Say whatever you want about Bill Belichick. If you’re a Patriots fan and whether you love him, or you hate him and you’re happy he’s moving on, he still respects and appreciates you.
Belichick and Robert Kraft met with the media in a noon press conference on Thursday, with Belichick taking the lead to start things off in front of reporters in front of a packed group at Gillette Stadium.
The long-time coach opened his portion of the press conference joking about the number of cameras that were on hand as he and Kraft stood in front of everyone, saying they, “Haven’t seen this many cameras since we signed [Tim] Tebow.”
It was obviously an important moment in team history, with Thursday’s announcement that the two were parting ways likely set to be one that will be remembered forever.
The now-former Patriots coach said on Thursday that when he arrived here in New England back in 2000, he and Kraft had a vision of building a winner in Foxboro. Belichick credited everyone involved from top-to-bottom, adding that the memories created within the building are definitely ones he’ll never forget.
“We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here and that’s exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and the contributions of so many people,” said Belichick. “So, very proud of that, and I’ll always have those great memories. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”
He continued crediting everyone all the way from the scouting department, down to the people in the dining room. However, he obviously credited all the players he’s coached over the years, many of which had Hall of Fame careers and “many more are going.” While he didn’t mention names (“too many to name at this time”), he credited them for his success on the field.
“Of course, a great deal of thanks and appreciation to the players,” said Belichick. “Players win games in the NFL, and I’ve been very, very fortunate to coach some of the greatest players that have ever played. Some of the greatest players have ever played for the Patriots, some of them are already in the Hall of Fame, many more are going.”
“But again, regardless of how long any of the players were or weren’t here, what their role was, or how many games they played, or even if they didn’t win championships, I respect the way the players come to work here on a daily basis, all of them, and I’ve coached well over a thousand. But their ability to work, prepare, train in the weight room, train their bodies, meet, rehearse over and over again what we need to do things right to be successful to win.”
“I have so much respect for all the players and certainly we’ve had many that have been here for a long time and had great contributions, too many to name at this time. But great thanks to the players.”
Belichick then thanked the media, but he closed things out by thanking the fans, with the 71-year-old’s voice beginning to quiver a bit as he talked about them.
“And finally, to the fans, the fans here are amazing,” said Belichick, his voice breaking slightly. “I have so many memories of the fans, the sendoffs, the parades, the Sundays, whatever the situations are, the letters of support, seeing the fans away from here at a gas station or a grocery store or wherever you should bump into them.”
“Patriots fans here, and not just in New England, but they extend nationally and even internationally as I’ve traveled. It’s amazing how far the arm reaches. We saw that this year in Germany. So appreciative of the fans for all the support they’ve given me, my family, and this football team.”
“Just so many fond memories and thoughts that I think about the Patriots and I’ll always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here, but at this time, we’re going to move on.”
“I look forward, and I’m excited for the future, but always very, very appreciative of the opportunity here, the support here, and Robert, what you’ve done for me. Thank you.”
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
