Randy Moss’ teammates say there’s more to the team captain than the fans realize.

The Journal / Bob Breidenbach

FOXBORO — According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a captain is “one who commands, leads or guides others.”

In other words, the very antithesis of what most people believed Randy Moss to be. Moss, through some widespread misrepresentations of him combined with a couple of immature acts on his part, was considered petulant, me-first and moody when he was brought to New England last year.

But Bill Belichick does not let players on to his team that do not thoroughly love the game of football and wholly embrace the team-first concept. So while many were squawking that Belichick and Scott Pioli had smashed their carefully constructed model of a Patriot player when they gave the Oakland Raiders a fourth-round pick in exchange for the receiver, it seemed unlikely that they would risk years of work for one player.

Even if he was a potential Hall of Famer who, on his worst days, kept defenses on alert and, on his best days,was capable of changing a game and breaking the opposition’s spirit with one eye-popping play.

To ask his teammates, the men who are with him every day through meetings, weightlifting sessions, practices, flights and games about Moss is to learn that the preternaturally talented star is as smart and involved as he is blissfully unconcerned with how much of the world outside Gillette Stadium perceives him.

So smart and so involved that his teammates voted him a captain this season.

Running back LaMont Jordan has shared a locker room with Moss with both the Raiders and Patriots.

“He’s a lot better person than what people give him credit for. He’s worked a lot harder than people think; he’s more of a leader than what people think,” Jordan said. “He’s out there teaching guys. Even in Oakland, when people said that he was giving up, that he was throwing everything in the sink, he wasn’t the same person, he was out there playing hurt, playing hurt for a team that was going nowhere fast.”

Both Jordan and Kevin Faulk said they voted for Moss among their captain’s picks. Left tackle Matt Light and Tom Brady were the other offensive players selected as captains this season; Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel and Vince Wilfork were chosen on defense, and Larry Izzo is the special teams captain for the eighth straight year.

Moss called the honor “a blessing,” saying it shows that his teammates believe that he can lead on and off the field, whether with his play, emotions or with his voice.

“He deserves it. He’s earned it,” Heath Evans said. “It started last year, even before his success with Tom. He worked hard, he practices hard, he’s in that weight room more than any wide receiver I’ve ever seen. He’s vocal, he plays a certain way. I love the way the guy plays.”

Evans knows the effort Moss puts in during the season, but saw the price he pays in the offseason as well, as the two worked out together in Florida.

Moss’ experience (this is his 11th season), enthusiasm and energy, football intelligence and the way he’s willing to work with players from all parts of the team are highlighted as reasons he was selected for the team honor.

“I think since Day One that Randy has been here he’s been a leader on and off the field, and I think guys look at him in that way. As a captain he’s definitely added a lot of value,” said Izzo, the Pats’ longest-tenured captain. “He understands how he can have a positive impact on all of the players, and most important the guys he works with specifically. He’s everything you’d want in a captain and a leader.”

During training camp, bottom-of-the-roster receiver C.J. Jones told the story of the day Moss pulled him aside and asked him if he’s fast.

“I guess he was watching film, and he said, ‘You don’t look fast. Run your routes fast,’ ” the since-released Jones said. “So I just started coming off the ball fast on all my routes and I just started getting open a lot faster. So I did learn that and I was grateful for that.”

In terms of his day-to-day leadership, Belichick said, Moss isn’t doing anything differently from last year — he’s still first in line in drills, still supportive in the huddle. The one change is taking part in the weekly captains’ meeting with Belichick.

Faulk and Moss watch film together every Wednesday, a tradition whose origins Faulk can’t quite remember but which will continue.

“ [We] feel like if we don’t do it, something bad will happen,” Faulk said. “There’s a lot that of people that don’t know him, they just know what people say about him that don’t know him. He cares about his job. Cares about his family. If you’re a close friend of his, you can pretty much have the shirt off his back if you need it. That’s the type of guy he is.”Pats at 49ers

• TIME: 4:15 p.m.

• TV: Channel 12 in Providence (over-the-air Channel 12, Cox Channel 12, Cox HD Channel 701, Verizon FiOS Channel 12, Verizon FiOS HD Channel 512),

• TV ANNOUNCERS: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross.

• RADIO: WPRO-AM (630) and WEAN-FM (99.7).

• RADIO ANNOUNCERS: Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti.

• TEAM RECORDS: Patriots 2-1, 49ers 2-2.

• WEATHER FORECAST: Partly cloudy. Highs in the 60s.

smanza@projo.com