Bill Belichick isn’t one to hand out a surplus of compliments.
So, when the New England Patriots head coach told his Super Bowl XLIXÂ champs they’re a “damn good football team,” he really meant it.
“I’ll never be able to express in words how much I respect and appreciate everything you guys did, the sacrifices that you made,” Belichick said Sunday night at the team’s championship ring ceremony. “This is a damn good football team right here. This is a damn good team.”
Owner Robert Kraft, who hosted the event, gave out his own compliment before introducing the Patriots’ long-time head coach.
“I still think the best trade we ever made was when I sent a first-round pick to our good friends at the New York Jets for Bill Belichick,” Kraft said.
Belichick reminded Kraft the Patriots also threw in a seventh-round draft pick in 2000.
Current and former members of the Patriots attended the semi-formal event, where Kraft handed out the largest rings in Super Bowl history. Kraft kicked off the honors with a championship pun.
“New England Patriots Super Bowl champions,” Kraft said. “Doesn’t that have a nice ‘ring’ to it?”
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
