Belichick, Kraft Reflect On Kevin Faulk
FOXBORO (CBS) - With Kevin Faulk officially retiring from the NFL after a 13-year career with the Patriots, both Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft had plenty to say about New England's all-time leader in all-purpose yards.
Faulk did it all for the Patriots, with Belichick saying he -- along with recent Patriots Hall of Fame inductee Troy Brown (who was in attendance) -- were the "gold standard of teamwork, commitment, performance, and winning."
"No matter what he was asked to do, how critical the situation, no matter what it was he was asked to do from anything -- on the practice show teams to show our defense another player we were going against -- no one did it better than Kevin," Belichick said in front of a packed house at the Hall at Patriot Place. "He was the ultimate team player and was a pleasure to coach. He always put the team first and always knew what to do."
Listen: Kevin Faulk On Gresh & Zo
"Kevin, you've had a wonderful career here and it's really been an honor to coach you," Belichick said to Faulk. "I don't think anyone embodies more of the team work than Kevin. I said the same thing about Troy, those two are right at the top."
"He was unselfish, always put the team first, and in this age of 'how much are you going to pay me' money was never the objective of Kevin," said Kraft. "He always wanted to retire a Patriot, and he did that. He was the ultimate team player."
Gallery: Kevin Faulk Through The Years
"When I first met Kevin in 1999, you couldn't convince me he would be with us for 13 years and be the all-time team leader in all-purpose yards," said Kraft. "Running backs don't usually last 13 years in this league, especially running backs of modest height and around 200 pounds."
"You're our hero Kevin," added Kraft. "Like Troy, he proved big and special things come in small packages."
