Ex-Patriots Exec Reveals Origin Of Bill Belichick’s ‘Do Your Job’ Mantra

Bill Belichick made the “do your job” phrase a cultural staple during his illustrious two-decade-long run with the New England Patriots, however, to say the eight-time Super Bowl champion took inspiration for the motto would be an understatement.

During Belichick’s reign of dominance atop the AFC, New England was directly linked to their “do your job” attitude. Yet… the true story behind Belichick’s demeanor isn’t that simple. Former Patriots executive Scott Pioli brought the origin of Belichick’s “do your job” mantra to light, revealing that while the New England legend himself gets most of the credit, it was, in fact, another NFL great who coined the motto: Former owner of the then-Oakland Raiders Al Davis.

“This was 1981. I think it was (Bill) Parcells’ first year as head coach of the New York Giants,” Pioli told Julian Edelman on the “Games With Names” podcast. “… At the end of the season, the Giants sucked his first year. And Parcells is thinking he’s gonna get fired — he’s pissed off at the (general manager) and the player personnel development. And he’s talking to Mr. Davis — and I know this story first-hand from Parcells. Parcells says that he’s complaining to Mr. Davis. ‘Oh, we don’t have this. We don’t have that. These players suck. I gotta re-do this roster.’ And he said Mr. Davis interrupted him and said, ‘Outside your office, you got anything on the wall?’ (Parcells) goes, ‘Yeah.’ (Davis) goes, ‘What’s it say?’ He says, ‘What’s the nameplate?’ (Parcells) says, ‘It’s got my name on it.’ (Davis) goes, ‘What’s it say under that?’ (Parcells) goes, ‘Head coach.’ And he said Mr. Davis leans forward and he goes, ‘That’s right. The head coach. Just shut the (expletive) up and just do your job. Your job isn’t to find players. Your job isn’t to put the roster together.'”

Pioli continued: “Belichick gets the ‘Just Do Your Job’ thing from Parcells, next thing you know it’s on T-shirts. That’s where the whole — the ‘Just Do Your Job’ is Mr. Davis.”

Of course, Davis doesn’t receive nearly as much credit as Belichick — and for obvious reasons. Belichick head honcho’d a championship dynasty that delivered New England six Vince Lombardi trophies, developed the greatest quarterback ever in Tom Brady and nearly produced the only undefeated season in league history — the 16-0 Patriots of 2007 fell to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, giving New England its only defeat that year. Davis might’ve been the creator of “do your job” but Belichick put it on the map and made it much larger than a little-known offseason story swept under the rug.

Pioli, the main witness of “do your job” going from New York to New England, spent eight seasons with the Patriots and pitched into three Super Bowl title-winners throughout the span before departing in 2008.