INDIANAPOLIS — If you want to know one of the secrets to the Patriots’ sustained success you need to look no further than their organizational philosophy when it comes to finding the right players for their roster.
Pedigree be damned.
This is the Patriots’ way, and they work it better than any team in the NFL.
Though teams like the Jets become smitten with compiling stars with big-name appeal, and collect them at the expense of other players with more heart and value to the team and its chemistry, the Patriots have little interest in the star system.
COMPLETE GIANTS SUPER BOWL COVERAGE
The Jets enable selfish stars such as Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress, the Patriots are picking up the Jets’ discarded players such as James Ihedigbo and Danny Woodhead and plugging them into roles as integral cogs to their success.
The Patriots will line up against the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday with eight starters and several other key contributors who were undrafted free agents — 18 of the 53 players on the roster.
Their top receiver, Wes Welker, who led the NFL in receptions this season, wasn’t drafted. Top cornerback Kyle Arrington, who tied for the lead in interceptions this season with seven, wasn’t drafted, was released by the Eagles and Buccaneers, and his college (Hofstra) doesn’t even field a football team anymore.
Sterling Moore, the defensive back who saved the Patriots’ season when he swiped the ball out of the hands of Ravens receiver Lee Evans in the end zone in the final moments of the AFC Championship, began the season on the Raiders’ practice squad, was signed by the Patriots, released and re-signed in December.
This is just a small sample size of this band of once-unwanted talent that is the glue that holds the New England roster together.
“We all have a chip on our shoulder,’’ said Ihedigbo, who was a valuable special-teams player for the Jets until they opted not to re-sign him and now is a starting safety for the Patriots. “At some point nobody wanted us and now we’re here for a reason. Bill [Belichick] brought us all here for a specific reason and Sunday is that reason — to win a Super Bowl.’’
Pedigree be damned.
“We have a bunch of players like that who’ve come through the doors,’’ Patriots defensive line coach Pepper Johnson said. “One thing you can’t measure is a player’s heart and hunger for the game. Hey, No. 12 [Tom Brady] is that guy for us. We get a lot of credit for having him, but at the same time it’s not like we picked him in the first round either. We didn’t know what he was capable of.’’
Brady, without fanfare, quietly was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 draft and embodies the massive chip the Patriots have on their collective shoulder.
“I still use [not getting drafted] as a motivating factor,’’ said Patriots right guard Brian Waters, who is in his 12th season and was voted into his sixth Pro Bowl this year despite being cut by the Chiefs after the 2010 season.
Patriots starting center Dan Connelly, who was undrafted out of Southeast Missouri State and worked his way up from the practice squad, called making it or not making it from being undrafted “a very thin line.’’
This is what Belichick tells his players before the start of every season: “I don’t care how you got here, it’s what you do when you get here. We are going to play the best players. Whoever that is is decided by you.’’
All of these key Patriots players decided and now they’re key contributors playing for a Super Bowl title.
“Our organization looks past the big names and the stars,’’ said Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, a former first-round pick. “They look for that diamond in the rough, and we’ve been pretty successful doing that.’’
Pedigree be damned.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com