New England wide receiver DeMario “Pop” Douglas shone in the Patriots’ hard-fought 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, finishing the day with four receptions that went for a whopping 100 yards and a touchdown.
It was an emotional day for Douglas for a few reasons. Not only did Sunday’s performance mark his best NFL game so far in his three-year career, but it also marked his first outing since the death of his uncle less than 24 hours prior.
“Yesterday, my uncle got shot, well, killed last night,” Douglas shared postgame. “This whole morning, my mood was different. Man, I couldn’t hold my tears. … Every time somebody said ‘keep your head up,’ my eyes kept watering up.
“I just know he was here with me today. First day in, you know, in Heaven — he was working. I’m blessed.”
Douglas had the words “WOP Forever” and “LL UNC” written on his eye black to honor his uncle.
“I just looked to the sky and I just told him ‘thank you’ because I know he’s with me,” Douglas said about how he was feeling when he scored in the first quarter of Sunday’s game. “I just know he’s up there excited, for sure.”
Douglas has 14 catches on 24 targets for 162 yards (11.6 yards per catch) and two touchdowns in eight games this season. The 24-year-old playmaker was a sixth-round draft pick out of Liberty by New England in 2023.
Up next, the Patriots (7-2) are on the road in Week 10 to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) on Nov. 9.
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