Jermaine Wiggins is both honoured and proud to be a part of one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.

The 50-year-old Boston native played two seasons for hometown team New England Patriots under esteemed coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick and alongside Tom Brady, whom he regards as the greatest quarterback ever to play the game.

Wiggins’s career peaked in 2001 in his debut season with his beloved Patriots, who upset NFC champions and favourites St Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI to land the franchise its first title.

The historic feat ushered in a period of dominance in which the Patriots went on to win five more Super Bowl titles, and catapult Belichick and Brady to cult status.

As a son of the soil, winning the Super Bowl for your home-town team and the team you grew up supporting was extra special for tight end Wiggins, who spent eight seasons in the NFL with various teams.

“I grew up in Boston, so I grew up a Boston sports fan,” Wiggins told The Royal Gazette.

“I watched the Patriots as a kid and then had the opportunity to play for them and be a part of the first Super Bowl, which ultimately led to the dynasty that we all know today, six Super Bowl championships later.

That was a very great experience for me being from there because all of my friends and family, myself included, were all Patriots fans.

“I remember when they played in the Super Bowl in 1986 against the Chicago Bears and lost that game. Then in ’96 they played against the Green Bay Packers and lost, so being a fan and then playing for your home-town team and helping them win a Super Bowl was really cool. To be a part of the first of the dynasty is an amazing feeling.”

Wiggins joined the New York Jets in 1999 and, after being released by the AFC club, joined the Patriots a year later.

After a quiet 2001 regular season in which he only caught only 14 passes, he became an integral part of the Patriots air attack in the play-offs and is perhaps best known by Patriots fans for his ten-catch, 68-yard performance in the Patriots AFC Divisional Round overtime victory over the then Oakland Raiders.

Wiggins also made a significant impact in the Patriots 20-17 win over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, grabbing a seven-yard pass in his team’s final drive that enabled the field goal kick to clinch victory against the Rams.

In an ironic twist, Wiggins was denied a second Super Bowl ring playing against his former team as his Carolina Panthers lost 32-29 to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

“It’s a cool story because not only did I win a Super Bowl with New England but was on the Carolina Panthers team when New England beat us in Super Bowl XXXVIII,” he said.

Wiggins, who racked up 236 receptions, 2,141 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in his NFL career, has fond memories playing alongside seven-times Super Bowl champion and five-times Super Bowl MVP Brady.

“It was really interesting because when I played with Brady, he was at the beginning of his career, so he was just a youngster learning the ropes but had that fire and that ‘It’ factor,” he said. “I played eight seasons, so I got to see Tom as he progressed through his career and became what we know of him today, the greatest quarterback of all time.

“It was really cool to be a part of that but there were so many great players on that team that we had, whether it was Willie McGinest or Troy Brown. There was so many talented players, and it was great to be part of that history and be a part of what ultimately became the Belichick-Brady dynasty.”

Wiggins also has fond memories being put through his paces by legendary coach Belichick.

“Belichick was like a real coach. He told you what he was going to do, what you needed to do and you either did it or he was getting you up out of there and somebody else is going in,” he said. “That’s the one thing that I loved because my first year in the league I played with Bill Parcells and Belichick was part of that staff.

“Bill Parcells was a legend and Belichick was the same way. If you don’t make this block then somebody else will make the block and you’ll be looking for a job driving trucks or loading boxes. You knew where you stood with him, and I’ve always respected him for that.

“It was great to be part of that and great to be team-mates with Brady, seeing him doing well.”

Wiggins, who also had stints with the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars, has travelled to the island as a cast member of the Greg Hill Show streamed live on location here this week.

“It’s an amazing feeling having the ability to be on the Greg Hill Show everyday where we basically talk all things Boston sports, especially the New England Patriots,” he said. “It’s basically four hours of having fun and getting paid to talk.”

Away from the camera, the former NFL player has taken the opportunity to indulge in the island’s beauty and charm.

“I am super excited to be here and it’s absolutely stunning,” he said.

“I enjoy the blue water and white sand; enjoying relaxing on the beach and snorkelling.

“It’s my first time here and the first of many knowing that it’s only an hour and 30 minutes from Boston.”

When asked what advice he has for any Bermudians aspiring to play in the NFL, Wiggins said: “You got to love the sport and be committed to it. It’s got to be something that becomes your life; going to the gym working out, getting to the field and doing all those things.

“That’s what really propels you when you get to that next level of trying to be a college football player and then fortunately to the NFL.

“You got to love it, you got to want it and then if you get your opportunity, you got to do something with it.”