Dante Scarnecchia has seen it all in his more than three decades in the NFL.
The former New England Patriots offensive line coach retired Wednesday, ending his run as the league’s longest-tenured coach.
During an interview with WEEI’s Dennis & CallahanĀ on Friday, Scarnecchia was asked how Patriots coach Bill Belichick would have reacted to the explosive postgame interview Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman gave after last Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, which continues to be the NFL’s hot-button topic in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLVIII.
Scarnecchia, who also worked under current Seahawks coach Pete Carroll during Carroll’s time in New England, said he believes both of his former bosses would have handled Sherman’s outburst the same way.
āOh, man, this is tough,” Scarnecchia said. “I really like Richard Sherman. I love the way he plays. I think heāĀĀs a great player. I donāĀĀt have any problem with his outspokenness. I thought he was selfish, and he admitted that he was very selfish the other day. I think that that type of behavior would be one thing, I donāĀĀt want to speak for Bill, but I think that there would be a word said, āYou canāĀĀt do this,ā and I suspect that [Carroll] did the same thing to him after the game. āYou canāĀĀt talk this way, youāĀĀre putting yourself ahead of the team.ā Because PeteāĀĀs a team guy, he really is.ā
Sherman has since apologized for his rant, during which he called San Francisco 49ers wideout Michael Crabtree a “sorry receiver” and proclaimed himself the best cornerback in the game.
Scarnecchia and Belichick witnessed Sherman’s brash persona firsthand last season, when the All-Pro got inĀ Tom Brady‘s face after a win over the Patriots in Seattle.
