Former Patriot All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel makes his presence known as a Philadelphia Eagle with a takedown of Randy Moss on New England’s first offensive play of last night’s exhibition game.

The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

FOXBORO — Asante Samuel wasted little time re-introducing himself to the Gillette Stadium crowd last night.

The cornerback, seeing his first action of the preseason with his new team, the Eagles, signed a six-year, $57-million contract with Philadelphia on the opening day of free agency earlier this year. But an injured hamstring early in training camp put him on the shelf for a couple of weeks.

Last night he was in his new team’s duds for the first time, and on New England’s first offensive play of the game — a reverse to Randy Moss from Matt Cassel — Samuel took Moss out at the thighs for a five-yard loss.

When it was announced that it was Samuel who made the tackle, he was booed by the fans who just months ago cheered him.

An unheralded fourth-round draft pick in 2003, Samuel became an All-Pro corner in five seasons with the Patriots, and was the marquee name on the free-agent market. New England designated him as its franchise player last season, but on the day he showed up to the team, late in the preseason, got the Pats to agree not to franchise him again if the team won 12 games or if he played in 60 percent of the defensive snaps.

Both conditions ended up being met, enabling Samuel to sign his big deal.

While Patriots fans showed their displeasure, Samuel’s former teammates understand that football is a business, and he was warmly greeted by several New England players during pregame warm-ups by the likes of Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Chad Jackson and Wes Welker, who inadvertently touched off a controversy during the offseason when he told children at a football camp that Samuel “chose money over championships.”

Welker told the Boston Globe this week that he didn’t realize a reporter was present and didn’t mean any harm to Samuel, calling the corner to explain his side after the comments were made public.

Samuel, who has made himself available to Philadelphia media only once since training camp began, said he would not discuss his return to New England until after the game last night.

Warren sits

Though he has not missed any practice time in the last couple of weeks, defensive lineman Ty Warren did not start last night’s game. Mike Wright started in his place.

The rest of New England’s defensive starters were: DL Seymour, NT Vince Wilfork, OLB Pierre Woods, OLB Mike Vrabel, ILB Bruschi, ILB Jerod Mayo, CB Ellis Hobbs, CB Fernando Bryant, S James Sanders, S Rodney Harrison.

On offense, the starters were: QB Cassel, RB Laurence Maroney, LT Wesley Britt, LG Logan Mankins, C Dan Koppen, RG Dan Connolly, RT Nick Kaczur, WR Moss, WR Jabar Gaffney, TE David Thomas, TE Benjamin Watson.

Welker was shaken up fielding a first-half punt; it was announced that he had suffered a rib injury and his return was questionable.

Extra points

There was a moment of silence inside the stadium for Hall of Famer and NFL Players’ Association head Gene Upshaw, who died on Wednesday. Inside the press box, there was a moment of silence for Dan Pires, who was the Patriots’ beat writer for the New Bedford Standard-Times before his death on June 25. Pires’ wife and two children were at the game. … The Patriots hosted 2,500 Pop Warner and high school football players from Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium last night as part of USA Football’s “Play Football…it’s more than a game” campaign.

smanza@projo.com