Few people in football know Bill Belichick better than Tom Brady. Find out what the legendary passer believes could await the new coach. Transitioning from college to the NFL is a feat accomplished by many, with varied success. In contrast, you rarely hear about the inverse. Yet, it does occur more often than one may think. However, what happens when a coach’s resume lists strictly professional jobs?
Bill Belichick Could Struggle with Amateur Aspect of Players, NFL Legend Tom Brady Asserts
Brady knows his head coach through six Super Bowls and a conference room full of awards. Specifically, he knows how he reacts in various situations and scenarios in and around football. For 20 seasons, the quarterback and head coach led the most successful dynasty in NFL history.
Now, the head coach is heading to lead a college program for the first time. Brady stopped by “The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast” to discuss what he believes his former coach will face at the collegiate level.
“How much can these young kids retain? That may also be an interesting challenge because they’re not professional in some ways. They don’t have as much time as we had as professional athletes to go in there and study film and practice and meet. They don’t have that amount of time at the college level.”
Brady’s point connects the dots on a macro level. If you listen to any of Belichick’s former players, not just the elite ones, the coach earned a reputation for being extremely hardworking and, most importantly, meticulous.
To Belichick, details matter. To him, there appear to be no minutiae or trivial points within a game plan or installation. While it could seem dramatic, accounting for variables often separates the good from the great coaches in the game.
Additionally, Belichick will probably attack the game plans as he did as a coordinator under Bill Parcells with the New York Giants and then as a head coach in New England. Brady questions how the coach can condense or alter the approach to make it easily digestible for younger players.
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In the NFL, playing football is their only job. Meanwhile, in college, players must juggle academics to stay eligible. The NCAA strictly limits practice hours and film sessions, which you can read here.
On Labor Day, Belichick and the Tar Heels welcome TCU in their season opener. While he will construct a detailed scheme and game plan, how much will make it onto the field, and how will the players interpret and execute it? If Carolina succeeds throughout the season, it will testify to the coach’s preparedness. Will Belichick pare down his approach to fit the college game?