Active days, restless nights.(NFL)(National Football League)

When Troy Brown was strictly a receiver, he had no trouble sleeping. It's different now. "I lay down and my body is resting, but I got all these thoughts running through my head," he says. "I'm always awake." And that was before he started preparing for the Super Bowl. "Man, I don't know how much I will sleep in Jacksonville. I'm going to have to do a lot of meditating before I go to bed. I hope that'll ease my mind."

Brown, 33, has good cause to be restless. His is one of the most fascinating stories of this Super Bowl: a 12-year veteran asked by the Patriots midway through this season to become a defensive back covering mostly slot receivers. Oh, and you still might catch some passes and return kicks, too. Since then, he has been an obvious target for offenses, and he doesn't expect that to change Sunday.

"I know I am a marked man. This No. 80 jersey sticks out like a sore thumb," he says, chuckling. "It's not been easy. I just believe in myself. Offense comes natural, but this other stuff, I have to put in most of my time there. So many calls and checks and different coverages. I am always worried I will let down my teammates. It just piles up. I have to stay strong-willed, say my prayers and hope for the best. It's gotten tougher every game. The opponents, the conditions, what the games mean."

His worst moment came when Dolphins receiver Derrius Thompson beat him on a 21-yard winning touchdown pass with 1:23 left in Week 15. "Hard to live with that one," he says.

When the Patriots lost starting cornerbacks Tyrone Poole and Ty Law to injuries, their continued success seemed precarious. But that was before Brown, along with reserves Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and linebacker/safety Don Davis, demonstrated they could provide solid, consistent secondary play. "This is what it takes to be a Patriot, guys who are capable of learning and love to play and are unselfish," says Brown, who learned quickly enough to finish tied for second on the team with three interceptions.

"You ...