Life as a Patriot: “Accountability is the biggest thing. You are accountable for all your actions, which is a good thing. Responsibility. They want you to be professional as soon as you walk in the door. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Describing his rookie season: “It’s been a learning experience, from waking up every day and getting to work on time to watching film at home – learning how to be a pro, learning how to handle myself around the guys, fit in, and do the right things.”
His approach on waiting for an opportunity to break through: “It’s tough, but you just keep working and come in with a good attitude knowing that you’re going to get better, and knowing that you need to learn something new each and every day. I think in the end, everything will take care of itself.”
What he loves about football: “Game day. Coming to work every day is a blessing. Where else would you rather be? It all pays off every Sunday when you get to put your pads on, your uniform on, and see the fans.”
Role models in his life: “Definitely my parents [Venita Taylor-Vereen and Henry Vereen], without a doubt. Both of their stories and their backgrounds are real inspiring and most of what I do is for them and to set an example for my younger brother, too. My father, his family was a big family and they didn’t have a lot of money. But he made himself. All of his brothers did. Coming from that, you know you have to be at your best at all times. He never stood for being good in football and bad at school, and vice versa. My mom was a top-of-the-class student who graduated early from high school and college, so I knew academics was always important for me and my brother. If we didn’t finish our homework, we weren’t going to football practice.”
