Former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Eric Warfield, who has a rocky past, is intent on being a solid citizen and a top-notch player with the New England Patriots.

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, April 5, 2006

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

Eric Warfield spent eight unfulfilling seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

On the field, the cornerback was part of a porous defense. Off the field, he wound up getting arrested and convicted three separate times for DUI.

He signed with the Patriots this week and is ready to begin a new chapter in his life, both personally and professionally.

"This is a fresh new start for me," said the 30-year-old Warfield, who served a four-game NFL suspension at the start of the 2005 season. "Everything off the field and that whole situation, I'm trying to move on from that. The whole situation with the DUI, I just want to put behind me. It's hard to get rid of. I'm trying to take this procedure one day at a time."

Warfield says he's been to alcohol rehab and is going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week.

As for the reason the Pats signed him -- to play cornerback -- the 6-footer said, "I'm excited to be a part of what New England is known for defensively. Before I got (to the Chiefs), they were known as defensive team. When I came, that's when things went through a 360-degree turnaround. We were constantly trying to rebuild for one reason or another. It was a struggle, and it wasn't fun to see yourself in the defensive rankings at 29, 30 or last in some categories. There were games where you looked good and games where you'd have no idea why things were going that way. It was a struggle."

Warfield's bigger than most of the New England corners and was asked if his ability to work in press coverage was underused in Kansas City.

"You could slow a guy for five seconds at the line and still not have a quarterback miss a beat, he'd still be standing there patting the ball waiting for the receiver to get open," he explained. "I'm not taking credit from the guys on that defense who are still there. I made mistakes. There were plenty of plays I couldn't defend or made mistakes on."

Warfield had an interesting take on competing for a spot here.

"I might contribute in the nickel, as a starter, on special teams or at safety," he said. "I was brought in to come and make an impression on this team. They brought me in to be a great competitor. Do I want to take someone's job? Of course. If someone's ahead of me, that's what you want to do is take someone's job. You should want to be a starter. And if I'm not, whoever is in front of me better have a great season because I will be trying to get that spot."