Longtime head coach Bill Belichick has been known to be one of the strictest coaches in the NFL, and a story from a former New England Patriots player illustrates just how much of a tight ship Belichick runs in New England.
Former Patriots offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger relayed a wild story regarding Belichick on his talk show “The Hartman and Rich O Show” on XTRA 1360 in San Diego, where he revealed that he once intentionally got into a car crash so he had an excuse for being late to practice.
“I’m gonna be 10 minutes late for this day. I have this sinking feeling in my stomach like, ‘I’m gonna be cut. (Belichick’s) not gonna have me on this football team come tomorrow. What do I do?’” Ohrnberger said via Jared Greenspan of the New York Post.
“I see a church van in front of me that’s all dinged up and it’s got the black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe and I’m like, ‘I’m gonna hit this car.’ It’s better to pay the insurance than embarrass myself by being late for a Patriots team meeting.”
He added that he was instantly regretful for his decision, but it ultimately worked out in the end, as the driver that he hit had no injuries from the crash and he was able to retain his role with the Patriots.
Being late to practice is certainly a bad look, but it seems a bit extreme to cause a wreck in order to have an excuse for being late.
It certainly makes for a great story, but it shows the fear that Belichick instills as a head coach toward his players and how much it takes sometimes to make it in the NFL.
