Kevin Mawae might have played just two seasons on the same team as Bill Belichick, but the Hall of Fame center took time out of his induction speech Saturday to recognize the coach's impact on his career.
"Though I played against many opponents who challenged me to be my very best, there’s one coach that I must recognize, coach Bill Belichick," Mawae said.
Most of Mawae's experience against Belichick came when he and the Jets played against the Patriots from 2000-05. The Jets have had little success against the Patriots during Belichick's run in New England, but as a player who spent 15 years in the NFL, Mawae had serious respect for Belichick's strategic excellence.
"I never felt more challenged mentally in a game than when I faced your teams," Mawae said. "I came to love the puzzle of figuring out your defense and the chess match those games became. I didn’t win all of them, in fact, my team’s lost most of them. I think we were 4-13 against you. That sucks. That was awful. I still hate the Patriots, everyone hates the winners."
It surprising to see the Patriots mentioned before Ty Law made his speech, but it just goes to show the imprint they've had on the NFL over the course of their dominant 19-year run. Not everyone loves the success they've had, but it sure seems like the great players respect the way Belichick-coached teams play the game.
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