FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots head coach Bill Belichick doesn't ordinarily allow injured players to travel with the team on road trips. The intention with that philosophy is to eliminate any chance for distraction.
Belichick has made an exception to that rule with running back Kevin Faulk, who has traveled with the Patriots to Miami and Buffalo. Belichick has always boasted about his level of respect for Faulk, and the veteran's leadership ability can always benefit the younger backs on the roster.
For Faulk, he really relishes the opportunity to see the game up close and personal, and he appreciates the chance to feel like he's part of the season-long journey, even though he can't come off the physically unable to perform list until at least Week 6.
Faulk has worked out on the field about three hours prior to each road game — with some intensity, too, generating a pretty serious amount of sweat in Miami — and then he's watched the game on the sideline with the rest of the team.
"Seeing football, that's all it is, staying into the game," Faulk said. "If I'm able to come back later on during the season, I want to be able to be into the game. I want to be like I've been a part of the season the whole time. That's my train of thought, just being there, feeling it, feeling what they're feeling throughout the course of the game, throughout the course of the year."
