Rex Ryan's Idea to Bury Football Not Original, Belichick Did It in 2001

by Pat McManamon

Filed under: Jets, Patriots, NFL Coaching

Rex Ryan buried a football Wednesday in New York, and the Jets coach was praised for his idea.

Except, as many reports have pointed out, burying the football is not an original idea.

Another guy who did it a while back is Ryan's rival. He's also the same guy who handed it to Ryan Monday night so bad that Ryan felt the need to bury the football.

In 2001, Bill Belichick had his New England Patriots team bury a football after a loss to Miami dropped them to 1-3. That team went on to win 9 of 11 and beat the Rams for New England's (and Belichick's and Tom Brady's) first Super Bowl.

"For him to let his guard down and make that gesture pretty much set the tone for the Patriots for that year and for what you see today," said former Patriots defensive back Jerod Cherry, who played with New England from 2001-2004.

So Ryan not only used an idea of Belichick's, he used one that set the foundation for the team that dismantled Ryan's.

 

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