FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When first-year New England Patriots wide receiver Brian Tyms was asked about his role models growing up, he said simply, “I didn’t really have one. I was in group homes and foster homes.”

Tyms’ upbringing was chronicled by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in 2012 and it makes him one of the Patriots’ feel-good stories of the season. He has served as the No. 4 receiver in recent weeks, his ability to threaten the deep part of the field one of his greatest assets.

Patriots receiver Brian Tyms beat the odds to find an NFL home in New England. Jim Rogash/Getty Images

He shared his “football journey” as part of our weekly feature.

When he first started playing football: “12th grade.”

Why he didn’t play sooner: “I was scared. At my school [Dillard in Fort Lauderdale] at the time, we had a lot of big dudes. They were bullies and I was too small to fight. They kind of had no rules and were flipping people in the air and hitting people after the play. My high school was rough and I was like, ‘I don’t want any part of that.’”

How he finally decided to play: “I had a really good coach, he’s since passed away, Coach Nelson. He used to tell me I was too aggressive to play basketball and would tell my foster parents to put me in football. My senior year, I ran track and went to state for high jump, but didn't get any offers. I had played basketball all my life -- travel teams, went to state -- but didn’t get any offers. So I was like, ‘I’ll go out for football.’ I ended up getting honorable mention and had a pretty good season.”

Enrolling at Broward Community College and then Tallahassee Community College: “I tried out in both places for the basketball team and got cut like four times. I was like, ‘It must be football.’ [Going to Tallahassee] was rough. I didn’t have any support. It was just me. As far as money, I was eating ramen noodles and cereal. My bed was on the floor. My TV was on the floor. I had just the clothes I brought in a trash bag.”

Enrolling at Florida A&M: “I had tried out for Florida State and they kind of gave me the cold shoulder. I went to [Florida A&M] for a little workout and they were like ‘Let’s see what you got.’ They said if I could transfer and get my classes situated, doing it on my own, they would let me walk-on. Thankfully the coaching staff gave me a shot. Nobody else would. Football gave me the outlet, but I didn’t know it would turn into this.”

Top memories at Florida A&M: “Just being with the guys. I think about it a lot; we had a lot of fun together. The coaching staff taught us a lot, but the school itself, it was a situation that taught everybody on the football team how to get it on your own. We were like a family.”

Entering the NFL with the 49ers: “I felt like I should have been drafted. My numbers were better than anybody at the combine, but it didn’t happen. I did five Pro Days -- three regionals, a Super regional and I went to FIU when T.Y. [Hilton] did his and I also did my own [there]. He ran 4.38 and I ran 4.40. I was like 210, 212 [pounds] and I did like 20 reps of 225 pounds. I had a really good Pro Day. After that, San Francisco was the only team to give me a call and fly me out. I met with the coaching staff, talked mostly about Randy [Moss]. Then the draft came and I didn’t get drafted. At that point, the first thing in my mind was ‘I’m going to San Fran. Randy is there and I want to learn everything from him.’ I didn’t pick up the phone for anybody else.”

Not making it with the 49ers: “I was still carrying a lot of personal issues, so I was kind of a hothead. If I was run-blocking, it might lead to a fight. If someone hit me too hard on special teams, I might have hit them back harder, too hard. You can’t do that. Due to my undisciplined play and inability to control my temper, they let me go.”

Hooking on with the Dolphins: “The coaching staff helped mold me a little bit; I was there for almost two years [on the practice squad] and thought I was going to be the fifth receiver toward the end of that time. They only kept four.”

Signing with the Browns’ active roster: “Cleveland called, and that was a learning experience. But then I got in trouble and failed a drug test and they told me they were going to release me. That’s when I spent time at Brandon Marshall’s facility in Florida. He’s a great guy. He helped me out a lot with everything, getting me into the bible, and that’s when I met Brandon LaFell, Mike Evans, Jason Avant and others. Being around those guys helped humble myself and I think it’s what I needed. I was a real hothead and needed to control my temper. OTAs came by and I still wasn’t picked up, and I did some workouts with Teddy Bridgewater. That was also a blessing because other teams got to see me.”

Hooking on with the Patriots: “The first week of training camp, I got the call. I packed like I was staying up here, telling my family, ‘I’m not coming back.’ I’ve just tried to make the most of every opportunity because I don’t want to be back in the situation I was in. I love this; it's the first team to actually make me feel like I can play. Everybody is held accountable and everyone is like a family. There are no 'me' people."

What he loves about football: “It gives me an outlet ... It gives me a way to channel out issues I have, because I still deal with those issues. When I come out here, it’s almost therapeutic.”

Summing up his football journey: “It’s an uphill journey; I just had to build it with blocks. Just kept building and building and building despite what people were saying to me. A lot of stuff people said to me I wrote down and I post it on the ceiling of my room so when I wake up in the morning, I read it before I do something. It’s motivation. Persistence is my word. Just constant persistence.”