Because the New England Patriots had a reputation for being a strict and tense organization, new hire Kendrick Bourne thought this was exactly what the organization would be like. Instead, his assumptions quickly turned out to be wrong.
After an initial meeting with the organization last week, the wide receiver found out that New England could be fun behind closed doors. Bourne, who signed a one-year contract with the organization, had allayed his concerns after the first meeting with the organization.
The wide receiver caught 49 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns for the 49ers last year.
“I thought when I first entered the building, I thought it would all get stuck if I saw what it would feel like, everyone was looking at me, coaches were meeting, but it was quite a misconception,” Bourne said. ‘They were relaxed there. They were relaxed and having fun. They know what they want it to look like. They know they want their organization to be serious, Your Excellency. But it is relaxed behind closed doors. It’s fun. There is laughter there. I was stumbling. I thought it would only be me.
“But when he first entered the building, (head coach) Bill (Belichick) was super cool. (Owner) Robert Kraft was super nice. I just had a completely different view of the patriots in my head. It was a happy medium. You can be a joker, be cool, but we work hard here. This outweighs the folly, the hard work. I have a golden mean. Turn it off a little bit, I can relax. I know when to turn it on. ‘Okay, it’s time to be serious, time to work. We have to win this game or we have to take out this workout or this weight room workout or whatever it may be. ‘… Misconception by me. I am excited to be here. “
Since the Patriots need significant production from the wide receiver position, Bourne thinks he’s part of it. Now he can relax a bit, knowing the Patriots might be having fun after all.