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Bill Belichick suggests Lombardi Trophy should be renamed the "Brady Trophy"

Tom Brady inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame, number 12 retired
Tom Brady inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame, number 12 retired 02:47

BOSTON -- Super Bowl winners famously get to hoist the Lombardi Trophy high in the air after winning a title. But if the name of that trophy ever changes, Bill Belichick would like to see Tom Brady's name attached to the hardware.

The former New England Patriots head coach and current UNC football coach has made it clear throughout his career that winning championships comes down to players. A coach's job is to put them in the best spot to succeed, but once a game kicks off, Belichick says that winning comes down to the players.

Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach of the Patriots and two more as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, echoed that sentiment during the latest "Let's Go!" podcast with Jim Gray.

"You can't win games without good players. I don't care who the coach is, it's impossible," Belichick told Gray. "You can't win without good players."

Belichick rattled off a number of Hall of Famers (and future Hall of Famers) that he coached throughout his career, from Lawrence Taylor with the Giants to, of course, Brady with the Patriots. While he was obviously a huge part of New York and New England's success, Belichick put all the praise on his players.

"I mean, it's Brady, it's [Willie] McGinest, it's [Mike] Vrabel, it's [Tedy] Bruschi, it's Corey Dillon, it's Randy Moss, Troy Brown, Lawyer Malloy, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison. Those are guys that won the games, man. I didn't make any tackles. I didn't make any kicks. That was [Adam] Vinatieri, made that kick in four inches of snow," said Belichick.

Belichick would do extensive prep work to find ways to exploit an opponent and put together some incredible game plans and schemes to give his team a chance to win every Sunday. But he said none of that would matter if the players didn't execute between the numbers. That was especially the case in the playoffs and on the biggest stage in the Super Bowl.

"You've got to have good players and as a coach, you want to give your players a chance to win. You want to put them in a position where if they go out there and play well, they'll have a chance to win," he said. "That's what Coach [Bill] Parcells taught me, is there's always a way to win. You've just got to figure out what it is, and you have to give the players a chance.

"You've got to have great players, and they've got to play well. And I think that's the key, is getting your good players to play well," Belichick added.

Change Lombardi Trophy to Brady Trophy?

While Belichick was adamant that players deserve the most credit for winning, Gray was quick to point out that the Super Bowl trophy is named after Green Bay Packers legend Vince Lombardi -- head coach of the first two Super Bowl champs in NFL history -- and not Bart Starr, who was the quarterback of the Packers for those two titles.

But that retort was a softball for Belichick, who was ready to hit back.

"Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy. He won seven of them," said Belichick.

It's not a bad idea at all, given Brady has the most Super Bowl rings of any player with seven -- six in New England and one in Tampa Bay. It should be noted that Lombardi coached the Packers to seven titles as well, winning five NFL Championships from 1961-67 before winning the first two Super Bowls. 

But Brady also holds the NFL record for the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and playoff wins for a quarterback -- just to name a few -- and with more rings than any other player, he'd be worthy to have his name attached to the trophy given to Super Bowl champs. 

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