New England Patriots Bill Belichick, Dallas Cowboys Stephon Gilmore: Mutual Respect

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore continues to embody the desire to both teach and learn the game he loves - something he learned from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

FOXBORO — Though Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore may have left the New England Patriots in 2021, he still carries a great deal of "Belichickian' wisdom and counsel in his heart.

Gilmore has been among the top players at his position for several years. The former South Carolina standout spent his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2016. However, Gilmore truly developed into an elite defensive back after signing a lucrative free-agent deal with the New England Patriots in 2017 — under the tutelage of Pats head coach Bill Belichick.

Accordingly, he will be carrying that knowledge with him into the Cowboys' Week 4 matchup against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. Though his history with Belichick is one of fond memories and respect, Gilmore enters this game as a member of the Cowboys, who acquired him by trading a fifth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts in March.  

“He’s a great coach,” Gilmore told reporters earlier this week. “He’s probably one of the greatest coaches of all-time. He’ll have his guys prepared. He taught me a lot about the game. About preparing and studying. Appreciative for him, but I’m going against him on Sunday. It will be fun.”

During his four seasons with the Pats, Gilmore left an indelible mark on the franchise. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 after leading the league with six interceptions and 20 passes-defensed. He also earned three of his five Pro Bowl selections, received two first-team All-Pro nods, and was a member of the team that won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LIII.

Still, Gilmore was drawn to Belichick's consistent desire to learn about the game and impart that expertise to others. Former teammates such as Los Angeles Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson have praised Gilmore's patience and prowess as a teacher. As such, the Cowboys have gained an exceptionally smart player with the desire to be a mentor to their young and talented corps of cornerbacks.

Bill Belichick and Stephon Gilmore with the New England Patriots in 2019 :: AP Photo/Elise Amendola

In that vein, Gilmore once again finds himself atop a cornerback depth chart, The 33-year-old veteran inherited Dallas' No. 1 spot after Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs suffered a torn ACL in practice last week. Through three games this season, Gilmore has one interception, and four passes defended this season, while aligning on 90 percent of the Cowboys' defensive snaps. He has also become an invaluable mentor to Dallas' corners DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis in Diggs's absence. 

Though history has shown him more than capable of accepting the challenge of leading Dallas' defensive backfield, Gilmore understands that this week's matchup against the Patriots provides an added layer of complexity due to Belichick's meticulous manner of preparation. Not only is the 71-year-old Pats coach capable of identifying even the slightest weakness in his opponent's style, but he is also capable of game-planning those deficiencies to his team's advantage. 

“You don’t know what you’re going to get,” Gilmore added regarding his former coach. “That’s the good thing about him. What you didn’t do well, he’s going to take advantage of. You’ve got to be able to correct the things you don’t do well.”

For all of the respect shown from Gilmore to Belichick, the same can be said in return. Having coached Dallas' new lockdown corner for four years, and studied him for the duration of his nearly 12-year career, New England's legendary coach is aware that Gilmore is a player for which his team must account at all times. 

"Steph’s had a great career. looks kind of how he’s always looked – long, disruptive and really good ball skills, "Belichick told reporters on Wednesday. "You’ve got to be careful throwing the ball around him. He’ll catch it."

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