Mike Reiss details the high-intensity offseason program Alge Crumpler is banking on to help him turn back the clock and thrive with the Patriots.

The 32-year-old Crumpler is currently on the 10th day of a six-week stay at the Louisiana headquarters of Mackie Shilstone.

"It's career extension and an optimization of health based on biomechanical and metabolic individuality relative to his position in football," said Shilstone, who described his work as "sports performance management."

In working with the 59-year-old Shilstone and his "Fitness Principle," Crumpler appears to be making an aggressive commitment toward returning to the physical condition that helped him earn four Pro Bowl berths earlier in his career with the Atlanta Falcons.

"I do this because it's a passion, not a pension. It's my passion to make my clients better," Shilstone said. "Alge is investing in himself to be better for his team. He's compliant, and he's now doing three-a-days. He's truly gotten into this."

Vickie Fulkerson (The Day newspaper, New London, CT) Geno Auriemma, head coach of UConn's women's basketball team that has won 76 games straight, said Bill Belichick is someone who appreciates what he and his team have accomplished.

One of them is New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who understands the pressures of winning just perfectly. "I'll hear from him telling me, 'You guys are unbelievable. You continue to raise the bar. You guys are amazing,'" said Auriemma, whose team is headed to its third straight Final Four.

"I think people that have done great things, they appreciate how hard it is to do. "They appreciate how hard it is for kids to play this hard all the time and compete and try to get it right all the time. To see it being done the way it's being done by these particular players is just, I think anybody who appreciates that kind of stuff, is really taken by it."

TEAM TALK

• Patriots Today - The leadership and chemistry challenge.  (3.30 min. video)
  

LOCAL LINKS

• Karen Guregian talks about the Patriots 2010 exhibition season, beginning with an alumni reunion and Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony on the plaza at Patriot Place.
• Ian Rapoport writes about LB Pierre Woods and how his faith has helped him during his mother's battle with cancer.
• Mike Reiss notes Steve Muench of Scouts Inc identified DL Jared Odrick (Penn State) as a potential good fit for the Patriots.
• Tom E. Curran looks at why in Tebow's name are the Patriots sniffing so vigorously around the hindquarters of the project/lightning rod/icon that played quarterback for the University of Florida for the past four years?
• Christopher Price offers his Patriots preseason schedule analysis and more notes.
• Shalise Manza Young offers her transcript of the Globe's weekly online chat.
• Mike Reiss notes that Daniel Jeremiah's worthy podcast shines the spotlight on Adalius Thomas when talking about the difference between a linebacker as a pass rusher or blitzer.
• Rob Lunn offers five reasons Tom Brady is better than everyone else.
• WEEI mocks the Draft: Rounds 1 and 2. Pats pick DT Jared Odrick (Penn State) at 22, OLB Jerry Hughes (TCU) at 44, QB Tim Tebow (Florida) at 47, and ILB Darryl Washington (TCU) at 53.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Craig DeVrieze (Quad-city Times) Ex-NFL star Bruschi happy to help. Bruschi and fellow former NFL standout Jerome Bettis visited the neonatal special care unit at Trinity Medical Campus's Moline campus to promote the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, a program that provides medicine to Americans in need.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Buffalo takes a chance on Chad Jackson, one of the division's most notorious flameouts in the past decade.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Visit the AFC East Mockefeller Center. A roundup of which prospects the forecasters are projecting to the AFC East teams.
• Wes Bunting (Nat'l Football Post) The NFP Super 30: a look at the draft's top prospects.
• Toni Monkovic (NY Times) A system for grading NFL Draft evaluators.  An idea whose time has come.
• Lindsay H. Jones (Denver Post) Jarvis Green happy for McDaniels reunion with Broncos.
• Kent Somers (Arizona Republic) Report: No charges against Porter.
• Ross Tucker (SI) Steelers facing an ugly dilemma.