"Linebacker Tedy Bruschi is still couching exactly when his playing career will end, but when it does, he wouldn't mind coaching.

Yesterday, a month before the Patriots start training camp, Bruschi hosted his second Kids Football Clinic, sponsored by insurer SBLI, at Gillette Stadium. Bruschi approached the noncontact camp of 54 children decked out in No. 54 jerseys with the same passion and intensity he has displayed during his career with the Patriots, now entering its 14th season.

"I know I can coach,'' said Bruschi. "I know the game. I've been in it so long. It's just going to be a matter of what I do when I'm done. It's a passion of mine. I know I love football. I know I want to be in it. Let's just see what I'll be doing.''

Who better to learn about coaching from than Bill Belichick? Did Bruschi consult his coach on the camp?

"No, but I've had this going on in my head for a while,'' said Bruschi. "I've mapped out the field, where the stations will be, how the guys will teach their fundamentals. It's a little Belichickian because I've been trying to keep it organized.''

Bruschi, who is entering the final season of his contract and turned 36 last month, said he's taking his playing career one season at a time.

"After you get past 10 [years], I think that's the way you have to do it because you never know what's going to happen within a year,'' Bruschi said. "So, when the season is over you kind of reassess things and that's how it's going to go again.''

Joining Bruschi at the camp were linebacker Jerod Mayo, tight end David Thomas, safety Ray Ventrone, and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Former quarterback Scott Zolak was also an instructor.

Summer safety

Gostkowski also made an appearance at the "Summer Safety Blitz,'' a team-sponsored event featuring state troopers from all six New England states and New York designed to deter drunk driving.

The Pro Bowl kicker and his wife are headed to Europe this week. But Gostkowski won't allow himself to stray too far from football shape. He plans to take a week off, then get back to kicking.

"It's definitely a little bit of downtime, but you can't lose what you've been working for all spring. You can't lose your fitness. You can't lose all the gains that you made working out,'' said Gostkowski. "Training camp is the time to get ready for the season, but you also have to be ready to perform in training camp. So, I'll be ready to go.

"I've tried to follow the same schedule each year. Until I feel like I need to fix it for some reason, I'm going to stick with it. I always come ready for camp, and then I try to go to camp to get ready for the games. I'm not going to be ready to kick in a game Day 1 of training camp. I'm going to be ready to kick Day 1 of training camp to get ready to kick in the games.''

Gostkowski said things have been going "pretty smoothly'' with new long-snappers Nathan Hodel and rookie Jake Ingram, who are vying to replace Lonie Paxton.

Mayo appears fine

Mayo also attended the drunk-driving awareness event. Although the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year sat out organized team activities and mandatory minicamp this offseason, he did not appear to be favoring an injury. Kids were crashing into him during the camp. Mayo politely declined comment when approached."