Faulk perfect role(s) model

FOXBOROUGH -- Entering his ninth season, Kevin Faulk knows exhibition games don't mean much, and he dismissed the idea of assessing his play in Friday night's opener at Tampa Bay.

"I don't do no judging or grading of the tape, man," said Faulk, who has spent his entire career with the Patriots. "I just go out there and play football and hope that my job that I put out there was good enough for the coaching staff."

Whether he thought so or not, Faulk showed he still can be an asset to the offense this season, as he suited up with the first team because running back Laurence Maroney is still being held out of contact.

Playing for parts of only the first two series, he snagged a team-high three receptions for 26 yards, and added four rushes for 12 yards, showing the skill and versatility that have made him a Foxborough mainstay.

On the first offensive play, Faulk lined up to the left of quarterback Tom Brady, who was in the shotgun. As Faulk released into a pass route, he stopped off to chip-block defensive end Gaines Adams, the fourth overall pick in the draft. Faulk then slipped into an open area underneath the coverage of linebacker Derrick Brooks, providing an easy target for Brady for an 8-yard gain.

On the Patriots' second series, Faulk was set up for a screen on the second play. He gathered in a short pass from Brady, picked up blocks from linemen Stephen Neal and Dan Koppen, then made a solid cut to pick up extra yardage.

Two plays later, Faulk was on the receiving end of a 10-yard pass from Brady, but the catch was difficult because the ball was delivered at Faulk's cleats. Still, Faulk snapped it up with ease.

It was a Kevin Faulk kind of night -- quietly effective. A second-round draft pick out of Louisiana State in 1999, Faulk never has started more than nine games in a season and never rushed for more than 638 yards.

But he has always filled many roles. Faulk is the Patriots' all-time leader in receptions by a running back (276) and total return yardage (4,621 combined punt and kickoff return yards).

"Kevin's been a very good player for this organization for a while and does everything very well," said tight end Kyle Brady, who arrived this year as a free agent.

"It seems like he does everything they ask him to do very well -- catching the ball out of the backfield, picking up blitzes, running the ball. He doesn't make very many mistakes. He's the kind of guy you want on your team."

Doing a lot of things well hasn't made the 5-foot-8-inch, 202-pound Faulk into a star, but his longevity and solid play have given him a fine career.

"The thing about Kevin, a lot of people don't think he's gotten the credit he deserves," said Damien Woody, who was in Faulk's Patriots draft class and now is an offensive lineman with Detroit.

"But he's still around, this is year nine, and he's still making plays, doing great things. For a guy supposedly undersized who didn't have breakaway speed, he's already had a very accomplished career. At the least, he's going to walk out of the game with three world championships. That's a great career."

Faulk isn't thinking about walking out of the game just yet, as he has continued his exemplary work habits. This year he was one of the team's nine offseason award winners, an honor that comes with a prime parking spot, among other perks.

"When you work, you want to work hard, you want to do your best," Faulk said. "[If] you get an award for your achievements during the offseason, it's a great thing."

And it's that attitude that has kept Faulk at the top of his game.

"Everybody has those days when you don't feel like getting up and going to work but you still have to get up and go punch the clock, go put in that work that you have to put in," Faulk said.

"Each and every day I'm out here fighting just like every other guy for a roster spot."

Daniel Malloy can be reached at dmalloy@globe.com; Mike Reiss of the Globe staff contributed to this report.