Ex-Patriot Reveals He Once Crashed Car To Avoid Ticking Off Bill Belichick

Rich Ohrnberger, who spent three seasons with the New England Patriots (2009-11), evidently would have done almost anything to stay out of Bill Belichick’s doghouse.

Ohrnberger, a former offensive lineman, recently revealed on XTRA 1360’s “The Hartman And Rich O Show” that he once intentionally crashed his car to avoid being disciplined by the Patriots head coach.

Ohrnberger explained he woke up late for a team meeting one day, thanks to his phone dying overnight, and became concerned on his way to the stadium that Belichick might send him packing from the roster. Thus, Ohrnberger made a bold, impromptu decision in the hopes of establishing an alibi.

“I have this sinking feeling in my stomach like I’m gonna get cut,” Ohrnberger said, as transcribed by CBS Sports. “He’s not going to have me on this football team come tomorrow. What do I do? I’m cruising down this slight sloping hill that brings you to this right that I have to take to get to the stadium for the morning meeting.

“I see a church van in front of me that’s all dinged up. It’s got the black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. I’m like, ‘I’m gonna hit this car. I’m gonna rear end this car. I’m gonna hit this car because it’s better to pay the insurance or peel off this guy a couple hundred bucks than embarrass myself for being late to this Patriots team meeting.’ I rear end this poor old man, who by the way, was like minutes from being 100 years old.”

Smart move? Probably not. But it worked, as Ohrnberger, a fourth-round draft pick in 2009, kept his spot on the Patriots’ roster despite legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia expressing some skepticism about the story.

Most importantly, neither Ohrnberger nor the guy he bumped into were injured in the fender bender.

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