In his first year with the New England Patriots, Brian Waters earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection in 2011. Entering his 13th NFL season, the right guard is among the most accomplished offensive linemen in the league. In this Q&A, the 6-foot-3, 320-lb. Waters talks about his role as an NFLPA Executive Committee member, what it’s like to block for Tom Brady, what he’d be doing if he wasn’t a football player and much more.
Q: Talk about your role as an NFLPA Executive Committee member during the lockout.
A: It wasn’t an easy process. There were a lot of guys involved with that, but honestly, the concern was for the game and making sure we didn’t interrupt this great product that we have. The fans around the world really enjoy this game and I think we all knew the responsibility that we had that if we were to interrupt that, it would have been bad for everybody.
Q: What is it like blocking for Tom Brady?
A: It really is no different than any other quarterback, to be honest with you. That is our main job—to protect the quarterback and give the running backs a chance to be successful. And that’s pretty much it. It doesn’t matter if it is Tom Brady or anybody else, but it definitely doesn’t lighten the pressure (because of) the fact that it is Tom Brady.
Q: What is the best part of being an offensive lineman?
A: The fact that you are able to play as physical as you are (allowed to play). You don’t really have to worry about fumbling and different things like that. You really are able just to put your hands on players and if you have that physical mentality, it is a great position for you.
Q: What is the worst part of being an offensive lineman?
A: Nobody notices you unless you are doing something wrong. That is the only time you get your name called—when you are messing up.
Q: What other positions did you play growing up?
A: I played everything, pretty much. I think the only positions I haven’t played are wide receiver and defensive back. No quarterback either, but I have played everything else. I came into this league as a tight end.
Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t playing football?
A: I’d probably be coaching. I love the game and I love developing and working with young people, so yeah, I’d probably be coaching.
Q: How did the tightness, as a group, of the offensive line evolve over the course of last season?
A: I’ve had an opportunity to know a couple of these guys before I got here. I had a lot of respect for Matt Light and Logan (Mankins) and the way they played the game before I got here and then just working with Nate (Solder) and Sebastian (Vollmer)—those are two of the most talented football players, especially young players, that I have ever been around. So, it has been a really good group. Even the young guys like Donald Thomas and Nick McDonald, Ryan Wendell, those guys have really stepped up when asked, whether it be for a handful of plays or to start a game when they had never started a game in their careers. It just shows that these guys are professional, they love the game and they have a lot of respect for each other that they stay accountable to each other. It’s a good group; it’s definitely a good group.
Q: How much interaction do the players have with owner Robert Kraft?
A: We have a lot of interaction because he is always there—he is there every day. He is in the locker room. He works out with us at times. He uses the same facilities that we use as far as with the trainers and different things like that. He is very approachable. He comes by and speaks. He is a very hands-on owner; a very family-type owner. He is definitely an owner that a lot of guys have exposure to because he is always around.
Q: How important was offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia to getting you adjusted to the Patriots?
A: Well, he has definitely been an important key to it because he is the guy that helps my transition. He knows what things I knew and didn’t know coming in, so he helped really emphasize the things I didn’t know and made it easy for me—simplified it. Instead of trying to learn the whole playbook at one time, we really focused on week-to-week until we got really familiar with what we were doing.
Q: Was Scarnecchia hard on you when you first got to New England?
A: Oh yeah. He definitely didn’t slack off on me. He didn’t treat me any different from anybody else.
