Jets receiver and kick returner Braxton Berrios fields some Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby: 

Q: A quote on your Instagram: “It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” 

A: A) it’s a mindset, but B) it’s kind of all about preparation and preparing for the absolute worst, or the absolute extreme, you’re ready for anything. It’s better to be a warrior in a garden where you’re in a comfortable environment per se, but ready for a very uncomfortable one than to be the opposite, be a gardener in the war where you’re not really prepared for much, and then you find yourself in no man’s land. 

Q: If you could pick the brain of any wide receiver in NFL history? 

A: Steve Smith. I admire the way he played the game, and to play it like he did for as long as he did and as consistently as he did it, I think that’s worth studying. 

Q: Your on-field mentality? 

A: I know what I’m supposed to do and I need to execute it at the highest level, but I don’t think that really encapsulates kind of the warrior-in-a-garden mindset, because that’s kinda what it is. It’s kinda why I said Steve Smith a little bit earlier. He’s an absolute dog, and he was gonna do whatever he had to do to make that play or to make that block, or to win the game, or to help his team win. 

Q: Does the word “fearless” fit? 

A: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think that’s a good summary word. 

Q: Why do you have to be crazy to return punts and/or kickoffs? 

A: You probably need a little bit of a screw loose, no doubt. We’ll say punt return first — you’re back there, alone, and you have 11 guys sprinting at you. And your job is to catch it and go the absolute opposite way they’re going, which is downhill right at ’em. And forces can collide and to volunteer for that, and then you have any other factor that goes into punt returning especially — the wind, the rain, the different types of kicks, the timing of it. ‘Am I gonna have time, or am I gonna be a half-second late and you’re getting me at the moment I catch it, or am I timing it just right to where I catch it and I can take a step to the side if he misses me and we can get a big play?’ It’s all those things obviously that happen in a hundredth of a second that to some, they might hate, some might be somewhere in between, and I tend to love. I love doing both, but I do have a specific infatuation with punt returns because I think there’s nothing like it. I think that adrenaline rush is second to none in the sport of football to me. It’s a different animal, it’s a different beast. 

Q: The criticism that has bothered you the most? 

A: You obviously try not to pay too much attention to it. But the “quick and not fast” narrative is one that has been completely debunked, but you’ll keep hearing it for whatever reason. I think that one, just because it’s absolutely baseless. That one for sure is one I’ve heard my whole life. Maybe you can speak or somebody else can speak to the fact of why that is, why I get called quick but not fast, but that is what it is. That one always will bother me. 

Q: Were you ever told you were too small or too short? 

A: I’m sure along the way somebody had a low-hanging fruit opinion on it. That’s for the blind eye … obviously the one who just wants a reason, looks for a reason. 

Q: What is it about you that has made you refuse to accept mediocrity? 

A: Honestly, a lifetime of it. I have a problem with average. And I don’t have any problem with any person who’s average, to each his own. But I have a problem with just doing anything averagely. I hate that. I always say I have a certain amount of time and energy each day. If I’m putting my time and energy in something, it better be a good cause and it better come out a great product. If it’s not, I’m probably gonna put more time and energy into it so that it does become a great product. 

Q: You’ve always been that way, correct? 

A: I’ve always been that way. I don’t know where it started, with my parents, my older brother, wherever it started, it started and it stuck. I just can’t stand it. 

Q: What drives you? 

A: I guess what we had just talked about, just trying not to be average at anything. I don’t want anybody to take it the wrong way in saying that I think I’m the best at everything, I know I’m not. I’ve always been competitive, I grew up competitive, I grew up competing with my older in everything that we did, especially sports-wise. I don’t have an obsession with winning. I have an absolute hatred with losing. And I think when you have that relationship with losing, I think that carries over to every aspect of your life. 

Q: Why have you and Zach Wilson clicked? 

A: I know the offense, and that helps. And I try to look at it through his shoes and through his eyes and try to see what he sees. I try to look at it through that lens to where, if I was him, where would I need me to be on this route? And obviously you do it within the structure of the offense. And I think that has definitely helped get the chemistry and really the trust going. … Be friendly to the QB, we call it. 

Q: What have you learned about him off the field? 

A: We do have a great relationship off the field as well. He’s a great guy coming from a great family. We have a lot of common interests, similarities. Us spending time together outside of the facility does help that chemistry and does help that trust as well. 

Q: Describe his arm talent. 

A: He can sling it. He wasn’t the second pick in the draft for no reason. He’s a helluva quarterback, and he can throw it obviously in many different ways from many different angles … he has a cannon. 

Q: Robert Saleh’s electric meetings? 

A: (Laugh) That’s in-house, and for me it’s gonna stay in-house. All I’ll say is he’s a great storyteller. 

Q: Elijah Moore? 

A: Oh, he’s phenomenal. You could tell from the day he walked in that he was gonna be special. Route running’s an art, and he’s an artist. He’s smart, he understands the offense, he picks up on it quick. He has all the intangibles, the skill set. He’s a tremendous wide receiver, tremendous athlete and an amazing teammate at that. 

Q: Tell me why Braxton Berrios should be a Pro Bowler. 

A: I can’t run without the other 10 guys on the field. We are No. 1 in the league in kickoff return average and we are No. 2 in the league in punt return average. … What is it, men lie, women lie, numbers don’t? That’s why we deserve it. 

Q: You played under Joe Judge in New England. 

A: I have a great appreciation for Coach Judge. He’s a great coach, a great coach. I appreciate everything he did for me in those years. 

Q: If you could go 1-on-1 against any cornerback in NFL history? 

A: Probably [Darrelle] Revis. 

Q: What do you remember about Revis? 

A: Growing up when you used to shoot things in a basket, normally you’d be in the classroom and you’d ball a paper and shoot in the trash bin, you’d always say “Kobe,” right? That was obviously because was who Kobe [Bryant] was, he was basketball. In the football world, there’s a lot of different people known for different things, but when you were matched up 1-on-1 it was Revis Island. 

Q: Meeting Tom Brady for the first time? 

A: Very casual. Introduced himself, “Hey, I’m Tom,” which was absolutely hilarious. Very ironic, he was the first one to say, “Hey, I’m Tom.” You want to say, “Yeah, I know,” but of course you go along and say, “Hey, I’m Braxton, it’s great to be here, can’t wait to learn.” 

Q: Meeting Bill Belichick for the first time? 

A: It was just pretty surreal. 

Q: Are there common threads to why they’re GOATs? 

A: Obviously, they both put in the time and are very passionate about what they do, and the effort and the football intelligence and I can keep going on and on about the world each of ’em has created for themselves in football and far before I was … wow, what was it, 2000, 2001? I was 5, 6 years old when that dynasty at the time started. They both obviously are two of the greatest to ever do it, if not the greatest to ever do it. It was really special learning from ’em. 

Q: Wes Walker, Julian Edelman, or Danny Amendola — which one are you more like? 

A: (Laugh) That’s a box. That is a box. I would say none. I’d say Steve Smith. 

Q: The frustrations of being on IR (knee) as a Patriots rookie? 

A: It’s tough. I try to help anybody I see that is in our facility now with that and basically kinda telling them what I went through and what it was like, things to do, things to help yourself stay involved or stay focused, or whatever it is. I’d been hurt, I guess sophomore year at Miami for two games, and those are the only two games I’ve ever missed really since high school. That was just an experience for me. You kinda have to figure that out. 

Q: Your 3.96 GPA included that B in a class at Miami. But prior to that, you proudly tweeted that you had a B-plus changed to an A-minus in another class. 

A: I can’t exactly remember what happened there. I believe honestly the teacher just made an error on putting the grade. 

Q: You tweeted: “THE STREAK IS STILL ALIVE!!!” 

A: The streak was alive (laugh). Until the next semester, and that’s the one that got me. 

Q: Tell me about Buddy. 

A: Buddy was my whole childhood dog. Through all the moves, all the different elementary schools, all that, he was a constant in our family. I had him since I was 2, 2 ¹/₂ through I think I was either in my sophomore or junior year in college he passed away. He was the best dog ever, a Golden Retriever. He was the best. 

Q: Your Uncle William? 

A: He passed away from a brain tumor a year ago and change. The first time I went fishing, it was always him, he was a big outdoorsman. Grew up in Raleigh with him right down the road, so we were very close. Cancer doesn’t discriminate and it doesn’t matter if you’re a father of two little girls or not, how good of a man you are or woman you are, it doesn’t care … it’s terrible. 

Q: Flag football in the backyard and sliding in the mud catching passes from your dad? 

A: (Laugh) There was a pretty bad storm in High Point, North Carolina. I didn’t want to go in and I’m pretty sure it was thunder and lightning and probably a terrible idea for us to be out there, but I refused to go in. That is one of my earliest football memories, playing catch in the absolute cats and dogs rain, thunder, you name it. And just enjoying just being a kid sliding around in mud catching footballs. 

Q: Favorite movie? 

A: “Wedding Crashers.” 

Q: Favorite actor? 

A: Vince Vaughn. 

Q: Favorite actress? 

A: Jennifer Aniston. 

Q: Favorite singer/entertainer? 

A: Drake. 

Q: Favorite meal? 

A: Oh, don’t have one, that just depends on my mood. I’m all over the map. 

Q: You’ll be an unrestricted free agent. Do you want to stay in New York? 

A: I would love to. I think this organization and this team is absolutely heading in the right direction. Obviously with this new staff and the overhaul they did, I love the direction this team’s going in and this organization as a whole. I love playing at MetLife, and I love New York, and there’s nothing like Jets fans.