. If that wasn’t enough, he’s also trying to transition from cornerback to receiver with the Patriots.

“I always wondered what I wanted to do — play football or baseball. I’d give a shot at one of them,” Olszewski said. “The decision was kind of made for me, I guess, with breaking my hand. So going into my senior year, I told my baseball coach 'I’m not going to be here for baseball season. I’m going to go chase my dreams with football.' And here I am. It ended up working out pretty good.”

Last year, Olszewski became one of the best D-II players in the nation as a cornerback/return specialist. He was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-American and earned All-Conference first-team honors for both defense and special teams. As a cornerback, he finished with 63 tackles and three interceptions. As a punt returner, he averaged 16.8 yards per return.

When last season ended, Olszewski heard from NFL teams who were interested in seeing him work out. That was enough to get him to hang up his baseball cleats. He then worked out at the University of Minnesota’s Pro Day, where the Patriots had a scout. Following the draft, Olszewski was invited to rookie minicamps in Minnesota and New England.

During the Vikings camp, he worked out as a cornerback — a position he’s played his entire football life. With the Patriots, he was immediately moved to receiver. He didn’t receive a contract from either team, but when offensive tackle Jared Veldheer retired, a roster spot opened up and the Patriots called him.

Receivers/special-teams coach Joe Judge was the one who informed Olszewski he’d be moving to receiver full-time. He even compared the rookie to Danny Amendola, who was also an undrafted free agent.

“It’s football. That’s the way I look at it,” Olszewski said. “I’m just playing on the other side of the ball now. I guess what I try to do is, playing DB what I hated receivers do to me, I try to do to them. I hated it when a receiver would run right at my toes and step on my feet, so I try to do that when I’m doing drills. It’s just flipped-flopped. It’s a lot to learn. A lot of small things. Up here, every detail matters. It’s a weird time to jump in and play a new position.”

This isn’t the first time the Patriots have moved a rookie to wideout. The team found a gem in Julian Edelman, who went from playing quarterback to returning punts and playing receiver.

Understandably, Olszewski followed the veteran around this spring.

“He probably thinks I’m annoying with how many questions I ask him,” Olszewski said. “I kind of follow him around. I’m like a little shadow. I try to be at least. Everybody here — I’ve been blown away by how teammates treat you. Like guys you look up to and they come in, look you in the eyes, shake your hand and say, ‘Hi, I’m Julian.’ I’m like, man, ‘I know who you are.’ ”

“I love that guy,” Edelman added. “If he’s got a question, I’m here to help try to answer it to the best of my ability. I feel that’s part of my role on the team, being here so long. He’s working hard. He’s definitely a tough kid. I love the chip on his shoulder, and I like working with him, that’s for sure. … He definitely works his tail off, and I like having him around.”

Olszewski is a longshot to make the Patriots 53-man roster, but he wouldn’t be the first underrated and undrafted player to make it in Foxboro. He comes across as confident and willing to do whatever it takes — which is evident with him trying to learn a new position on the fly.

“Man, I ain’t got no room to bargain,” Olszewski said. “It’s not like the Patriots called me and I was like, ‘receiver? Eh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go somewhere else.’ There was nowhere else for me to go, so I’m very thankful for the opportunity New England’s given me and I’m going to make the most of it.”