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FOXBORO - When players come to the Patriots for the first time, it's a shock to some of them when Bill Belichick mentions that he wants them to learn how to play more than one position.

In Tank Williams' case, however, it's a marriage made in heaven.

The former Minnesota Vikings' and Tennessee Titans' safety has had a lot of experience playing a position other than his natural one - but rather than play cornerback, which is what a lot of defensive backs do in terms of versatility, Williams has been a surrogate linebacker for much of his career and is likely to continue that role with the Patriots.

"I've been accustomed to playing close to the ball since my rookie year," said the former Stanford standout, originally a second-round pick of the Titans in 2002. "Here, I'm doing a little bit of both - playing close to the ball, sometimes I'm a little bit further back. I just do what the coaches want me to do and try to make plays."

At 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, Williams has some beef on him, and it's something that both the Titans and Vikings tried to utilize. "I feel I'm large enough to play close to the line and be effective, kind of using my speed to get around the big linemen and make plays," said the native of Bay St. Louis, Miss. "I'm also accustomed to playing back in space. I think it will be a good changeup if I can learn the defense how they expect me to and give them an opportunity to play me close or play me back so you won't be able to key on what I'm actually doing out there."

The Patriots did much the same with Rodney Harrison late in the season last year and in the playoffs, but Williams has less than half the mileage on his tires than the venerable Harrison.

He certainly has the right mindset for the role.

"You look forward to that," he said of the opportunity to intensify his hitting as a quasi-linebacker. "That's what football's all about. It's a contact sport. Laying big hits when you get the opportunity and making big plays, that all comes with the game. If you don't relish those opportunities, then you really don't need to be out here, I guess."

Belichick has already found Williams to be a quick study, and hopes he can regain the form that led him to make 83 tackles in 2005 with the Titans. In Minnesota, he spent all of 2006 on injured reserve and started only two games in 2007.

"Tank is a versatile player," Belichick said. "We haven't coached Tank before, but I think there are a lot of things he can do. We will ask him to work some different spots there. How all that will go I don't know.

"He's fast and has some size," the coach continued. "He can run, blitz and tackle. There's a place for that type of player on your team in different schemes. We will work him there and see how it turns out."

Williams said that in the free-agency process, he quickly realized he'd have the opportunity to showcase all of his skills before the Patriots' coaching staff.

"It was a process where they showed interest in me and I definitely had interest in coming here with the things that they've done," he said. "I felt I fit the defensive scheme and I could come up here and learn the defense and try to have an impact in some way, in some form, whether it's on defense or on special teams."

But he also found out quickly enough that while he may have experience in doing the basics of what the Patriots want him to do, the intricacy of their playbook will require plenty of study. "It is complex," he said. "There's a lot of checks and things of that manner. It's one of those things where you always have to bring your playbook, always have to stay on top of your checks and your reads. The more you do that, you more you see the plays before they happen and the more you're able to put yourself in better position."

Williams' given name is Clevan, but he was saddled with the "Tank" nickname by his sister. A copious milk-drinker as a child, Williams was gulping down the cow juice in front of his sister one day, and she said to their mother that he should be drinking out of a tank instead of a bottle.

Local dairies should be on alert - especially if Williams takes to the Patriots' defensive scheme and plays as well as he hopes.

"I think we're all going in there with the mindset that we have to take it one practice at a time, one day at a time and just try to get better as a player and as a unit," he said. "And if we're able to do that, then we should be ready to do some good things out there on the field."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/sports.