Stephon Gilmore confirms competitive streak with great take on jersey-swapping

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Stephon Gilmore is a soft-spoken, friendly fellow off the field.

He's also soft-spoken on the field -- but he's not interested in making friends.

The New England Patriots' shutdown cornerback certainly isn't buddy-buddy with Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, judging by their brief Twitter spat after Sunday's game.

Gilmore wasn't interested in re-hashing his beef with Hopkins during an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand" on Wednesday.

But the first-team All-Pro did admit he'd never consider swapping jerseys with a wide receiver from another team, Hopkins or otherwise.

"I never change (jerseys) with receivers," Gilmore told "Zolak & Bertrand," as aired on NBC Sports Boston. "I just don't. It's not in my mind, it's not in my DNA. I just can't do it."

Jersey-swapping has become en vogue in recent years, as NFL stars have sought out opposing players to exchange threads and pleasantries after 60 minutes of fierce competition.

But Gilmore can't bring himself to fraternize with the enemy even after the game is over -- another sign of how sneaky competitive the cornerback is.

Oh, and he's also confident: When asked if he thinks he could play wide receiver, Gilmore casually responded:

"I think I could do it. I've never done it, but it don't look that hard to me."

Is Gilmore the key to unlocking the Patriots' offensive struggles? While you ponder that question, he'll continue quietly locking down his opponents -- and keeping his jersey to himself.

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