Julian Edelman

It's one thing to be 100 percent and go out and play football feeling great. It's another thing when you're not feeling good. You're sick, or you got a nagging injury, and you gotta go out in the cold and go across the middle where a guy's coming full speed at you trying to kill you.

When I was growing up, I was a huge San Francisco 49ers fan. The New England Patriots have a similar mold and plan to win a lot of games - reminiscent to that Bill Walsh era.

I don't even enjoy football, at least professional football, anymore because I'm breaking the game down constantly. You're sitting there watching the plays, and you're talking mental reps on what would I have done here against this coverage or this leverage, this, that. It is what it is.

I don't say I'm necessarily a professional football player. I'm a competitor. That's what was instilled in me as a young boy.

I would say the greatest challenge, for me, had been my rookie year and learning my spot. It is an emotional battle, as you have good days and bad days. Being young and thrown into this big business is challenging.

I always preach you have to have a short memory, whether it is good or bad.

The Patriots do a great job of establishing a common rhetoric of working hard and working for the men that stand next to you on the field.

Your job as a receiver is to get open and catch the ball and block in the run game.

The more everyone tries to do their own job, that's when the team fires on all cylinders.

Ball security is job security here.

Obviously, my goal No. 1 every year is to play in every game.

As a punt returner in the NFL, I know all about teamwork, high-speeds, and collisions on Sundays.