BOSTON — Wednesday was an off day for the Patriots. For the players, it was a chance to catch up on some rest or spend time with family following a busy week of offseason workouts and playbook studies.

For Cordarrelle Patterson, Wednesday was a chance to try to make an impact off the field in a new community. The 27-year-old wide receiver/return man was traded to the Patriots from the Oakland Raiders back in March. On his off day, he joined six other [...]

Mark Daniels

This type of outreach, Patterson said, was something he always loved doing. For the Patriots newcomer, Wednesday was a nice chance to give back to his new fan base.

“Oh man, this is amazing,” Patterson said. “Every chance I get to come and do something like this, it’s just a blessing from the skies. From my background, I try to go back every chance I get to just go and see the kids. It’s always good to come in and they know we’re in the NFL and just put a bright smile on their faces. It’s an exciting feeling for me.”

Community outreach isn’t new to Patterson. He quickly found out how rewarding the experience was during his second year in Minnesota. During that 2014 season, Patterson received a note from first grader, Nevaeh Torma, at Rice Lake Elementary School in Maple Grove, Minn. The student wanted to have lunch with Patterson and complimented him on his cleats and skill set.

“I surprised her and her whole school and came and had lunch with them,” Patterson said. “It was probably the most exciting thing I think I ever did.”

The trade on March 20 landed the Patriots one of the NFL’s premier return men. Patterson is a two-time Pro Bowler (2013, 2016), two-time first-team All-Pro (2013, 2016) and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2015. In his career, Patterson has averaged 30.2 yards per kickoff return and has five touchdowns.

In five NFL seasons, he's been the jack-of-all-trades for both the Vikings and Raiders. Last year, he caught 31 passes for 309 yards while rushing for 121 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

He hasn’t been in Foxboro long, but says he’s settled in and eager to get things started.

“It’s real good, man,” Patterson said. “Just coming in, a new guy on the team. I’m just excited to be here. I’m ready for the season to start.”

It also hasn’t taken Patterson long to make an impression on his teammates.

“I mean, I’ve seen that guy play since college and make explosive plays all across the field whether on offense, kick returns, punt returns,” said James White. “Definitely a game changer. He works hard. He’s tough, big, fast, physical. He can bring a lot to the table.”

Another part of Wednesday’s event was building camaraderie. The day gave Patterson a chance to bond with his new teammates as he, White, Jordan Matthews, Kyle Van Noy, Harvey Langi and Derek Rivers all traveled from Foxboro to Boston in the morning. After sitting in a long car ride together, the group had a good time goofing off with the children at the hospital.

“You can say it’s team bonding because when you’re interacting with the kids, you’ve got to interact with the teammates as well,” Patterson said. “You’re meeting all these kids and meeting your teammates for the first time or you’ve been seeing them around the locker room. It’s just a good feeling to get out of the house, come in on our off day and see all these kids smile.”

The day was also a reminder that football is around the corner. Starting next week, OTAs begin and players will be able to participate in non-contact scrimmages for the first time. For Patterson, it’ll be exciting to start his new journey with the Patriots.

“Of course, man. Every day I’m ready for the season to start,” Patterson said. “It’s just a new year. You can showcase yourself. Today, I’m going to keep doing all the charity work I can do and just show up to work each and every day.”

Cordarrelle Patterson aims to help the Patriots on and off the field