Patriots Country

Patriots' Zeke, JuJu on Belichick: 'Funny Guy!'

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick may seem cold on the outside, but according to his players he actually has a great sense of humor

Jon Alfano

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Throughout Bill Belichick's 23-year tenure with the New England Patriots, one constant has been his apparent stone-cold demeanor.

Belichick, who has led New England to six Super Bowl victories, has gained a reputation for showing very little emotion publicly. It's not that he has no feelings, but rather him just choosing to remain more stoic than other coaches. With the success he has had over the years, it's hard to argue with his persona.

Behind closed doors, though, Belichick apparently is a different, more outgoing person with ... a great sense of humor? Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who signed with the Patriots two weeks ago, revealed that he was surprised by how funny Belichick actually is.

“You know, he’s a great coach,” Elliott said in his first press conference with the Patriots. “He’s a funny guy. He demands excellence of this team and he knows how to get it out of you.”

Elliott is just the latest player this offseason to praise Belichick's seldom-seen silly side. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, another new acquisition, previously said he was caught off guard by Belichick's playful demeanor. However, he also acknowledged that the coach can quickly shift back to his more serious side.

“The dude actually has a funny personality,” Smith-Schuster said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Like, of course, when you’re not on the team, you’re not in the building with him, it’s a lot different. Just being around him lately … he’s actually funny. He loves the jokes, he loves to play around.

“But there’s also a time where it’s time to be serious, time to turn it on and do your job. And that’s something that’s perceived different outside the locker room than being in the locker room.”

Hearing second-hand accounts of Belichick's apparently great sense of humor is somewhat jarring with how little emotion he shows publicly. Until we see more of that side, though, we'll just have to take the players at their word.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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