Rejuvenated defensive lineman Richard Seymour, stretching on opening day of the Patriots’ training camp in Foxboro yesterday, says, “I was just playing on God-given ability. (I’ve been) playing on one leg and one arm for the last two years.”

The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

FOXBORO — John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, lists three things atop his Pyramid of Success: Competitive greatness, faith and patience.

Richard Seymour has exhibited each of those traits in his career with the New England Patriots, but never has he needed them more than he did over the last two-plus years, when he played through lingering knee and elbow injuries that hampered the play of one of the NFL’s best defensive linemen and left many wondering whether he was on the downside of his career.

But Seymour declared himself fully healthy at the Patriots’ golf tournament last month, and he was so excited for the first workouts of training camp yesterday that he admitted to not sleeping much Wednesday night.

“You know, it feels good to come out here and not have to worry about running across the field; just getting over that hurdle,” Seymour said after yesterday’s morning session. “Obviously, as a football player, your most important deal is your health. If you can’t be healthy, then you can’t contribute like you want to on the football field. It’s been tough, but right now I’m excited just to be back out here with my teammates.”

Seymour first injured his left knee in October 2005 while blocking at the goal line for Corey Dillon. He thought rest would be enough, but during the opening game of the ’06 season, he got painful proof that it was not. Later in 2006 is when the elbow injury occurred, against Buffalo in October.

Still, he made it through the rest of the schedule. Seymour couldn’t work on his conditioning without more pain, so he was out there on Sundays playing the best he could, with no chance between games to try to improve. He underwent surgery to clean up the knee at the end of the year, but the rehab didn’t go as planned, and Seymour didn’t get back onto the field last year until a week eight cameo against Washington. As a result, he had a career-low 23 tackles and 1 ½ sacks, breaking a string of five straight Pro Bowl appearances.

“I was just playing on God-given ability. (I’ve been) playing on one leg and one arm for the last two years,” Seymour said.

But he was able to participate in New England’s offseason training program this year, and returned for the season 10 pounds lighter and with something to prove.

“I’ve talked to Richard and I know he’s motivated for this year,” defensive lineman Ty Warren said. “Especially with some of the criticism that he’s taken about his play the last couple of years, but quietly he’s motivated, and he’s kind of champing at the bit.”

While away from Gillette Stadium over the last five-plus months, Seymour spent time with his family (wife Tanya and their four children), traveled and read a lot. He focuses mainly on motivational books, and among those that he completed was one of Wooden’s, where he no doubt saw the coach’s Pyramid of Success.

Under “competitive greatness,” Wooden wrote, “Be at your best when your best is needed.” While Seymour clearly wasn’t at his best, it could be considered greatness that he continued to take his snaps despite being is so much pain. Now that he’s feeling better, Seymour is focused making up for lost time. “I’m not concerned about football. I know I can play the game. That’s the least of my concerns,” he said. “Obviously, you can’t control some things, and the things that you can’t control you just try to go out and do the best that you can. I’m just concerned with trying to be the best Richard Seymour can be. At the end of the day, that’s all you can do, and once you put your best foot forward, that’s it. I wasn’t able to put my best foot forward the last few years.”

With the Pats’ top pick in 2001 ready to go, Seymour, Warren and Vince Wilfork are poised to reassume their mantle as the best defensive line in football.

“It means a lot (to have a healthy Seymour),” Warren said. “You’ve witnessed the type of player that Richard is and his output and production, and to have a guy like him in that rotation, healthy again, is huge for us. And we’ll reap the harvest at one point.”

For those who have doubted Seymour can return to greatness, here’s a little reminder:

“I’m 28 years old, I’m in the prime of my career, and I feel good,” he said. “So that’s definitely a start.”