Kenjon Barner reflects on time with Patriots: ‘It's a special place'

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Kenjon Barner wasn't with the New England Patriots for very long. But clearly, his time with the team left an impression on the veteran running back.

In a recent appearance on "The Brian Noe Show", Barner opened up about playing for the Patriots. He had nothing but great things to say about the organization and the locker room.

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"It's a special place," Barner said, as transcribed by Chris Burkhardt of NBC Sports Northwest. "There's a standard of excellence that they have and you're either gonna live up to it or you're not, and if you're not, you won't be there for too long."

Barner was signed by the Patriots a few different times during the 2019 NFL season amid injuries to the team's running back corps. Barner helped to provide depth for the squad and got 19 carries for 71 yards in five games.

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And though Barner played sparingly for the Patriots, he did learn a lot from being with the team.

"That's what [I] learned there. If you walked into that organization, you did the things you were supposed to do, carried yourself as a professional athlete, you came to work every day, grinded hard, did the things that were required of you, you don't have a problem at all," Barner said. "But for the guys that come in and they aren't accustomed to that type of locker room environment where when it's time to work you actually have to work, there's gonna be a problem for you."

Though the Patriots put up a facade that makes them seem like they're all business, all the time, Barner actually dispelled that notion. While he spoke about the work players had to do to ensure they were ready to play each week, Barner did have fun in the locker room as he did on some of the other stops during his NFL career.

It wasn't like this is strictly business, you're not gonna have fun. That was just as fun as any other locker room I've been in. When we worked, we worked. There is a time for work and there is a time for play. But when you worked you were gonna work. But outside of that, it's no different than any other locker room. Same goofy guys laughing, joking around, playing around. It's a locker room, no different than any other place. It's just, when it's time to work, you are going to work... and you're going to work.

And while the locker room was still enjoyable for Barner, that "work" is part of what has made the Patriots so successful over the course of their two-decade dynasty.

Barner's perspective is certainly a unique one given his experience in the NFL. Since being a sixth-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2013, Barner has bounced around and has spent time with five different organizations. So, this praise of the Patriots is notable considering how many different locker rooms he has been a part of during his career.

The Patriots are hoping to continue finding success in their locker room moving forward. They're undergoing a big transition with Tom Brady leaving the team, but if their chemistry is as good as it's been in years past, Bill Belichick and Co. should remain competitive as they look to bounce back in 2020 after an early playoff exit.

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