Matthew Judon was a fan favorite in New England, always coming out before games and participating a game of catch with the fans. So when he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons, many thought that he took that tradition with him. 

But another Patriots player has taken over those duties. 

"If it's my job now, I definitely take it," offensive lineman Nick Leverett told A to Z Sports exclusively. "But I do it anywhere I go."

Leverett was seen throwing the ball to fans, and he took a moment to talk about why doing this is so important to him. 

"For me, I know the type of platform I have. I know the type of platform we have. And I know the smallest thing, like throwing the ball to the kids will make their whole year," he said. "One thing about me, the work that I put in, I do it for the fans.

"They spent their hard earned money to come out and support us. So something simple like that, just throwing the ball with the kids, I know they love it. So anytime I get a chance to interact with the kids and everything, I'm going to go for it."

As Leverett spoke, the smile on his face said it all. This was something he truly loves to do. 

Prior to joining the Patriots, Leverett spent three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, having signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. 

So this tradition was something that he actually started doing in Tampa Bay. 

"When I was back in Tampa, one of the guys I saw doing it was (center) Ryan Jensen. He used to do it all the time," Leverett said. "So it was just one of the things I picked up from him."

"He really just told me, 'man, it does more than make the kids happy. Like it makes their year because they look up to us,'" he added. "And I never looked at it (like that). I mean, of course, being a rookie, I never looked at it that way. But as I got older and started seeing it, I definitely realized what it was."

Leverett truly just wants the fans to know that he really appreciates all they do. 

"Those people work hard to come out and support us. They work 40 hours a week and spent their hard earned money to come and support us," he explained. "I would be failing them by not playing to my potential and also not just doing small things like that."