Fernando Bryant is a busy man away from football.
Bryant's charitable work is very important to him, as noted in today's Boston Herald.
In his home state of Georgia recently, state Sen. Ron Ramsey Sr. spearheaded a day to honor Bryant, the Patriots newest cornerback, for his efforts.
"The first thing that grabbed me was his character," Ramsey said in the story. "Obviously, he's a very successful young man, but he remains humble. He remains charitable and is just a genuine person ... Boston is blessed with a true jewel in getting Mr. Bryant. He will make an impact in a positive way."
WR Randy Moss fought back tears as he was honored this past weekend in his home state of West Virginia for his off-the-field endeavors, an event chronicled by the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.
"I don't need the pat on the back. The kids do," a moved Moss said during a speech at the Boys & Girls Club of Huntington's annual fundraising dinner.
"That's what really got me caught up and emotional, because all I could really think about was growing up and not really having access to anything and now that I have that opportunity to give back - maybe with my time, a few words, an autograph, a hug, whatever it may be - I just want people to know that I'm sincere. I want you to know that what I'm going to continue to do for the state of West Virginia is all coming from my heart and nowhere else."
He also talked football, including what motivated him to have a record-setting season last year, his first in New England.
"It seemed like within one year, I forgot how to play football," said Moss. "It kind of troubled me and bothered me, but at the same time that's what fueled me in my offseason conditioning and through training camp. The results came one game short of making everybody pay for what was said."
Back here at Gillette Stadium, the scouting department is busy preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft in April. Helping lead that charge is Player Personnel Director Nick Caserio, the Pats' wide receivers coach last season and a scouting department veteran prior to that.
Caserio told The Boston Globe that his experience as both coach and scout will help him immensely in his new capacity.
"You know first-hand the demands placed on our players because essentially when you're coaching a position, you're going through a week with them, so you can see exactly where they need to be, and what they need to do both physically and mentally," he said.
"From my perspective, now as I'm evaluating college players, you're looking for those type of qualities, those type of traits, to see if they will translate over and be successful in our program. That is also important to relay that information to our scouts so collectively we have a good understanding of what we're looking for."
