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**Q: When you came up to New England and met with the coaching staff, can you talk about where they felt you would fit with the team? Over the middle, 3-4?**
TW: I played the same defense at Texas A&M and I guess I fit their mold of defense that they play.
Q: What are your thoughts, are you surprised to be selected by the Patriots?
TW: Yeah, I wasn't too big on what was said prior to the draft. I am very confident in my abilities to go out there and play to the best of my ability. I think it is a great place with great tradition that I am glad to be a part of.
Q: Did you have a high ankle sprain during the season? When was that and how much did it affect your play?
TW: It is fine now.
Q: There were a lot of teams that were interested in defensive tackles how much of that priority on DTs help your cause and help New England select you?
TW: There's a lot of talent in the draft this year at defensive line. I consider myself one of the best ones in there. There's a lot of talent and they needed some depth at defensive line. Right now it is a hot commodity.
Q: Can you tell us what your strengths and weaknesses are?
TW: I am a very coachable guy. I listen to what the coach has to say to me. I take pride in not letting the guy run my way in running situations. At the same time, there are some things that I can learn … College terminology as far as play calling and technique and fundamental-wise is totally different from the NFL and I am aware of that. That is going to be my first priority, to come in there and learn as much as I can learn.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about coming to New England?
TW: I am looking forward to coming in. Now I am part of it, just coming in and learning as much as I can learn and contributing any way that Coach Belichick chooses to utilize me.
Q: What are your impressions of Richard Seymour, a guy that you will be playing next to?
TW: I watched Richard Seymour come out a couple years ago up in Georgia … He and his teammate [Marcus] Stroud, so I watched those guys coming out. I watched them play, they are very talented players and I love the chance to come in and learn from those guys. First I have to come in and learn and it is a privilege to come in.
Q: Where are you most comfortable on the line?
TW: It does not really matter where the coaches decide to put me on the line. I played all three positions before. Each position a year at a time. I played left end in a 3-4 defense, I played nose (tackle), I played right end in a 3-4 defense. I also played some rush end in some situations this past year. I am familiar with all of them. In that 3-4 scheme no matter if you are playing right, left or nose tackle those techniques seem to be pretty much all the same because they are all interior. The nose just happens a little quicker and I have had success at all three of those positions.
Q: How do you think your game will translate to the next level?
TW: I think with me I feel like I never got to accomplish all that I want to accomplish in my career at Texas A&M. I grew familiar with the defense in my later years at Texas A&M as far as the 3-4 defense is concerned. I think my best years are going to be in the NFL because I have so much more to learn. I'm not just playing with some football knowledge and raw talent. I still have some more to learn when I join the Patriots.
Q: When a team spends a first-round pick they expect a player to come in and make an impact at some point. How much pressure do you feel as a first-round pick?
TW: I know there are expectations there and I am willing to meet those and I think I am definitely a guy who can come in and learn from the coaching staff and definitely come in there and contribute. I am very capable.
Q: Your coach said that you would often come in after your game on Saturday and be there first thing in the morning with your defensive line coach on Sunday to grade out the tape. How much better did you get in your senior season, and how filled up is your potential so far?
TW: I fee I have great potential, one thing that got me over the edge my senior year, which was one of my best seasons at Texas A&M, it was a difference between my early years at Texas A&M to come in and watch film and just watch it and pay attention to detail.
Q: Are you excited to spend time with a defensive coordinator like Romeo Crennel or Bill Belichick, guys who obviously have a reputation for being pretty good?
TW: Yes, I am aware of my coaches and the ability to go in there and make great players out of young people like myself, it is a privilege to go in there and work with those guys, with the level of respect that they have around the league and I am ready to go in there and contribute any way I can.
Q: You had a huge game against Virginia Tech, can you go back and talk about that game a little bit and talk about what you were able to do?
TW: They did a lot of things, it was one of the first times I saw someone run my way as they did and I took pride in not getting pushed back and I took pride in making something happen if a run came my way. A lot of people never ran my way too much in college.
Q: You said you were upset about some of the things that were said about you before the draft?
TW: One guy said something about getting a paycheck and not wanting to play and I think that quote was probably the most degrading thing said about me. I think if someone is going to say something they better know me. I am a person who has been playing football since the second grade and I still love the game and as long as the game is there, I'll play it. After playing football I would like to coach so I think that was the most degrading thing a person said about me leading up to the draft. That's one thing that probably upset me the most.
Q: Will you use that to motivate you?
TW: I read that and it made me mad. It is kind of secondary to me now and I am not really worrying about it. I was upset when I read it just because I didn't feel that something like that should be published about a guy. It is behind me and it is secondary. Now my main focus is to get to know the Patriots' organization and contribute any way that I can.
Q: What do you want Patriots' fans to know about you that maybe we don't know?
TW: They can expect me to come in there and give it my all. I'll be proud to put on that silver, red, white and blue and you can expect big things.
Q: Weight was also mentioned (in the Sporting News) as an issue. How do you respond to that?
TW: I never had a problem with weight. I came to Texas A&M at 286 pounds – 290 pounds and I never gained more than 15 pounds, which is normal for a collegiate athlete to gain. Anywhere between 15 and 30 pounds, so I never had a problem with weight. This past season, my senior season, I had a situation with a coach and a talk and he wanted me to play some outside linebacker and the rush end as I mentioned before and I got down to like 292, but I played at 300 ever since I came to Texas A&M
