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Brian Flores wasn’t going to talk about his next job with the Dolphins.

But the Patriots de facto defensive coordinator was willing to talk about his background, and his path to a top NFL coaching job that took an early turn.

Via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Flores detailed his initial quest to find a job in football, and the fact his initial goal was to become a General Manager rather than a coach.

Flores recalled the letter he sent to every team in the league, offering to work for free for a chance to be in the NFL. Entire economies are based on that dream, so then-Patriots personnel chief Scott Pioli interviewed him.

‘I told them I’d work for free so they called me back,” Flores said. “And they didn’t ask me to work for free, which I thought was great. I didn’t make a lot but at the same time, I’d been poor my whole life so what little I made, I felt like I was rich. It was a win-win situation. I really enjoyed that time. Everybody talks about the money but to me it was about the process, it was about learning and getting better and it stayed that way for me.”

From running errands to renting the attic of a college teammate’s house for $400 a month, he embraced the opportunity to work for little money, which generally pushes guys up or out.

“Getting coffee, getting dry cleaning, driving guys around. I was just trying to find my way. I slept on an air mattress that year,” Flores said. “But just to be wanted was very humbling. I felt fortunate. It was a great experience for me. I’m very fortunate.”

His promise in the personnel world was diverted, however, and he had to have a “tough conversation” with Pioli about going to the other side of the operation.

“I moved up the ranks and fell in love with coaching,” Flores said. “Being around players you get a chance to make an impact. You get to know them, you get to know their families, you get to know where they grew up. To me when you connect with a player, and they trust you, and they know you care about them, you can be as demanding and tough and get on them as much as you want. That’s kind of my style. They don’t like me all the time. That’s the truth. But they respect me and they know I respect them.

“They know I’m going to ask a lot of them to try to get them to be the best version of themselves. I tell every player that whenever I meet them. New player, I’m going to do everything I can to help you become the best you can be. And that’s what I love about coaching. That I can potentially make that impact.”

The Dolphins have plenty of experience with the struggle, but hope Flores can use his own story to help lift them to the level he’s achieved.