"For me, it's like going back to high school, because our colors were orange and black," said Redd, who attended Elizabethton (Tenn.) High, where he registered 104 career tackles for the Cyclones before going on to the University of Virginia and then transferring to Liberty University. "I love wearing black; a black jersey has always been nice."
Bill Belichick said recognizing the efforts of practice players was meant as a way to make those reserves or inactives feel fully invested in the outcome of that week's game. Last week, veteran running back Kevin Faulk played the part of Ronnie Brown when the Patriots prepared for Miami's "Wildcat" package, so he was also awarded a black jersey.
"We try to find ways to make everybody feel a part of the team," Belichick said. "Not everybody can be active for the game. Not everybody plays in the game, but everybody has a role during the week in preparation, and that is important, too.
"Same thing in the offseason program; everybody participates in that and can be recognized, to a certain degree, for what they do. There are some guys that get a lot of attention - the guys who get a lot of sacks, get a lot of touchdowns, and they get their recognition one way - but there are a lot of players that contribute to the team in a very significant way that we can recognize as a team and appreciate.
"There are a lot of different ways to do that and the practice player's jersey is one way."
Others who garnered practice player honors this week included offensive lineman Russ Hochstein, practice squad safety Mark Dillard, reserve linebacker Gary Guyton, and, of course, Redd, whose job it was to impersonate the bombastic Porter.
So, did he give the Patriots' offense a full-throated dose of Porter?
"I probably didn't talk as much as he does," Redd said with a laugh. "But I guess, in some ways, [the offense] doesn't like him. That's just how it goes; you've just got to work hard in practice."
Did Redd go as far as to kick some dirt, as Porter often does after he sacks the quarterback?
