If you were wondering how excited Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would be for Army-Navy at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, wonder no more.
He’s stoked.
That’s normally not a word you could use to describe Belichick, and it still might be too strong, but the 71-year-old displayed a clear level of excitement for America’s Game when peppered with questions about it Friday. Belichick spent over six minutes talking about Army and (mostly) Navy, spewing more than 800 words in response to four questions about the 124th matchup between the Black Knights and Midshipmen.
You can watch him wax poetic here.
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Belichick’s father, Steve, coached and scouted at the Naval Academy for more than 30 years, giving his son a heavy rooting interest in the game. It’ll be the first time the eight-time Super Bowl winner has been able to watch Army-Navy live since he was in college.
“It’s a very unique opportunity,” Belichick said, per team-provided video. “It really is full circle. I have a great appreciation for the Naval Academy, a great appreciation for this game. It’s a thrill for me that it’s taking place in our stadium. I look forward to the people I’m going to see, the classic event that it is and not just the game, but everything that leads up to it. Starting with some events today and tonight, and hopefully culminating in a Navy win.”
Belichick will make an appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” prior to the game, serving as the program’s celebrity guest picker. Patriots owner Robert Kraft will also appear on the program. They might not be the Patriots’ only representatives at the game, however.
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More Army-Navy
“I think everybody’s got their own schedule,” Belichick said. “There’s certainly a lot of interest in the game. All these guys, with the exception of (Joe) Cardona, haven’t played at service academy schools. So, a lot of them are very interested in the uniqueness of this game, and obviously the magnitude of it, the build-up and everything. I think everybody’s kind of been caught up in it a little bit. These guys have played in a lot of big games in college and professionally. But as I said, this is a little bit different. I think a lot of guys are getting the feel of it.
“They ask questions. I know Joe and I fielded a few Army-Navy questions. You can see there’s a little bit of a divide on the team. Who’s for Army and who’s for Navy? Everybody has their own loyalties. So, that also has been kind of interesting to see unfold. It’s been interesting. As the build-up for the game has increased and peaked, it’s been interesting to see the player-team reaction. Like you said, guys asking for tickets, guys want to know questions about the game, stuff like that. It’s been kind of interesting.”
It’s bound to be a lighter weekend for Belichick, who led the Patriots to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Thursday Night Football” and can finally relax for a few days.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
