What’s the biggest adjustment when you’re going through an injury like that?

“It’s mostly the conditioning. I can’t run and do my conditioning, like hills, regular conditioning, running striders or whatever. I’m kind of limited to running on the field so I have to find other ways like being on the fan bike. Mostly what I can do is low impact, maybe some pool conditioning, but it’s just hard to get that football conditioning when you run a route, break a few tackles then go right back to the line.

“It’s hard to mimic that style of conditioning whether you’re hurt or not. So being hurt is even more. I’m just trying to stay in shape. I’ve been doing good lifting, squats, certain things. My body is feeling good, looking good. It’s just that I don’t know how far I am conditioning-wise so I just try to stay on the fan bike and do those things.”

“That’s mostly the mental challenge, thinking about how I’m going to feel when I come back and if I’m going to go these many plays. I believe I can, and I know I can. It just that I’m going to push myself. That’s one of the things you think about.”

How are you feeling right now?

“I feel great. I’m five months and like two weeks out of surgery, so I feel really good. I actually just started running, gonna be hitting the field soon. I can actually run and stuff, it just that I can’t stop. I can’t break down. That’s what I have to relearn. So probably in like two months I’ll be able to start working on breaking down on like a curl route or just little different things. It’s like block by block.”

You signed a new deal with the Patriots. What was the biggest reason you wanted to come back here? 

“Just the leadership role I’ve been embracing. I’m one of the older guys and just helping the young guys and leading a group of young men – I’m still a young man too, but there’s a certain relationship that I’ve built in the room and the building with people. It can go further if I do these next few years right too. So that was one of the biggest reasons.

“I love being a part of the organization and what it’s built on. I also wanted to be a part of the new regime with [Jerod] Mayo. It could go one way or the other, we don’t know. But we’re going to work hard and we have the right people in the building. I feel like I’m one of those right people to help get this thing back on track.” 

When you are a part of something new, there’s an opportunity to make it your own. How do you think this core is going to build their own Patriots culture?

“Great question. I think it’s just hard work. I think it’s the same mindset as when Bill [Belichick] was there. Earn your keep, hard work pays off, what you put in is what you get out. Mayo knows all of this. He knows how to lead men. I think that’s the most exciting part.”

“It’s just all about us individually buying in, getting better individually, then looking at it as a whole to be better as a team. Not coming in there selfishly, like I can’t come in there wanting to get 100 passes and demanding things. That’s not what we’re built on. Whatever works, whatever is best for the team, that’s what going to make us great. I’m good with that mindset. I’ve learned. Hopefully, everybody can be that way and it will be a good year.”

What makes Mayo unique? He’s one of the youngest coaches in the NFL, so not everybody gets an opportunity like the one he has. What makes him special?

“He has played and he has coached under Bill. He has learned from the greatest coach of all time. So, he has two perspectives that a lot of people don’t have. That’s rare. He’s learned both perspectives, and he’s young. He can relate to players.

“He has sat in the same exact seat as us in this building. There are little things that he might do to adjust to a younger audience, which the team is. We’re a new generation. So, I think he’s going to adjust well and that’s what makes him special, getting through to us so guys want to play hard and for each other.”

How’s it been different having younger energy in the coaching staff?

“It’s been awesome. You can just feel it. Just keeping it simple, like things don’t have to be harder than what it is. You can just tell he relates to us. Most of the meetings we’ve had have been great. He just gets straight to the point and keeps it simple and treats us as grown men and not trying to babysit us.”

“It’s up to us to be who we want to be. A coach can only do and say so much and show so much. He’s just keeping it short and sweet and simple and making it clear that we should already know how to act, how to be outside, how to be around people, how to respect people, just the little things that will make us better men and a better team.

“I think the main thing is just keeping it simple and not making it harder than what it already is.”

Which player would you like to see the Patriots go get?

“I want [Brandon] Aiyuk. He’s my guy, and I think he’ll fit in. Just being a one-on-one receiver at X. He can take a whole half of the field and dominate and create a lot of attention for himself. That’s big in our offense, the X receiver?”

How well do you know Aiyuk from your San Fransisco days?

“I know him pretty well. We had a good relationship when he first came in as a rookie. I was in year three, I believe. I kind of was just teaching him the ins and outs in the beginning when we worked out together in the offseason. We got along pretty well. I’ve posted a couple things, we’ve got handshakes and stuff. So, we’ve always been pretty connected and have gelled naturally.” 

Have you seen “The Dynasty?” What did you think?

“I think it’s awful too, honestly. It’s just a lot. It made Bill look bad and I love Bill. I love everything he stood for. It was just kind of crazy how it made him look and it seemed like a lot of misunderstanding and confusion that was going on. I enjoyed seeing the history and learning about the history. It’s always dope to learn about history. But, they tried to swing it one way or the other and it didn’t have to be like that.”

“I was kind of on the fence about it because I love the history part, but I hate how they made Bill Belichick look. I hate how they tried to make it look divided. I think every team goes through that, but when you’re a dynasty and you win a lot people still try to discredit it.”

Are you still making music?

“I’m working on my album which will come out on August 4th so stay tuned. I don’t even have a name for it yet, but I’m making gospel rap. I’ve only got about two songs. I’m trying to make like eight songs. I’m trying to get it done before August so I have to get on my horse.”

Have you heard Mac Jones rap?

“He’s actually solid. He don’t go crazy, he just be flowing, messing around. He has rhythm and he has good melody so he knows how to change his voice with the beat, like when the beat goes up it does back down. He’s got a lot of hipness to him.”

What was your reaction to the Mac Jones trade?

“I’ve chopped it up with him. I told him that he’s going to be alright and everything happens for a reason. He hit me up when I re-signed and congratulated me. So, we keep in contact here and there and he feels good being home. That was dope by the Patriots, sending him somewhere that he wants to be and is comfortable. Respect to them for doing that.”

You’re raising money for charity by playing in the American Cornhole League this weekend. Tell us about your cause.

“My foundation represents underprivileged youth around high school age. When I was in high school, I struggled really bad with knowing the direction I wanted to go in in life.

“The foundation, Bourne Blessed, is to help those kids in need with the direction they want to be pointed in and whatever they need whether it’s football camps, youth programs and stuff like that to help them take the right classes to be eligible for NCAA and different opportunities to be in the right path because that’s where I struggled.

“I met my high school coach my junior year, when I was getting in a lot of trouble. He told me to transfer for my senior year. He changed the direction I was going in and put me on the right path. That’s why I am who I am today. He told me what classes to take that I needed to be eligible to go to college. He disciplined me. And he was a security guard at the school so that really helped too. It just changed my whole trajectory and I want to give kids that same opportunity.”