FOXBOROUGH — Cyrus Jones doesn’t have to be afraid of Tom Brady anymore. Well, maybe he still does on the practice field, but when the games count for real, all the fears will be gone.
New England’s top pick in last weekend’s draft — the second-rounder was the 60th overall selection — made his first appearance as a Patriot Friday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. It’s not a place the Baltimore native had fond feelings for until arriving in town Thursday.
“I grew up a Ravens fan, so any time we played the Patriots, I definitely was scared of Tom Brady,’’ said Brady’s new teammate with a big smile, one befitting a man who had just signed his first professional contract less than 24 hours earlier.
“Obviously he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks to step foot in this league, and I’m just honored to be a part of his team. He’s a winner. Everybody likes winning. I consider myself a winner, so I’m looking forward to working with him and trying to get to another Super Bowl and win it.’’
Sporting a blue suit (that he swore he owned prior to arriving in New England) with a white shirt and red tie, the cornerback already has clearly embraced his new team and its colors. If he has some Ravens paraphernalia left in his closet back home, he won’t be donning it any time soon.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, honestly,’’ he said. “It’s a dream come true. This is the best program or I should say organization in the National Football League. Great coaching, great ownership, great locker room. I’m excited.’’
Describing the last week as “a whirlwind,’’ Jones said he’s just now settling into the reality that he’s an NFL player.
“Just hearing my named called, it’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and first picked up a football,’’ he said.
“And just my hard work paying off and to have Coach [Bill] Belichick and Mr. [Robert] Kraft see something in me to want to give me an opportunity to come make this football better, it means the world to me.’’
As much as he may have enjoyed the predraft workouts and experiences, he’s happy to put them behind him and get down to business.
“It’s time to play football now, time to get ready to come out here and win games,’’ said Jones, who added that he “eats, sleeps, and breathes’’ football. “It’s no more running around in tights and running [40-yard dashes] and stuff like that. It’s time to put back on the pads and get after it. I can’t wait.’’
A cornerback by trade, the 5-foot-10-inch, 197-pound Jones also is expected to pitch in on special teams. He was exceptional at Alabama, where he returned 46 punts for 618 yards and four touchdowns.
“Special teams are a key part of the game, and I’m a punt returner,’’ he said. “I enjoy that. That’s one of the things I love most about playing football. I love having the ball in my hands and being able to make a play for my team, so I’m looking forward to being back there returning.’’
Special teams coach Joe Judge is eager to see Jones join the competition along with stalwarts Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.
“He definitely has the ability to make plays on his own, which is the No. 1 critical factor for any punt returner,’’ said Judge. “He has some toughness to his play style and he’s obviously been productive — he’s scored touchdowns.
“But like everybody coming into the organization, everybody coming into the league in general, there is a lot to learn. So we look forward to getting him here and working with him as soon as possible and getting him caught up on everything he needs to know.’’
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Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at@GlobeJimMcBride.
