FOXBOROUGH -- Forget the fact that receiver Randy Moss exudes confidence and has a presence that commands attention. When he first stepped into the Patriots' locker room, he looked to his left, then to his right, and his stomach churned as if he were a rookie all over again.
"My biggest thing was coming in with a locker right beside Tom [Brady] and Vinny Testaverde," he said. "I think that's where the butterflies came in, just really getting in the locker room and meeting the guys."
Now a few weeks later, Moss said he's feeling more comfortable in his new environment, and a big part of it has been getting out on the football field. Over those 100 yards, he said, is "really where you get your freedom."
It's also where Moss, 30, has proven to be a free spirit over his career, and it's natural to wonder how his approach will fit in with the Patriots' way of business.
"To be honest with you, I don't plan on changing," Moss said yesterday after the team's practice at Gillette Stadium.
"I just want to go out there and play football. Really, anything that you've heard about me, good or bad, some are lies, some are true. I think that the guys are getting to know me and understand that I love to win and carry myself as a professional athlete."
Moss has drawn significant attention and his presence helps explain why a whopping 70 media credentials were issued for yesterday's practice, after which Moss was scheduled to speak.
As Moss made his way across the practice field for his interview, heading toward a small orange cone that marked the spot in which he was supposed to stand, media members jockeyed for position, leading with elbows and sticking their recorders and microphones in front of each other. Who knew the most contact on the field would come after practice?
Moss seemed amused at the crowd awaiting him. Despite professing a dislike for interviews, and telling the media he won't be talking much this season, he played along.
"Start it off, who's got the first one?" he said, kicking off the proceedings.
The first question was how Moss felt about being part of his new team.
"[It was] a long, long anticipation of getting here and getting to camp, getting around the guys and just seeing how this organization is run," said Moss, who shed his No. 6 jersey to reveal a sweat-soaked gray Patriots T-shirt. "I like everything that I've seen and hopefully I can just fit in."
How about differences between the Patriots and his previous two teams, the Raiders and Vikings?
"Football is football. When you're winning everything is good. When you're losing everything is bad," he said. "The only thing I can really say is we have a great group of guys, along with coaches, and I enjoy it. I love coming to work every single day and just being around these guys."
