BOSTON — Though it likely will get  him in a heap of trouble with his head coach, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady indicated Wednesday that he’ll be ready to get on the field with his teammates once training camp starts, easing the minds of Pats fans everywhere.

"I’m feeling really good," he said during a charity appearance at the West End House Boys & Girls Club. "Everything is progressing just as I expected."

Looking fit in a black shirt, jeans and black shoes, Brady’s interview was surprisingly revealing, though he was still a bit guarded and seemed a bit exasperated when asked about the injury itself, the torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments of his left knee, snapped by Kansas City’s Bernard Pollard just minutes into the 2008 season.

However, given that it was local media’s first chance to speak with Brady since the days before the Sept. 7 injury, the questions were unavoidable. He conducted an interview with a Toronto radio station last month, but shed little to no light on his progress and wasn’t pressed on his rehab status.

Brady has already acknowledged on his personal Web site that he developed a post-operative infection that required a six-week course of antibiotics before he could begin his rehabilitation process in earnest.  Brady said Wednesday that “initially there was” a setback with his rehab, but “since then, there’s been nothing. I’m just trying to focus on what I need to focus on — get stronger, and mentally stronger, so I can go out and try to perform as best as I can next year.”

Brady was at the West End House with the One Laptop Per Child program and the Patriots Charitable Foundation to bring several of the 1,000 laptops he’s purchased for donation to the children at the center. The specially-designed white and bright-green computers are about the size of a textbook, wireless, Internet ready, solar-powered, and pretty tough. Brady joked that his youngest niece, who’s 2 1/2,  drags one around like a pet on a leash, and his 18-month-old son chews on his. Some of the laptops Brady has purchased are slated for a school in Uganda, where his sister Nancy is doing humanitarian work.

The 2007 NFL MVP has been throwing a football in his rehabilitation work, and entertained the children in the club’s gym by standing under one basketball hoop and trying to throw a ball through the opposite hoop. He came close a couple of times, but never got the long 3-pointer to go.

Brady said he’s now dropping back and throwing with torque, not just tossing to play catch. He’s also healthy enough to continue another love, golf.

"I’m doing everything . . . I’m playing quarterback, that’s what I’m doing. I’m doing everything. I’m golfing," he said, quipping that while he’s fine with the driver (which is a good sign for the knee) he still struggles with the putter, a bad sign for Brady the golfer.

Asked to forecast whether he’ll be ready for the offseason passing or mini-camps, or training camp in late July, he initially demurred but quickly indicated he’ll be good to go.

"You know Bill [Belichick] never likes us to forecast anything," he said. "But yeah, I certainly think so. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t. It’s just a matter of getting to that time. I wish it was right around the corner; I wish it was here now. It’s not, but the competitor in me has to sit back and wait and continue to work and try to get stronger."

If the season were to start tomorrow, Brady would be fighting to get on the field.

"I’d be ready, but I don’t know if my trainer would [give the green light]. I was out there working [Tuesday] with him, and he feels great, I feel great," he said. "I was out there with Billy O’Brien, our quarterback coach, and we’re doing our work. I’ve never been injured, I’ve never been through anything like this. But it’s one of those things that happen. You play long enough in this game, you get injured, you focus on your rehab, and you move on."

More than once Brady, 31, said he’s put the injury behind him, and he’s focused on the season ahead.

Brady pointed to the changes his team has undergone, through injuries and coaching turnover , and said the Patriots have to rebuild the foundation for the 2009 season. That includes O’Brien’s job change, from receivers coach to quarterbacks. Of the former Brown standout, Brady said he’s “very qualified, very smart. He’s a great addition.”

He was also asked about Matt Cassel, whom he called a "great friend" twice, and said the two worked out together on Sunday.

"I’m lucky to have him as a teammate and I wish we could play together for our entire careers. He did an incredible job," Brady said.

Cassel has been designated as New England’s franchise player for the coming season, and if he stays he’ll be paid over $14 million. However, the feeling is that the Pats will trade him to a quarterback-needy team and harvest more draft picks in the process.