It is not surprising that Bill Belichick says a few words to his team before each game.

What may be a bit surprising is that after Belichick speaks, Junior Seau usually adds a few words as well. But given the regard Belichick so clearly has for the future Hall of Famer, maybe there’s no one better to help fire up the troops.

Before New England took to the field against Jacksonville, the emotional Seau, an 18-year veteran looking for his first Super Bowl ring, reminded his teammates how precious the opportunity was that they had before them, and how much it meant to him.

“He’s a fiery guy,” Kyle Brady said. “He has a passion about playing the game and he always has a few passionate words before the game, and he did it again today. He talked about opportunity, and what a great opportunity this is for all of us.”

Seau has appeared in one Super Bowl, in 1994, when his Chargers team was demolished by the 49ers. He hadn’t yet grasped how close he is to returning in the locker room after the game.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. It really hasn’t. Being part of this journey is definitely something special,” he said. “Hopefully at the end of this rainbow we can look at something that we’re proud of. You never can dream this. It’s beyond all of that. There’s a lot of hard work, a lot of perseverance and a lot of prayers that come into play.”

Seau did all he could to help New England last night, with a team-high 10 tackles.

-SHALISE MANZA YOUNG