To look at the most basic of his stats: 5-8, 202 pounds, the New England Patriots Kevin Faulk isn't that impressive as a football player.

He's a little on the short side, a little on the light side for a running back in today's NFL. He isn't the fastest guy, isn't the most naturally athletic.

But when he's on the field, there isn't much Faulk can't do.

He can carry the football, can throw a block better than most, can make a key third-down catch when called upon, can return punts.

Or as his former coach at LSU, Gerry DiNardo, says of the ninth-year veteran, "I find his recent success with the Patriots storybook in this way: he's not a prototypical anything in the NFL, but they have found a way to make him a star."

Faulk has always been a standout, and not just with pads on. A schoolboy All-American at Louisiana's Carencro High when DiNardo lured him to nearby Baton Rouge, Faulk hit the ground running, so to speak, at LSU, enrolling in school early to begin his classes.

Given his status as a local star, Faulk was one of the most visible players of DiNardo's tenure with the Tigers, and the coach put extra responsibility on the young man because he knew so many in the area looked up to him.

Faulk responded.

"He graduated in 3-1/2 years, in a time where a lot of athletes don't graduate, let alone in 3-1/2 years," DiNardo said. "He was never a problem academically. He just went about his business. He came to my office one day (in his senior year) and said, 'I'm graduating in December; I just wanted to let you know.' I always remember him coming to tell me that."

Faulk became one of the most prolific rushers in school history and the Southeastern Conference, and as Bill Belichick has done with Faulk, DiNardo used him in a variety of ways: as a rusher, receiver and punt returner.

The former high school quarterback knew every play in the playbook, DiNardo said, and everyone else's assignment in those plays.

But Faulk knew how to tweak his coach as well: during practice, and sometimes in games, Faulk would grab a punt by plucking it out of the air, hands over his head, rather than with his elbows out and palms toward the sky.

"I'd tell him, 'You're making me a nervous wreck,' and he'd just laugh," DiNardo said with a chuckle.

New England drafted Faulk in the second round of the 1999 draft, and he is one of the few players on the current Pats' roster that predates Belichick's tenure as head coach.

Much as he did in Baton Rouge, Faulk now simply goes about his business. He's not the rah-rah type, getting into teammates' faces or gyrating after making a big catch.

But his quiet demeanor coupled with his results, have made him one of the more respected figures in the New England locker room. Before the season began and with perennial captain Troy Brown on the shelf recovering from a knee injury, Faulk ostensibly took his mentor's place, being elected a team captain for the first time in his career.

It is an honor Faulk has accepted and embraced. Through all of the turmoil and drama that's swirled around the Patriots this season, Faulk has been one of the few players to consistently face the media and answer their questions, in his matter-of-fact style.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Faulk has played a larger role in the offense, especially in recent weeks when defenses have keyed on Randy Moss, leaving the underneath routes open for Faulk.

His rolling third-down grab last week against San Diego helped ice the Pats' fourth AFC championship in seven years. Faulk led New England with eight catches for 82 yards in the win.

"It's typical of Kevin: when they needed him he was there," DiNardo said.

Kevin Faulk may not be the biggest or the fastest player on the Patriots' roster. But he can help win football games. And that's the only stat that counts.

Shalise Manza Young is a sports writer for the Providence Journal. She can be reached at smanzaprojo.com.