It's no secret that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has a ton of respect for NFL legend and former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown.
When the Patriots played against the Browns in Cleveland two years ago, Belichick took the team to visit the statue of Brown outside of FirstEnergy Stadium.
“I think, honestly, any person – football player or otherwise – can learn a lot from Jim Brown and what he represents and what he stands for," Belichick said at the time, via ESPN.com. "But particularly, as it relates to our football team, Jim Brown, in my opinion, is the greatest player that ever played.”
That's steep praise from Belichick, who was head coach of the Browns from 1991 to 1995 and received a visit from the NFL legend this week.
So, it only made sense that Brown would return the favor, as Belichick's ninth Super Bowl appearance as Patriots head coach is two days away.
"He’s a genius of professional football," Brown said in a Fox News interview on Friday. "He’s got the best mind in the game. He’s a great humanitarian. He comes off quirky sometimes because he’s mentally—so extreme. I love him."
Brown, now a civil rights activist and former actor, is also known for the considerable legal trouble he faced in the years following his football career.
New England Patriots
Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
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