WR Kenny Britt on first impressions, new playbooks, and playing with the GOAT

FOXBOROUGH — The biggest surprise for Kenny Britt in his weeklong career with the Patriots? How quickly they tossed him into the game plan.

The new wide receiver, who was acquired last Wednesday, was in the lineup in the biggest regular-season game of the year against the Steelers four days later.

“It was kind of crazy — I had to slow myself down,” Britt said after practice on Wednesday. “I was running on emotions last week. When I got here, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m over here with Tom Brady. Come on, now. He’s the GOAT.’ But I had to take that and focus and use that energy and focus on getting into the playbook and learning.”

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Britt played two snaps and had one catch in Sunday’s win over the Steelers, the highlight of a whirlwind few days for the former Cleveland Brown. He’s only been in New England for a week, but he’s been “blown away” by what he’s seen to this point.


“I know this is a great organization, and there’s a plan — they’re so focused on their job at all times,” he said. “When I got here, they showed me nothing but love and believed in me. That’s one thing players need, regardless of where you are in your career. You need people to believe in you.

“If it’s big or small, they build you up on it,” he added. “For a receivers’ confidence, that’s everything. I think they know that where other places I believe, you make a catch, you go to the sideline, that’s your job. Here, you make a block, and it’s a good block on the backside, they’re like, ‘Hey, good block. We see you over there.’ These guys, they are all about playing for each other.”

Britt confessed one thing that has been intimidating — the playbook. It’s tripped up veteran receivers who have tried to jump-start their career with Brady and the Patriots.

“I would be intimidated too. Have you seen the playbook?” he asked with a smile when quizzed about past players being intimidated by the New England system. “Trust me. I understand.

“Hats off to those guys in the wide receivers room. Every five seconds they ask me if I need help with anything. Those guys are helping me out.”

His appearance against the Steelers also represented a long journey to New England for Britt, who said Wednesday he tried to make it with the Patriots on occasion the last few years — even after New England owner Robert Kraft said in 2014 following an off-field incident involving Britt that the receiver would never play for his franchise. Britt dismissed that question when asked about Kraft’s statement, and said he was just focused on taking his next step.

“There were a couple of teams out there, but me and my wife wanted to go at this point in my career to a place that was the right fit for me. This has always been a place in the back of my mind, that I would like to be,” he said.

“(It’s been a possibility) for a while, to tell you the truth, since I parted ways with Tennessee. It’s always been in the back of my mind. For whatever reason it was … the timing wasn’t right to be here. Three or four years later, now I’m here, and I’m not looking back.”

Former Rutgers teammate Devin McCourty has served as something of a mentor for Britt, who brings his share of off-field luggage to New England in the form of multiple arrests.

“Him and his brother (Jason) have always played a big role in my life — sending things to me, keeping my head up when things get bad,” he said. “Sending me things about leadership. They’ve always been leaders since I met them. Good guys.

“At Rutgers, we never really chilled that much off the field. But we were real close on the field and in the classrooms. They helped me out a couple of times. Those are good guys, on and off the field.”