Patriots fans know Bill Belichick as arguably the greatest head football coach of all time, but that wasn’t always the case.
New England is in Detroit this week going through joint practices with the Lions ahead of Thursday’s preseason opener at Ford Field. Believe it or not, the Motor City is where Belichick really began his coaching career.
After working as a special assistant for the Baltimore Colts in 1975, Belichick joined the Lions staff as an assistant special teams coach in 1976. He served in the same role in 1977, in addition to working as an “offensive assistant.”
The Athletic’s Chris Burke shared a photo of the Lions’ 1977 media guide on Monday, which features Belichick’s headshot as a 24-year-old.
Check it out:
Who knew that kid would become one of the greatest football minds ever?
The Patriots open up their four-game preseason schedule when they take on the Lions on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
