FOXBORO, Mass. — Through the magic of HBO, Jets fullback John Conner's legend is building as quickly as his fantastical nickname.
"The Terminator" is a bulldozing force on special teams, and he was one of the stars of Hard Knocks because of his some hits that put players into orbit. Because of this, some of the Patriots' best special teamers are looking forward to a tough matchup.
"He's just looking to hit somebody," said Kyle Arrington, who tied for the team lead with two special teams tackles last week. "You have to match physicality with more physicality, so we've got to hit him back. We'll see who caves first."
Arrington has been the Patriots' best player in kickoff coverage since he joined New England midway through last season, and that’s where he registered both of his stops against the Bengals. With Conner specializing on blocking for the Jets' kickoff return unit, he and Arrington figure to bump into each other at some point.
"Big hits, that’s just what he's looking to do, so we're definitely aware of that," Arrington said.
Conner, a fifth-round pick out of Kentucky in the 2010 draft, quickly made a name for himself in Ryan's eyes. His value is so wide-ranging — from the offensive backfield to special teams — that the Jets kept two fullbacks on the roster, including legend Tony Richardson.
"You hear a lot about his physical play from the guys who watched Hard Knocks. He's a physical football player," Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater said. "Overall, as a team, they're just physical, and he's one of the front-runners. He's not afraid to go in there and bang heads, and that’s the type of game we expect. That’s the type of players they have."
Some of the Patriots' linebackers are going to do their best to avoid Conner all weekend, as they'll try to elude him defensively and on kickoff returns. For a guy who has played just one game, he's surely made a name for himself — or, at least adapted well to the name that he's been given — and Conner is on the Patriots' minds.
"John Conner's a good player, a good fullback," Pats linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "He's a hard hitter [and] a tough guy."
"He's a good athlete," linebacker Gary Guyton echoed. "You can't take anything away from him. He's still young, but at the same time, he's a good athlete. He can play the game of football pretty well."
