FOXBORO — There were no brass bands, no parades and no ceremonies to mark the return of Ken Walter to the Patriots’ roster last week.

That's pretty much how the veteran punter expected it to be.

"It wasn't about all about that the guys understand that and I understand that," he said. "It's a job and you're back in it. This was no reunion of any sorts they were my teammates and we won and lost a lot together. You just learn to accept your role, come in here, try not to miss a beat and try not to do anything that's going to hurt the team."

With Josh Miller going on the injured reserve list with a shoulder injury that totally disrupted his punting mechanics, the Patriots were suddenly in need of a player that could handle two responsibilities - punting, of course, and holding on placement attempts.

With apparently no confidence in the skills of rookie practice-squadder Danny Baugher, Patriots' coach Bill Belichick opted for a blast from the past - Walter, their punter from 2001-04, who was out of football and had filed his retirement papers with the league. "It was a sudden thing," he said Wednesday of his return. "It wasn't anything that was like being on-call or anything. It was part of the business it's quick and you just go where they want you to go."

Walter's first punt in his second incarnation as a Patriot was almost blocked, although it still traveled for 45 yards. Otherwise, he had a flawless return - including his other responsibility, holding for kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

The rookie blasted a career-best 52-yard field goal off the Gillette Stadium carpet Sunday against Chicago, so it would appear Walter's old skill came through for him in the pinch.

"It was like riding a bike," he said. "It's something that happens so fast I rely on my hands, I've got good hands. And that's a tribute to us working together. You might have great hands, but not be a great holder because it happens so quick, in about 1.28, 1.3 seconds."

During a break from his preparation for the visit Sunday of the Detroit Lions (1 p.m.; Ch. 25, 64), Walter said he took extra snaps with long-snapper Lonie Paxton as soon as he arrived in Foxboro, just as he had previously when he was trying to establish chemistry with former Patriots' kicker Adam Vinatieri.

"If you want to score points, you have to be good at it and work hard at it," Walter said. "And we have the group of guys to do that. Lonie has always allowed me to do that, to give me as many snaps as I need.

"I'm not going to say it's easy because it's one of the hardest things to do," he added. "But I have confidence in my hands and my hand-eye coordination to get it down quick. That's always been my key, that the faster you can get a football down for a kicker, the better he will be."

Walter said that the breakdown for many field goal attempts isn't with the snapper or the kicker, but how well the holder does his job.

"Some guys take their time getting it down, and the kicker's just in his mind about to kick it it's a no-brainer when you break it down," he said. "It all comes down to working at it and repetition."

Walter had a strong half-season in 2001 and continued to punt well the next season, even though the Patriots failed to make the playoffs. But his overall production and reliability during the 2003 campaign were one of the Patriots' greatest weaknesses, and he was released after their victory over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII. He spent a brief portion of the 2004 season with the Seattle Seahawks and filed his retirement papers last year, but now he's back in a pressure situation.

He said he has learned from the exhilaration of two Super Bowl championships and the disappointment from the failings that took him out of the game.

"There are things that are going to last me a lifetime," he said. "But I've learned to put that past me in my life, especially when I decided to retire. It's part of me, but it's not who I am."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com