FOXBORO — The fact that Patriots rookie defensive lineman Myron Pryor has gone from unheralded sixth-round draft pick to regular contributor for the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL is accomplishment enough.

That he has made it this far despite struggling with learning disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a testament to Pryor’s perseverance.

Growing up, the Louisville native would frequently get in trouble for talking in class because he would simply forget that he was supposed to be paying attention. His grades were bad, and his self-esteem went down with them.

“I felt like in high school, I could never get over it, (telling himself) ‘Hey, this is going to be with me for life.’ I felt like I couldn’t change it,” Pryor said after practice earlier this week.

“I was young, but I just felt like that I wasn’t always on top of things and I felt like I was always behind. And I struggled a lot in school and really wasn’t satisfied with myself.”

Pryor saw therapists who taught him how to focus, and he was put on Prozac, which helped him stay in the moment.

He always had the full support of his grandmother, Bell Johnson, whom he lived with, though he was also close to his mother, Marilyn.

“There were people that were always behind me and there were people that just look down on you like, ‘You’re not going to make it, you seem like you act kind of slow,’” Pryor said. “They know that you’re a good football player, but they feel like you can’t accomplish school. I always knew I was a good football player, but school was always the hardest thing for me.”

When he was medicated, Pryor found he was able to “tune in,” and things started to improve. He taught himself good habits, and eventually doctors wanted to see how he could function without the aid of medicine.

“After a couple of months, they were very surprised because I was taking care of everything I was supposed to. I was staying focused in class, I didn’t get in trouble as much and I did a lot better on my grades,” he said.

Pryor received permission to take the ACT college entrance exam with no time limit, a concession given to many students with learning disabilities, and was admitted to the University of Kentucky.

Pryor is just a few credits shy of receiving his degree in family and consumer sciences, and he has every intention of returning to complete his studies.

With the Patriots, he has gotten past his bad habit of not asking questions if he doesn’t understand something.

“It’s a whole different change,” he said with a slight smile. “I just feel a lot better than I used to.”

The rookie has appeared in six of New England’s seven games this season, with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. His tremendous lower-body strength — in high school he could squat 585 pounds and won a state championship with a state-record 690-pound deadlift — aids him as a run-stopper.

Pryor is so far from where he once was, and it is easy to see the pride on his broad face.

Grandma Bell is proud too.

“Every day she’s proud of me. She says, ‘You made your dream, son.’ ” Pryor said. “It feels pretty good.

“Even with the ADHD, I still found motivation to prove the doubters wrong, and that’s what I keep continuing to do to this day.”