Q: Can you tell us how this signing came about and how you chose the Patriots? Did you take any other visits?
JG: Yes, I took two other visits. I went to see Buffalo and I also went to see the Pittsburgh Steelers. Once I was released, my goal entering free agency was that I would love to have the chance to play for a team that could win it all and had some stability at the quarterback position. Once I was contacted by Coach [Bill] Belichick, I was very excited about that opportunity. I took a visit and had a chance to go to dinner with the coaches. Then, the next day, I had some meetings and went through the physical. From there, we've just been talking about contract situations and finally we were able to work it out.
Q: What keeps you going at the age of 37?
JG: I guess the same thing that kept me going at 24 and 26 and 28; it's that I love to compete. I'm looking forward to a new challenge, a new situation. I'm looking forward to competing with a team that expects to win football games. This is what I do. This is my profession. Nothing has changed for me over the years. I have the same drive. I have the same focus. As long as a new challenge is in front of me, and I physically and mentally feel very good, then I look forward to it.
Q: How much did the fact that you'll be able to catch passes from Tom Brady and the fact that Tom Brady will be your quarterback influence your decision?
JG: That's influence on the decision, you can't really measure it. I have been a fan of his for a long time. I've been a fan of the team, a fan of the organization from top to bottom, from Mr. [Robert] Kraft and all the way down. I've always looked forward to an opportunity to get into a situation to … like I'd said, stability at quarterback has always been something that I've hoped for and looked for in my decision-making. Once the opportunity came to have a chance to play with Tom Brady, then I don't think you can do any better than that.
Q: It had to be a frustrating season for you last season with your injury. How difficult was that?
JG: It was frustrating, of course. But more frustrating was the way the team finished at the end of the season, missing the playoffs. As far as football is concerned, there are always going to be injuries. I've dealt with a few in my career and last year's was just one of those years that once the injury made me miss some games, it just turned into a long season. And that season ended sourly because we didn't make the playoffs.
Q: Are you over that injury? Are you still the speed-burner that you've always been?
JG: Yes, the injury was a bone situation that happened early in the season. It was a six-game injury. It's completely done and the foot is fine.
Q: Are you prepared to play a little bit more of a role, as opposed to being a featured receiver? Obviously, there's a lot of talent on this team. With the addition of Greg Lewis and with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, how do you see yourself fitting into that?
JG: My goal going into every season, with this being my 15th season … this has not changed my goal, which is always to be prepared to do whatever the team may ask me or need me to do to help win football games. I never go into a situation looking at it as: Where am I slated? Where am I slotted as far as the receivers on a particular team? In this case, this is a very talented offense. There are a lot of playmakers on this offense and my focus is - when I get there - to be prepared and be ready to the best of my ability to do whatever it is that they ask me to do. If that is to be third, fourth, fifth, it does not matter to me. My goal, again, is just to be ready and help the team win games.
Q: You mentioned stability at quarterback. Was that something that was maybe more important to you coming from your situation in Tampa?
JG: I think it's been something that I've sort of joked with a lot of people about. Really, looking back through my entire career in my 14 seasons, I think my count is at 23 quarterbacks who have thrown me passes at this point. So I haven't had real quarterback stability in many of the places where I've been. With Tom Brady being the guy here, absolutely, I am looking forward to that. That's just been the case my entire career. It just been the way it has been.
Q: How much fun do you think it will be, or how much fun will it not be for opposing defenses to have you and Randy Moss on either side of each other?
JG: That is something that I don't really look at that way. Like I said, it's a very talented offense. It's an offense that I am extremely excited being a part of. I do hope that we can create some matchup problems for opposing defenses. I'm looking forward to getting that process started once I begin to learn the system, and learn the offense, and see how things work. I do think that we will be explosive whether it's from where I'm at, or from Randy [Moss], or [Wes] Welker, or any of the other guys. I think offensively we have some weapons that have an opportunity to be pretty explosive if we can gel together and work things out.
