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FOXBORO - The world of wrestling (no, not professional wrestling) has already sent one valuable player to the New England Patriots.

But can they go to the same well again? That will be determined in the months to come, as former Kent State wrestler Jermail Porter tries to follow in the footsteps of the Patriots' starting right guard, Stephen Neal.

"I'm very excited to have this opportunity," the 6-foot-5, 310-pounder said Friday at the Patriots' rookie orientation camp at Gillette Stadium. "I appreciate the whole Patriots organization and the coaches for just giving me a chance to prove what I can do. I'm learning every day and I'm grateful for this opportunity. It's a different world for me."

"He's certainly a good-looking kid," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "He's got a good frame and he's got good balance, and we know that from wrestling."

Porter, a heavyweight on the mats in college, finished sixth in the 2009 NCAA Division I championships - a full 10 years after Neal, wrestling for Cal State-Bakersfield, won the national championship by defeating Brock Lesnar of Minnesota, who went on to the World Wrestling Federation and then failed in an attempt to play pro football with the Minnesota Vikings. Neal is almost a legendary figure to Porter, and not necessarily for what he's done with the Patriots.

"I watched a lot of wrestling film on Stephen Neal, first and foremost, because he's probably the greatest heavyweight in college of all time, and he's known internationally," he said. "So I watched a lot of film on him because this was the avenue he took. It just seemed like it could be a possible transition for me, too."

Neal also had the learning-curve edge of having played football in high school, which Porter did not at Firestone High School in his native Akron, Ohio.

"I'm pretty new," he said. "I didn't play high school or college, and obviously, I didn't even play the peewees because I was always over the weight limits. I ended up wrestling, go figure. So this is a whole new experience for me. It's a whole new world."

Yet, he admitted, making a transition to football was something he often considered.

"This is something I wanted. I've been thinking about something like this since my junior year in college," he said. "I wanted to pursue this after college, but I wasn't quite sure where to start. Fortunately, some people pointed me in the right direction, and here I am."

One of the most influential individuals in that process was his agent, Neil Cornrich, who also represents Neal. Cornrich has also had some representation responsibilities for Belichick in the past, so it's natural that a pipeline of sorts would develop.

That still didn't lessen Porter's shock of picking up the phone one day and finding Belichick at the other end of the line.

"I thought, 'Oh my God this is awesome,'" said Porter. "I was a little nervous, but this is a heck of an opportunity. I'm willing to try to make the most of it."

There are some obvious skills that translate directly from wrestling to offensive line play, he said. "The leverage, balance, footwork that kind of stuff, at least so far as I'm learning," he said. "It all transfers over and it's very much a part of football as it is in wrestling.

"Coach Scar (Dante Scarnecchia) and all those guys were very patient with me," he added. "I'm learning I'm the most inexperienced guy here, so I'm learning every second."

Having presided over Neal's transition, which began with a tryout as a defensive lineman back in 2001 before he became a full-time starter at guard in 2004, Belichick knows he may have to change his plans if Porter shows more aptitude for something else.

"We just have to see how it goes," Belichick said Friday. "Right now he's working on offense, but we might flip him over and just see how it goes. We're just taking it day by day and see how he does in different drills and different situations.

"I don't really have any expectations, other than as long as he's improving, we'll keep working with him and see where the best fit for him might be," he said.

Now is not the time to judge, Porter admitted. His head was spinning after his first practice with a pro football team.

"For a good part, I'm maybe 5 percent in there," he said. "My body's there, but I'm catching up. I feel more informed now and I know more after this first practice than I did before I came in here."

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/farinella.