FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the New England Patriots spent a week training in San Diego leading up to their Dec. 7 victory over the Chargers, coach Bill Belichick invited Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes to visit the team. Haynes' visit was noted during last Sunday's Patriots-Dolphins broadcast on CBS.

Haynes, who played for the Patriots from 1976-82 before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Raiders (1983-89), drew immediate respect from current players. Cornerback Darrelle Revis said that he waited around with defensive backs Brandon Browner, Devin McCourty, among others, so they could spend time with him.

"It was great, just picking his brain and asking him how he covered wide receivers and his techniques. Some of them were similar [to what we do] and some were different," Revis said Thursday. "I definitely took some of his tips and hopefully will try to use them in my game."

Haynes was a nine-time Pro Bowler and earned induction into the Patriots' Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. He currently lives in Southern California.

"I knew about him, just going down the history of cornerbacks," Revis said. "You go through all of them, the Darrell Greens, the Deion Sanderses, the Mel Blounts, all of them. It was good to actually see him around and for him to visit us in San Diego; Bill invited him and it was awesome for him to be there. When I saw him at first, I was kind of like, 'Who is that? I know that face.' Then Bill brought him around the team and introduced him and I was like, 'I knew it. I knew that was him.' I just waited around after, a bunch of guys did, and we got to talk to him."

Revis was asked about his appreciation for the history of the game, and players like Haynes.

"It's my position and being a fan of those guys," he said. "They're very successful at what they do, so why not ask questions and see what answers you get."