Patriots' Brandon Browner doubles down on targeting injuries

Brandon Browner could have apologized. He could have gone back on his comments. But he didn't.

At Media Day on Tuesday, Browner was asked about a recent interview he conducted with ESPN when he said he would encourage his Patriots teammates to go after the injuriesof his former Seahawks teammates Earl Thomas (shoulder) and Richard Sherman (elbow) in the Super Bowl.

While Browner emphasized the point that he appreciated the friendship he still maintains with many Seahawks -- Sherman in particular -- he said he's treating the Super Bowl as any other game. That means, for him, if there's a weakness to exploit, it should be exploited.

"Those are my brothers. At the end of the day, there are no hard feelings," Browner said. "It's like in any game. You have a guy that messes his ankle up, you want to tackle him and make sure you land on the ankle. Say a guy messes his shoulder up, you tackle him and land on his shoulder. That's just a part of the game. You guys know how I close I am to those guys. At the time, that felt like the right thing to say."

Browner said he texted with Sherman about his comments, and Sherman took them in stride. "He hit me with an 'LOL,' " Browner said.

"That's really one my best friends in life," Browner said. "At the end of the day, I know what I mean by it, and my heart is good. My intent is good. They know who I am. They understand it's the mentality we've got as brothers. Like I told them, when I see them, it's competition all day long. Whether it's the pool table, the basketball court, I'm trying to win. They understand that."

Browner, along with Sherman and Thomas, was one of the founding members of a hard-hitting secondary in Seattle that is still known as the "Legion of Boom." Though he's in New England now, and though he's about to compete against his friends in the Super Bowl, Browner still identifies with the group for which he helped form an identity. He explained that he even has an "LOB" tattoo.

"What I said wasn't coming from a bad place," Browner said. "I'm a competitor. Them boys are competitors, and that's why we have that bond. We're connected. I know they're going to lay their bodies on the line for me, just like I would for them. I love those guys. I wish them guys best, but I want to win the game."

Browner said he knows that the general public has a particular perception of his personality, and while some of his comments this week may not help him in that regard, he said he hopes to try to change that.

A fiery on-the-field personality, he has spoken openly about his meditation techniques and his commitment to yoga that helps him find balance in his life. Without apologizing, he also did his best to explain his recent statements in front of a large crowd on Tuesday.

"I’m trying to clean up my image a little bit, but I truly believe everybody makes mistakes," he said. "Just on this level my mistakes are magnified and blown up a little bit. The reason I say I want to clean it up a little bit, not more so for the media, but for the kids and elderly fans that watch the game. Just change up some of what they think of me."

Phil Perry serves as a general reporter for Comcast SportsNet, mainly covering the New England Patriots. Follow Phil on Twitter here.