ATLANTA — Trent Brown’s resume reads like any number of underdog success stories to come out of New England.

Part-time starter in college, seventh-round pick, flashed at times but was ultimately discarded by his first NFL team, landed in Bill Belichick’s lap.

And then there’s the next page of Brown’s resume: He’s 6-foot-8 and is listed at 380 pounds. He played guard on the basketball court growing up, which went a long way in helping to develop his footwork. He can throw down a windmill dunk. Former college teammate Mack Brown swears Trent can pull off a between-the-legs windmill (Brown disputes this but appreciates his buddy trying to make him look good). During summers, Trent and Mack— no relation — hit the field together for running back agility drills. Mack is 5-11, 216 pounds. Trent is…shaped a bit differently. He still keeps up.

They train on the track, too. The first time Mack saw Trent hauling around the bend during a 150-meter sprint on the track, he was stunned.

“I was like, ‘What the hell is this?'” said Mack Brown, who played with Trent at the University of Florida. “He was like a horse running. He was galloping. … You don’t see big men running curves. When you run the curve, you’ve got to know how to lean. It’s just not normal.”

So how could Brown not have dominated before he got to New England?

His friends and family aren’t sure, but they know the partnership with the Patriots has worked out brilliantly.

“He just looks different,” said Brown’s father, Reginald Brown Sr. “I won’t say he didn’t take his job seriously in San Francisco, but I guess that mindset, when you’re around other players of that caliber, that raises your awareness, your ability to want to win.”

Brown’s older brother, Reginald Jr., noticed a shift in Brown early in training camp. They live together in Foxboro.

“He’s come home several times and he’s been like, ‘Man, it’s fun. I feel that love for the game again,’” Reginald Jr said. “He’s happy again. You can see the joy in his face playing football. I’m pretty sure winning has a lot to do with it. He probably hasn’t had a winning season since either his freshman or sophomore year of college.”

Brown talks differently about the game. He’s more eager to dive into the details, according to his dad, discussing tendencies of pass rushers coming up on the schedule. He’s been open about his admiration for offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who might be the best to ever do it at his position. Mack Brown believes Trent has become “more enthused” with football in a Patriots uniform.

And the fact the 49ers decided to trade him might have been a factor, too.

“It wakes you up a little bit,” Mack Brown said.

At Super Bowl media availability, Trent Brown said he felt “a little disrespected” by the trade from San Francisco. He pointed to an improved level of confidence as the reason for his breakout season in New England. He wasn’t willing to buy into the idea he’s a totally transformed player, though.

After all, Brown started 26 games for the Niners in 2016 and 2017. Von Miller called him “the best right tackle in the National Football League” in the summer of 2017. He didn’t come out of nowhere.

Yet the Niners wanted to move on. The Pats swapped a third-round pick (No. 95 overall) for Brown and a fifth-round selection (No. 143). They had a hole to fill at left tackle following the departure of Nate Solder, and Brown slid in to the starting spot from Day 1. First-round rookie Isaiah Wynn, who suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, never threatened Brown’s spot.

And for the most part, edge rushers haven’t threatened Brady from the left side. The Patriots have made a killing running behind Brown, as well.

Brown’s a free agent after this season. Who knows what type of payday awaits him? He’s 5 years younger than Solder, who received a four-year contract worth $62 million from the Giants.

For now, Brown is looking to close out his first, and maybe only, season with the Patriots on the highest note possible. A native of Albany, Ga., Brown shares a hometown with former Patriots receiver Deion Branch. He remembers when Branch was a Super Bowl legend, coming back to the city to make appearances at football camps and visit schools.

“Hometown hero,” Brown said.

At the time, Brown was a middle-schooler with a rapidly growing frame and a smooth jumpshot. He came from a basketball family; Reginald Sr. played in college and Reginald Jr. ended up playing overseas. Brown gravitated to football, purely because of the contact. He began telling his parents he’d play professionally around age 11 or 12, Reginald Jr. recalled.

Years later, Reginald Sr. began telling Brown he’d someday play a Super Bowl in his home state. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in downtown Atlanta two summers ago. The city was slated to host the game in 2019. Reginald Sr. just had a feeling.

And when Trent Brown was traded to the Patriots, Reginald Sr. was convinced.

“I told you you’d be playing in that Super Bowl!” Brown Sr. said to Trent after the AFC Championship Game.

Truth is, the Patriots wouldn’t be here without him.