Former Georgia great Richard Seymour has always considered himself a student of the game. Bit when it came to the 3-4 defense, the former Bulldog star wasn’t always at the top of his class.

“I remember when I was being recruited out of Georgia, I remember the scout Lionel Vital. He came to Georgia, and he was telling me about the 3-4 defense. He was asking me could I do it. At that point, I didn’t even know what a 3-4 defensive end was, to be honest, but I was like, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’” Seymour said during a Zoom press conference with reporters.

“Obviously, you go back, you look at Coach (Bill) Belichick and what he’s meant to defense, and to be drafted by him says a lot. So, I just wanted to come in and absorb as much information as I could. I knew I was coming to, at that time, a veteran team. Like I said, I was in really, really good hands with Coach Belichick, with Romeo Crennel and all of the coaches there. I mean, they really made the transition super easy for me.”

Obviously, Seymour was a quick learner, as he went on with three Super Bowls for the Patriots, who Monday voted the seven-time Pro Bowler into its Hall of Fame.

“When I first got the news, obviously it was an opportunity for me to kind of reflect. I thought back to the day I was drafted, and my mom and my dad and my family all being there,” Seymour said. “You just think about all the hard work that it took just to be drafted. And now, to be considered a Patriots Hall of Famer is a tremendous honor.”

Seymour becomes the 30th member of the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, joining Troy Brown (2012), Tedy Bruschi (2013), Kevin Faulk (2016), Ty Law (2014), Matt Lights (2018), and Willie McGinest (2015) as the seventh player to enter the Patriots’ Hall of Fame as a three-time Super Bowl champion with the team.

“Richard Seymour laid the foundation that helped propel the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships in his first four seasons in the NFL,” team owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “Richard was the consummate professional and leader, always accepting the roles he was assigned, putting team goals ahead of personal ones, and in turn, raising the game of everyone around him.”

A two-time All-SEC selection (1999-2000) and first-team All-American (2000), Seymour spent his first eight seasons with the Patriots before being traded to the Raiders, for whom he played from 2009-2012.

However, it’s his years with the Patriots that stand out the most.

“I was just enthused that they chose me to be a part of trying to change some of the history that was going on,” Seymour said. “Like I said, this is a tremendous honor. To be a part of the foundation of the Super Bowl run and the dynasty and the championships, you just think —you know, it’s really not for me. You think about so many other people that have helped get you to the point where you are. So, this is just paying respect to them as well.”

Seymour’s enshrinement into the Patriots Hall of Fame may be just the beginning.

The last two years, Seymour has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a career that saw him make 496 tackles with 57.5 sacks during his 12 years in the league.

“It wasn’t anything I ever thought about in terms of why I played, in terms of being a Hall of Famer. I just wanted to go out and compete and earn the respect of my teammates and also the opponents that I played against,” Seymour said. “I think I earned that. I’ve talked to a lot of offensive linemen throughout the years and earned their respect, and I think that goes a long way in not only the Patriots Hall of Fame, but down the road hopefully, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s all a blessing and honor.”