Bill Belichick has just voiced an interesting idea. He has jokingly suggested renaming the Lombardi Trophy to highlight a different person with extensive NFL success.
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"Maybe they should name it the (Tom) Brady Trophy. He won seven of them," Belichick said during a joking back-and-forth with Jim Gray on SiriusXM NFL Radio's "Let's Go!"
The Lombardi Trophy — named after Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi — is the ultimate prize for players in the National Football League. Belichick has won six as head coach of the Patriots, the most in NFL history. He also won two as a defensive coordinator for the Giants.
Yet for all of Belichick's success, he isn't taking credit. He has made it clear that it would not have been possible without the standout members of the Patriots roster.
"They don't name it the Starr Trophy. They name it the Lombardi Trophy."
"Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy."
🏆 @Belichick_B & @JimGrayOfficial on always crediting players before coaches, on this week's "Let's Go!"
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"Players win games. You can't win games without good players," Belichick said during his appearance. "I don't care who the coach is, it's impossible. You can't win without good players. I found that out when I had (Lawrence) Taylor and (Carl) Banks and Harry Carson, Pepper Johnson, Jim Burt, Everson Walls, all those guys at the Giants.
"And same thing when we got good at Cleveland and then at New England. I mean, it's (Tom) Brady, it's (Willie) McGinest, it's (Mike) Vrabel, it's (Tedy) Bruschi, it's Corey Dillon, it's Randy Moss, Troy Brown, Lawyer Milloy, 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 that made that kick in four inches of snow (against the Raiders in January 2002)."
The conversation about important players is intriguing considering the debates that have raged since the Patriots last won the Big Game. NFL fans and analysts have argued over who had the biggest role in the Patriots winning the Lombardi Trophy six times.
Some highlighted Belichick's role as a coach as the reason for the sustained success. Others pointed to Brady and the fact that he won his seventh championship after leaving New England for Tampa Bay.
Belichick isn't necessarily getting involved in the debate. Instead, he's just having some fun with the NFL's naming conventions.
"You gotta have good players and as a coach, you want to give your players a chance to win," Belichick added. "You wanna put 'em in a position where if they go out there and play well, they'll have a chance to win.
"That's what coach (Bill) Parcells taught me, is there's always a way to win. You just gotta figure out what it is, and you have to give the players a chance."
