Bill Belichick remembers his favorite mentor, his father
Phil Perry, CSNNE:
The last time Belichick was covered in the sugary stuff, he was on the sidelines with his dad, Steve, as the Patriots earned their third ring in four years with a win over the Eagles. Less than a year later, Steve died of heart failure at the age of 86.
NavySports:
The Midshipsmen’s savvy was typified by the crafty and inventive minds of head coach Wayne Hardin and the late Steve Belichick, his top assistant.
“We had great coaching and amazing senior leadership. We didn’t have many significant injuries. And we had no head cases on the entire team. We were all headed in the same direction, all season. Those guys are my closest things in life. That team had as much impact on me as anything else in my life.”
Those are the words of the 1963 Naval Academy football team captain, center and middle linebacker, Tom Lynch. The team featured the Heisman Trophy winner in QB Roger Staubach. The team also had an assistant coach who was the most influential person in the life of an 11 year old youngster. Steve Belichick's book, Football Scouting Methods became a standard, described by NFL executive, Charley Casserly as the best book on the subject he had read, and by Bleacher Report as the "Bible" of football scouting.
The 1964 Cotton Bowl featured Number 1 University of Texas versus Number 2 Naval Academy on New Year's Day. While the Midshipmen fell short in losing 28-6, it was the goal line stand with two minutes left that people still talk about. The Texas Longhorns had first and goal from the one yard line, but were stopped inches shy on a fourth down carry. The game took place before Gatorade was even invented.
It only took your defensive unit two plays to keep the defending champs out of the end zone. I am quite confident people will still be talking about this goal line stand for a long time, too.
It was 10 years between Gatorade baths for the New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick. He knew his Mom would be home watching, but he was also thinking of his father, Steve. "It was Steve who instilled in him the love for football that he continues to carry with, that drives him 40 years into his NFL career."
Ten Years After. It was worth the wait.
Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.
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