FOXBORO - For someone revered as one of the best holders during the course of his NFL career, Ken Walter has no problem letting go.

Despite being cut, re-signed and ousted again by New England during a hectic two-month stretch in 2003, Walter didn't hesitate to offer his services Wednesday when the Patriots coaxed him out of retirement to replace injured punter Josh Miller, who ironically supplanted him three years ago.

Walter has held for a variety of kickers, including Adam Vinatieri, Joe Nedney and Jon Kasay, but he doesn't hold grudges. He admits the scrutiny from fans and reporters affected him in 2003 when he struggled with his consistency, but he also learned valuable lessons on how to deal with adversity, which he hopes will help him during his second stint with the Patriots.

"It was the best times of my life," Walter said of the three years he spent in New England from 2001 to 2003. "It made me a better man, a better father, a better husband - a better football player, bottom line. You've got to take the good and the bad and I had a lot of good and there was some bad in there, too.

"I'm not ready to take the step after football yet. I'm passionate about what I do and I work hard, so I'm going to put the blinders on and move forward. I've got a job to do here and outside distractions are outside distractions - you've got to let them go. We're a football team. Everyone in here trusts me to do my job just like I do with everyone else. I'm here to be on the same page and not make any mistakes."

With Miller out for the season due to a nagging shoulder injury, the Patriots re-signed Walter because of his reputation as an efficient holder. He's familiar with long snapper Lonie Paxton and also understands the difficulties of punting in New England during the winter when the wind at Gillette Stadium often plays a factor.

"A big part of the decision with Kenny is as much about the holding as it is the punting," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Friday. "I have a lot of confidence in Kenny. He has a lot of experience. He has been in big games. I hate to make that type of a move at this point in the year, but, unfortunately, that's what it came to with Josh. He just wasn't able to perform effectively."

Miller had played through the pain for most of the season, but the injury began affecting his ability to catch and extend the ball. The problems were obvious last week when he averaged a season-low 35.7 yards per punt in Green Bay.

Walter can empathize. He's had shoulder surgery three times in nine years, including last October, which forced him to spend the entire 2005 season rehabilitating.

"Not to lie or say there's no excuse, but if you do have a shoulder, you need both of them," Walter said. "As a punter - left-handed or left-footed - you need both of them to be a guide hand and do things together. It's tough."

Walter saved the Patriots in 2001 when he joined the team five weeks into the season after Lee Johnson's meltdown against the San Diego Chargers.

The 34-year-old punter helped the Patriots win their first Super Bowl title, but his numbers dropped in 2002 and continued to plummet the following year before they released him in December of 2003. Walter had two awful punts in Houston and Indianapolis that year that nearly cost the Patriots back-to-back road games in November.

After giving Walter 10 days to clear his thoughts, the Patriots re-signed him for the stretch run primarily because of his comfort level with Vinatieri, but they let him go at the end of the season and ultimately signed Miller to a five-year contract worth $5 million.

Walter spent 2004 in Seattle, where he kicked in only six games, and had surgery the following winter. A quick recovery convinced him he could still play at a high level, so he began rededicating himself to football.

"I signed the papers and I retired and my physical therapist Alan Tyson, who's in Carolina now, said, 'I know you and I know how competitive you are and I know you'll be back,' but I kept saying, 'I'm done,'" Walter said. "It's just one of those competitive things.

"Whenever I had to be somewhere in three months, I was there in a month and a half, so I kind of starting messing around again. I really started hitting the ball well and getting things together as a total package - letting my lower body stronger and doing the things I needed to do, because I know what I can do and I know how effective my ball can be when I hit it properly."

Walter held on both of Vinatieri Super Bowl-winning field goals, but - much like his struggles in '02 and '03 - he's put those memories behind him. All he's worried about now is helping the Patriots win another championship.

"They asked if I was ready to go and I said, 'Let's do it,'" Walter said. "I'd be stupid to say that it didn't catch me on my heels a little bit. It's an awesome environment here from the coaching staff to the players and everybody that works in the system. I believe in it and I always have. I'm excited to go out there and do my thing."