Patriots hero says Bill Belichick is completely different to public persona
Bill Belichick is known for many things, including winning and his aloof manner when speaking publicly, but New England Patriots hero Patrick Chung insists his former head coach is not the same behind closed doors.
Belichick's exchanges with the media give the impression he is a man of few words and extremely calculated. Chung, who won three Super Bowl rings under the 71-year-old's leadership, says the real Belichick is a warm man who has helped him on and off the field.
The versatile defensive back, who retired in 2021 after opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, opened up on his relationship with his former head coach on "Up & Adams."
"I do miss Bill. I still talk to Bill," he said. "What you guys see on TV and in the media, and all that, that is partly Bill. I'm not going to make that away, but he's down to Earth, he's a total smart a**.
"I've talked to Bill and he's helped me grow as a man. We talk about things on the field, off the field. I talk to him about life, so I'm forever indebted to him. He's helped me a lot off the field also, so Bill's the man. He's Bill, but he's actually a very cool man."
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With six Super Bowls to his name, Belichick is the most successful NFL head coach of all time, but his team has struggled since the departure of quarterback Tom Brady in 2020, making the playoffs just once in the past three seasons.
Patrick Chung insists Bill Belichick is not the character he presents himself as publicly. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Most analysts believe the Pats have slipped to fourth place in the balance of power in the AFC East, with the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets all tipped to contend for deep playoff runs this season.
Chung, however, believes, Belichick and his players will relish the "underdog" tag and he expects the Patriots to spring a surprise in the months ahead.
"We'll take it [being the underdogs]," Chung said. "It's a tough division now, it hasn't been this tough in a while, but we have the people to do it. It's all about if we can bring it together and play as a team and play as a family and do our jobs.
"We have it all on paper and everyone is talking about it now, but we haven't even played a real game yet. We're playing pre-season and people are playing 10 snaps, 20 snaps. All I know is we're working and we like to be the underdog."
The Patriots begin the regular season on home turf at Gillette Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles – beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in February – on Sept. 10.
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