FOXBOROUGH – One of the first phone calls Corey Kiner made when he was traded from the Cardinals to the Patriots was to team Hall of Famer Kevin Faulk.
“When I heard I was getting traded here Saturday, I called him, he was one of the first people I called,” Kiner said at his locker before practice on Tuesday.
Faulk recruited Kiner to LSU several years ago and the two have maintained a close relationship since.
“Just told him the good news and he was surprised, happy. He was happy for me, you know? Starting out in recruiting, Coach Falk came to my high school, I think once or twice to talk to me. I think it was right before Covid my junior year. We just started building a relationship.”
It took Kiner a little while to understand just how much Patriots fans love Kevin Faulk.
“I didn’t know who he was at first. I’m pretty young, so I wasn’t really into the team,” he admitted. “Then, my high school coach was like ‘do you know why that is?’ I’m like ‘nah, who is that?’ He’s like ‘that’s a Patriots legend.’ Once I found that out, I just started researching, start building a relationship with him.
“I was always interested in LSU, but just that relationship I had with Coach Faulk, it made the interest jump even higher. I got to LSU and Coach Faulk was just a great person. I was telling Coach Vrabel (Faulk’s) like another father figure to me. I always reach to him, tell him good news, ask him for advice and stuff like that.
“He’s there for me.”
So, once Kiner started watching Faulk highlights, what was his biggest takeaway?
“Just the longevity he had in his career,” he said. “I’d probably say we’re about the same size and he had a 13-year career. That’s my ultimate goal, to play as long of a career as I can. Just seeing the things he did, how versatile he was in the pass game and in pass protection, not just running the football.
“Like, seeing that just makes me want to add more to my game. I want to be as versatile as him.”
Asked for one specific thing that stood out above all else, Kiner answered almost immediately.
“Pass blocking,” he said as his eyes sort of lit up. “Pass blocking and pass catching in my opinion. Just listening to guys like Tom Brady speak highly of him. Anybody at any age knows how important Tom Brady is to the game of football.
“Hearing people like (Brady) speak highly of him just makes your appreciation for (Faulk) grow even more.”
Faulk also handed Kiner a lot of life lessons during his time in the Bayou, some that he knows will come in handy during this new journey.
“Just be patient,” Kiner said. “Honestly, I was at LSU as a true freshman. I had guys ahead of me. Just staying patient and be ready for my moment. Not just wait, but prepare as if I am a starter. Be ready for when that moment does come and it’s helped me throughout my career.”
Kiner is in just his second NFL season, but has an ideal mentor to lean on as he tries to start his own path as a Patriot.
“My ultimate goal is to find a role on this team and be the best me that I can be in my role,” Kiner said. “Whatever that role is, just for the benefit of the team, be the best me I can be…there will never be another Kevin Faulk.
“So, hopefully I can have the longevity in my career he had, but I’m just trying to be the best me that I can be and that’s all I’m going for.”