Matt Patricia’s beard is even more awesome when you consider the back story.
The New England Patriots defensive coordinator looks unrecognizable without his trademark facial hair, but Patricia, who’s set to become the Detroit Lions’ head coach after Sunday’s Super Bowl LII matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, revealed Monday that not shaving has nothing to do with appearance. Instead, the bushy beard is a tribute to his friends in the military.
“The quick story on the beard is, honestly, 2011 I believe it was, I have a lot of buddies who are in the military, that have gone overseas, were overseas that year,” Patricia said during Super Bowl LII Opening Night at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota, according to The Detroit News. “I got to see a couple of them before they left and they were usually in full beard, obviously doing great things to protect our country and just great Americans. It’s kind of just one of those deals where I said, ‘Well, I’m not shaving till you get back. So when you get to see us on TV, or see me on TV, know that I’m thinking about you,’
“That’s where it started and it kind of rolled into year in and year out. There are a lot of guys that get deployed and our guys tend to do different things each year to keep us occupied while we’re working, so it was just on my mind, making sure I remember all those great people who are out there helping us and protecting us.”
It’ll be interesting to see whether Patricia’s beard instantly becomes a big hit in the Motor City, where he’ll be taking his first head-coaching job. But it’s sure as heck iconic in New England, where the 43-year-old has been a member of head coach Bill Belichick’s staff since 2004.
“It goes through different phases there,” Patricia said of his beard, per The Detroit News. “Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it goes down. It’s good because I can duck in and out of places. At certain points, it’s like a diet program when I shave it down. Everyone thinks I’ve lost some weight.”
Patricia has been the Patriots’ defensive coordinator since 2012. He’s earned three Super Bowl rings with New England and now has a chance for a fourth, which could come in handy if he ever loses one while grooming the gigantic bundle of hair on his face.
