Belichick Calls Brady 'The Greatest Quarterback Of All Time'
BOSTON (CBS) -- In a rare public appearance, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick tackled a number of topics Thursday night in Boston.
The keynote speaker at the 2016 Salesforce World Tour event, Belichick echoed what he's been saying about quarterback Tom Brady for years: The QB is pretty darn good.
"He's the greatest quarterback of all time. He's a tremendous leader and a tremendous player for our organization," Belichick said of his four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback.
The head coach has often said there's no other quarterback he'd want taking snaps for the Patriots, so the "greatest of all time" tag should come as no surprise. But Brady is just one of the many parts to the puzzle that has made the Patriots one of the most successful organizations in football history.
Belichick spoke about the team's approach since his arrival in 2000, shedding some light on some of the unorthodox things he and his staff do behind closed doors.
"One of the things we've tried to do is be a bit of an outlier in some respects," the head coach said, noting the 3-4 defense the Patriots went with when no other team really used the formation. "We had quite a bit of success, winning three Super Bowls in four years, and by 2005 half the league was playing a 3-4 defense. When I came here, trying to find a nose tackle like Ted Washington was easy because nobody else wanted them. Five years later, if you were looking for a nose tackle there were about five teams in the draft ahead of us.
"We've had to find different players and difference schemes, whether it be tight end-based offenses or be going from an odd to an even front defensively, trying to find different ways to capitalize on the talent available," he said. "We've tried to morph our way into areas that are less popular, but it all comes back to the players, and we have great players. You don't win without great players in the NFL. We're fortunate to have a great group of people who work hard and look at themselves as a team.
"We've all been committed to a common goal, and that's the hallmark of our team," said Belichick.
Belichick also discussed how special it is to be a part of the Boston sports scene and the pride fans show every day, which doesn't just end with the Patriots.
"It's an awesome feeling and there's great pride. The support Boston fans give all our teams is unbelievable. We feel like we have that 12th man in the stadium whenever we play at home, and just going to Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics games, it's just an awesome support that this community gives the pro teams," he said. "I have a great relationship with all those coaches, talking to [Bruins head coach] Claude [Julien] and [Celtics head coach] Brad [Stevens] on a regular basis, and I wish them well in their home stretch. It's a great support, and we want to make our fans proud of what we do. We work hard at that literally every day of the year."
The final question of the evening was one Belichick was uncomfortable answering, but he didn't give the usual stiff-arm (or long pause and grunt) he throws at the media down at Gillette Stadium. When asked if it was time for the NFL to rename the Lombardi Trophy to the "Belichick Trophy," the coach sidestepped with an answer that will make New Engalnd fans smile.
"I don't know about that," he said with a giant grin. "I'd just like to be holding it again."
