Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was known for his ability to coach everyone hard, no matter if they were an undrafted rookie or a six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback.
Future Hall of Fame linebackers weren’t excluded from Belichick’s wrath.
In a recent appearance on Julian Edelman’s “Games With Names” podcast, former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia shared an incredible story about Junior Seau getting harped on by the coach.
During the 2008 season, New England was getting beaten up at linebacker and heading into their Week 14 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, they brought Seau back at 39 years old.
After promising the veteran linebacker that he wouldn’t play, the Patriots called Seau’s number when Tedy Brucschi went down during the game. Seau and his defensive teammates allowed former Patriots wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch to catch four passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yard catch-and-run where Seau and others missed multiple tackles.
During the week, Belichick asked Patricia to have Seau, a no-doubt Hall of Famer, work on his tackling after practice. Seau was paired with BenJarvus Green-Ellis for one-on-one drills, and the linebacker took his frustrations out on the undrafted rookie running back.
That’s just the type of coach that Belichick was throughout his 24-year tenure in New England. He expected the best out of everyone, and if he thought a player wasn’t giving that, they’d have to answer for it.
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