FOXBORO — Jarvis Green knew there were two ways to go during his recovery from arthroscopic shoulder surgery earlier this year: he could, as he joked, “hang around eating bonbons and watching the stories,” as he calls soap operas.

Or he could work to stay svelte and get ready for the beach, he quipped.

Green chose option ‘B’ and was on the field for his second practice of training camp at a trim 280 pounds, just five pounds under his normal playing weight but looking as though he had dropped a few more than that.

“I feel pretty good. It’s been a long time waiting and it’s just good to get the pads back on for my second day,” he said. Green had been on the physically unable to perform list for the first 18 days of camp, strapping on the pads for the first time on Monday night.

His shoulder pain began midway through last season, but Green dealt with it and played in all 19 of New England’s games last season, recording 64 tackles, 7½ sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Though he mentioned being bathing suit-ready, Green never got to the beach during the offseason. Between rehabbing, working out and his family obligations, he didn’t get the chance.

But Green did finally open his restaurant, The Capitol, in his hometown of Donaldsonville, La. The endeavor had some setbacks, but Green went out of his way to use local companies in the construction, as he converted an old bus depot into the sports bar he envisioned. After all the time and effort, however, Green wasn’t there for the opening last Friday. Green’s a little busy with his day job right now.

The father of three and surrogate father to the son of late teammate Marquise Hill, Green made an appearance on the Montel Jordan Show earlier this year to present a single mother who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina with a $25,000 check to help her acquire a new home. It was the first significant donation made by Green’s eponymous foundation. While the hurricane and its devastation are in the past for many outside of Louisiana, Green has not forgotten and continues to work on behalf of the people in his home state.

Truth be told, though, his fame as a football player is what helps him help others, and Green is happy to have a couple of weeks in the preseason to get himself ready for the regular season.

He acknowledged he was in a rush to get back.

“Yes, very. Just to get with the guys and getting timing down, that’s a big thing,” Green said. “I still have to get that down. It’s going to take a few days, and every day you miss is a day that there’s a chance you’ll forget a lot of things.”

Green’s return adds valuable depth to the Patriots’ defensive line. When Richard Seymour began last year on the physically unable to perform list, it was Green who started in his place When New England does use the occasional four-man front, Green is on the line.

The Pats have made some changes to the defensive personnel this season, but the core members remain, and Green knows they have unfinished business.

“That’s very important as far as the way the season ended last year,” he said. “Coming back to all the guys, it’s a big reunion every time we come out here for training camp, just to get ready and try to go out there and do it again.

“We have to find ways how not to lose. That’s the biggest thing. The year we had last year … we couldn’t win the last game, so we have to figure out how to play better to win those games.”

smanza@projo.com