Games with Names - Highlight Reels: What It Was Like Playing For The Patriots

Episode Date: August 31, 2025

In this week's edition of Highlight Reels, we have Patriots Legends explaining what it was REALLY like to play under Bill Belichick for the Patriots during the dynasty.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Maximize your edge by shopping at Lenovo.com during their back-to-school sale. That's Lenovo.com. Hi, I'm Buzz Knight, the host of the Taken a Walk podcast, and join me for an upcoming episode with Sack McFarlane, the creator of family guy talking about his new Frank Sinatra music project. Anyone who loves music would salivate over something like this. The biggest question for us was, what's in these boxes? Really, the most thrilling part was hiring an orchestra

and just playing what was in these boxes. Listen to Taking a Walk on the Eye, Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene.

In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel?

That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative. and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome to games with names.

I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation highlight reel starting now. Now, Matt Light talks about hunting the Patriots property during his playing days. Didn't you post up on the Patriot property and take some deers down or something? Or was it a turkey? I pulled up and I hunted that property forever because Mr. Kraft was like, I mean, look, he's like, I don't know anything about what you're doing. I'm like, all, cool. It was like a green light, right?

So I would hunt right behind a stadium where that Lawton's farm close to that, right? Yeah. And they're great people. I went in one morning and, oh, this is awesome. This is right back to Bill. This is before, yeah, and this is in the off-season. And I go to set up and one of the security guys comes over. You know, like the guy with like the weird, lazy eye.

Yeah. And he's like, hey, man, you can't be here. And I'm like, huh? I'm like, no, I'm going to park right over here. I'm going to go in here and kill this bird. I've roosted him last night. Like, I know where he's at. And by the way, it's three in the morning.

It's dark. You know what I mean? So, and I got my backpack. I got my bow and everything ready to rock. and he's like, no, Briggs said you can't be here. And this is like, and this is the off season right after that little kerfuffle. So I'm like, hey, listen, because you know, Briggs lives like right around the corner. He lives right on the property.

Yes. I said, if Briggs doesn't want me here, go wake his ass up and tell him to come out here because you're not stopping me and I'm walking right there. So I get my stuff and he's like kind of mumbling. And I walk right in. I set my tent up. I wait for it to get light. Bird gobbles, flies down, sits right next to my decoy.

I shoot him. I breast him out. I take them in I always put them in the fridge there in the meal room and actually sometimes the chef's there would cook up some stuff for me it was awesome but anyway

as I'm eating breakfast Bill walks in and he's like I mean look what are we you know what are we doing you can't have a fucking weapon on stadium property and I go what?

I go hey Bill this I go the reason you're hearing about this is because you know Briggs is a dickhead I'm like I've hunted this thing forever he's like I don't give a damn what you've done. You can't have a weapon on stadium property.

I go, Bill, it says you can't have a handgun. You can't have a gun. I didn't shoot a gun. I had a bow and arrow. He goes, this is awesome. He goes, you want to argue with me about what the rules say? I mean, the guy's pretty good at knowing what the rules are. I'm not going to lie to you.

And when he said that, I started second guessing myself. I'm like, oh, damn, maybe it did say weapon. And so now the only thing I can pivot to, I'm like, I go, I go, okay, Bill. so I checked Jack Johnson and Tom O'Leary at the door too. I go, these are deadly. That's my only thing I had, right? And I remember the other guys that were in the meal room, like the younger guys, they're looking at me like,

damn, dude, like, that's your heck go? You probably shouldn't be saying that. And Bill's like, hey, look, I don't want to hear about it. Don't bring anything on here ever again. And he walked away. And I'm like, oh, man, that may not have been a great idea, but yeah, yeah, I did. I had a little hunt that morning,

and that may have been the last time I did that. How did you stay on the Pats for 11 years? I don't know. Next up, Julian and Burj, Nigerian, talk about the social media rules that the Patriots had for their players. We're in tune to knowing that any time we posted anything on the internet, that we could be getting a call or a knock or a, hey, coach wants to see you or, hey, why don't you come over here? Okay. That's true. Now, can you take us through the social media scanning process that we had in the news?

Well, I didn't get on the social media until, like, recently the last couple of years, I started Instagram. so I wasn't like I'm not that I'm not out there like scanning the internet yeah I can do that but I'm like I'm not scanning Twitter other people are well versed in that so it comes it comes in Bill is Bill is famous for saying I could just be sitting at my office mining my own business and stuff comes to me that happened a lot of times with social media stuff too where it would just come to me because everyone knows we want to know so if they see it it comes let me ask you this though like How many times did you not post something that you wanted to post? Why don't you ask these guys? Constantly. This is my team. We lived in fear for 10 years about, can we do this? Let's word this this way. Let's do this.

You never want to get Jules to get the knock. Because if he got the knock, we got the knock. Okay. So how did it all turn now? We did okay. Could have been better. Could it? It's like we're always chasing, man.

So that's what the next chapter is for. In talking about this like scanning for social media, what players can it get to do. Was there a level of like earning it too? Because like we noticed as Jules kind of got along, the leash got a little bit longer. For Jules, for Devin, you know, for Rob. Did Rob post a lot?

Yeah, he did post a lot maybe his last year or so. He was posted about a lot. Right. That's different, man. You know you're doing it right. Control what you can control. Yeah, some guys did get more leash. but most no you remember the post that we because guys were talking about it when i i told the

story about bill being in the hot tub oh yeah oh did he ever come up to you did did he hear this story ever has bill heard of any of our stories i mean i can't i honestly i can't remember that exact reaction i'm sure it went something like what the fuck yes there's no way he absolutely knows that story right no question that one didn't slip through come on what are we doing what are we doing there's a fucking rule we can't go bare knuckleberry in the goddamn hot tub i don't care if no one's in there yeah well i don't disagree how has that changed over time though like has he got he's clearly gotten a little looser right with the whole maybe shouldn't have snap face you know bills you

I bet you never thought you'd see Bill in the media, right? No, he definitely knew it. Wouldn't it be great if he got on social media at some point? Would that be great? Is that a tease? Do you know something? Snapface? I'm just asking.

Eyeball emoji? Is he signing a deal with Snapchat? I don't know. Stay tuned. Snapface? He's launching a snap face. Yeah, right, right. No, no, he's going to.

This right here, guys, he's going to own it. He's going to check from Berge is joining only fans for his. Exclusive content. Exclusive coaching technique content with his toes dangly note. Stop it. Cut that out. Serious note, by the way,

like OnlyFans that has one part of it but also has other stuff. If just posted, if Bill went on and OnlyFans just posted old game plans of old games, it would blow up everything. It would be incredible. Just purely for the football junkies. I've just asked the question. I've got to show a little skin a little bit.

where were we the threshold of uh yeah stuff no no no it was the threshold of him loosening up which I think he did yeah

maybe we shouldn't have was there one specific time anyone did something super crazy on social that you could specifically remember him bill like what the fuck are we doing here bears can you go get

remember uh I don't remember um Remember is? Oh, do I remember his day? Yeah, I know. He's a good, great guy, great guy, fun guy, you know, good player. Well, one, it was off-season, of course, because, you know, most things happen in the off-season.

He posted him shooting guns in a backyard, like the backyard, not a range or, like, the backyard. Just there's a target there, and, like, you know, that's not what we're looking for, buddy. What about Matt Lane? The coin of phrase, like, it's not what we're looking for. but he didn't only matt posted that no this is like you you said this is a good idea to go post that one didn't go well that that was a that was a letter on a conduct detrimental conduct detrimental you know what conduct detrimental is that's that's that's more that's the more serious offense that's a serious offense you define so there are different types of um categories of discipline

There's being late to a meeting, missing a meeting, losing a playbook, being overweight, and things like that. That's one category. And those have specific fines associated with them that are collectively bargained and they go up year by year. Then there's another category called conduct detrimental, which there's no set fine amount. It's up to one week's game check. and that could be things like disobeying coaches you know being disruptive within the team firing guns and posting anything that casts the organization in a negative light such as that there's a long list speeding in a parking lot speeding in a parking lot burning something

in a hotel room i don't care not a candle incense anything if it burns least leave it the fuck out. And you're a noted candlesman. You love your candles. All right, man. You have to do that somewhere else, not in your hotel room. You can't do it in the hotel.

The conduct detrimental is more serious than that has to go to the NFL. That fine letter has to go to the NFL, has to go to the Players Association. And you guys determine the fine amount? Yeah. There's up to. Yeah.

Oh, up to. Now, so there, you know, now how many times did you have to like talk, Bill off the ledge of conduct detrimentally finding Matt Light? Not that many. I don't think Matt. See, Matt, that's smart, dude. Matt knows how to take it to the edge, you know? And it's hard to really go after him. I don't know what Matt ever got any of it. Was Bill scared to go out Matt Light because of the pranks that Matt Light would doodle? No, no, probably scared. Did you hear the email exchange?

Oh, I heard. I heard. I heard. He still think Matt doesn't believe me, but I didn't have anything to do with that. I really didn't. I remember that. I remember the mouse. I mean, that's pretty good. Pretty good. It's got a hundred other ones in a locker room that I'm sure I don't know about.

Was there any of those on that episode, the Matt Light episode, everyone, you guys got to listen to that. Tremendous. I heard it. Was there any jokes or pranks that he left out that you remember? Well, there's not with Matt. There is one. Drew, Drew was a, he was the godfather of it. I think that's probably where Matt got it from is Drew Bledsoe.

Like he was legendary for doing stuff. Yeah. Quarterbacks and he's told all those stories like filling, filling Tom's car up with like the peanuts, right? You know, things. I'm not a big practical joke guy, man. I'm just there to work. I'm with you.

He's just a patriot. Bear's the Patriot way. He's just there. Proud of it, baby. To work. Next, Matthew Slater. on what it was like telling Bill Belichick he planned to retire. Who's the wildest person to hit you up since the retirement?

Oh, man. Well, there have been a lot, and I certainly appreciate hearing from all the guys that we play with. You know, I think that's what means the most is hearing from the guys. You know, some of my dad's old teammates that saw me as a young pup and really kind of raised me with him in the game of football. And then obviously, like, talking to coach and having dialogue. with coach about, you know, the time that we spent together. Super thankful to have had the experience with him.

It was a special time that we were a part of. So thankful for everybody that's reached out and shown support. And it makes you feel like you had somewhat of an impact on people's lives, not just football-wise. Did you have that conversation with Bill before the season? Or was he still around when he had? Did you have the conversation? Because I remember my conversation with Bill. You know, building out the most sentimental guy, so I wasn't going to go try to, you know,

strum at the sentimental chords. But I did mention him before our last game that, you know, I thought this would be it. And, you know, I just thanked him for everything. And I hope he knows how much I appreciate everything that he's done for me. You know, his focus was just on going out there and beating the Jets. So I didn't want to get too emotional or sentimental. but I appreciate coach. You know, him and I had a great relationship

and, you know, I appreciate everything he's done for me. Did you not instantly feel a switch flip when he knew that you were going to retire? He became kind of a, I remember when I told him that I was retiring, I was expecting like, look, like, you know, this, that whole, it was more of, he was like nourishing with it. Right.

You know, which a lot of people would, wouldn't, you know, think that, especially with a group of guys that have been in the system for a while, you know, like you felt like he was going to do everything to help you for the process. That's what I helped with. No, absolutely. You know, and coach, you know, look, there's always a part of me that was a little bit intimidated, you know, when it came to coach, because he's such a strong figure. And he was so demanding as a coach. But there were moments that he would surprise me all the time with how supportive he was or thoughtful he was about different things. And I don't think that gets talked about enough. And certainly, you know, I've seen both

sides of it, but, you know, he was very supportive of me this year. I think he knew without us talking about it beforehand that it was coming towards the end. We had some conversations about things moving forward in the future and what they'd look like without me there. And then certainly at the end there, he was very supportive, um, expressed. his gratitude to myself. My dad, him and my dad were talking after the last game in the dining hall. And I was like, you know, they're my two football, like, icons right there. Two football dads.

Yeah, essentially, my two football fathers. You know, there was that shift that you're talking about. And I certainly appreciated, like, being on the other side of that. Now, Michael Bennett on the difference between playing in New England and playing in Seattle. What do you think about all the narrative of how Bill is portrayed to players. Like, you're saying something completely opposite of basically what everything is coming out about, like, oh, the TV shows, the this, the that.

They're all saying this guy, you can't work for them. What was your experience being an out there? I just didn't like, I just didn't like it there. That was the only thing I, like, overall. I just felt like I didn't fit into the situation. I just, I feel like I just was completely different. It's like I just came from, like, a very, free-spirited place, like, like, the small, like, having to wear knee braces at practice,

I'm like, I didn't ever do nothing like that, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's just stuff that, like, like, even like I had, I, like, plan for Bill Belichick, like, you know, going to the meetings and doing everything. I ain't like my position coach because he didn't know nothing about defense, you know what I'm saying, like defense events or nothing like that, you know, so, but overall, my experience with the Patriots was a good experience. Like I said, I just wasn't used to, like, living in the country and all that type of shit. Like, people don't know, man, like, plan for New England.

bro like you like through y'all lived in boston but everything else around new england is like oh my god where am i like i ain't nowhere to eat i'm just like there's duccan donuts i'm like where am i but i don't know i feel like i was in pleasantville and so i'm man i was just like what made petero more free spirited well p i just also p i just like pete didn't really like bother us that much about certain things you know i'm saying it was just like you do your job come to work it was more like team type thing And every team I ever been on the defense line was one of the most important parts of the team. 100%.

You guys are the best. Yeah, so whatever it was like in New England, I feel like it's more about the secondary and the linebackers. You know what I'm saying? Like, if you're a linebacker, like outside linebacker, you've got more opportunities than a front defense alignment, like a three, four defense alignment.

But I do think if I had went to New England starting off, then I would have been completely different. I think I would have fit in way more because that would have been the system that I know. And I feel like with Bill Belichick and my skill set, I could have been really good in that system. But where I was at, like, just coming from Philly, like, it was more, like, line up wide and just go. Just go. You know what I'm saying? There was nothing about the plays. I like the plays that was called.

Like, I just, like, it was like the teammates in New England, I were super great, you know, all the guys, it was super fun to hang out with. It was just always fun in the locker room. But I was just like the team was completely different. Yeah. It's a different place to play It's completely different It reminds me like a college town kind of like We play at one o'clock

And it's like very You know Corn on the cop type shit You know what's going on the cop Whole town shuts down Yeah whole town shuts down It's just like But

Were the practices different Because I felt like he practiced us hard He did practice us hard In his situation Completely different Because I also too didn't like Like, I got hurt in New England, like, at the beginning of the training camp, and, like, I broke my collarbone. So I basically was there.

And that's probably, it was too why I was also just, like, man, like, they want me to play three, four. And I can't even lift my fucking right arm. Like, it was my left arm. I'd be like, okay, you know what I'm saying? But not my right arm. Like, it's the one that I actually need. The left one I could have did without, you know what I said? I could have, like, made it work.

But it was, like, the right one. Like, my collarbone still sticking out right there. A.C. joint. Yeah, it was like, it was. just like it was just gone you know i couldn't lift my arm up the whole time i was there dealt with those those is the worst yeah especially your shoulders go you can't grab you can't catch and try to hold up another lineman at three four like at 320 pounds and that guy's a force like the shoulder i remember shoulders are always go with the big boys because they're sitting and they're locking in there's

so much goddamn pressure in between both 300 and 300 pound or two whatever yeah like if a guy loses his shoulder, they were, linemen were done. Yeah. And then I remember, I didn't cuss the coach out, but I said something that was, it sounded like I was cursing him out, but I didn't curse him out. Yeah. You're so loud. I said a curse word, but the way I said it, he took it the wrong way.

But I remember Bill being calling me and was like, hey, Michael, can't have you doing that. Look, I want you to come in, but, yeah, it's not. And if you're looking at the handbook page 3, 38.9, and you can't do that. I'm like, let me look at 38.9. You said they can't do that. So I'm going to have to find you, and you're going to have to stay home this week. See you on Monday. Get some rest and be ready to go when you come back.

I'm like, now, Bill. Next, Drew Bledsoe compares the coaches he played for in New England. You played for Parcells. You play with Carol. You play with Belichick. Mm-hmm. How did that go? yeah it's interesting

what does that feel like it's it's it's interesting because like of those of those three and like you know they're all going to be Hall of Fame coaches right like you know so it's crazy they're all going to be they're all Hall of Fame coaches I mean Pete's got to go in the hall don't I mean at least you know

because when you combine the pros and the college deal you know got a lot of success for a long time he's had a lot of success no anyway like the three like you know historically great coaches you know whether Pete gets in or not I hope he does Pete's the one that I feel bad for in that equation because he's obviously a hell of a coach he followed Parcells in Boston

and Parcells just ran the media dude like he loved being in front of the camera and love berating these guys and then Pete comes in and he's super competitive I think he's a hell of a football coach but he's positive and that just didn't play very well in the Boston media and then we drafted super poorly man we got a whole bunch of picks when Parcells left

and then when Curtis Martin left We had a whole bunch of picks. And we just didn't draft very well and guys didn't work out. And so Pete ends up getting fired. Now it worked out, you know, obviously it turns into Bill. Yeah.

But just, you know, just loved Pete. Great football coach. But all three of them, they, they, it's all the same shit, right? You know, so like the great coaches,

it's all the same. I don't know. Fundamentals. I only play with one coach. Oh shit. You only did. You got here. I know,

I know I had eight coordinators in 14 years? I had two. Oh, geez. I had Billy O and fucking and McD's. He was there last night. Billy O was there last night. He was fucking awesome. Dude, I saw, I saw, I saw, I saw, I saw Billy O last night. I, I don't, I've only

been around him like two or three times. I friggin love him. Billy O is talking about my boy Jack. Bro, and the craziest thing was, I saw him in line for the bathroom and I was too scared to say anything. I don't think he saw me, but like, when I came over this morning, you told me that, oh my God, I almost had a cow. I love Billy O. He was like, where's Jack? I'm like, I didn't know who he's talking about you. I'm like, who you fucking talking about?

we're gonna go we gotta go i'm a bc fan now baby bc so yeah like to again you know i just i'd only known billi oh from just like watching you know you know from afar and then we were out there we were out there for something and he came he came back got to hang out dude he's funny as hell funny yeah dude he's he likes to have a good time um but those but those those those three coaches you know the the fundamentals of what allows each of them to be successful are the same things they're preach the same things you compete you do what you're supposed to do you're on time you just you know like everything you know it's all it's all the same it's just presented so differently you know parcells is all jersey yeah he was funny as hell if he wasn't talking to you you know

like he like he he was he had some good material but you just didn't want him talking to you pete was was positive um he was great to be around he was fun like it was a it was a it was a It was a fun atmosphere, even though it was very competitive. And then Bill's Bill, you know, and where it's just, it's so frigging business-like, obviously, you know, works. Yeah. But it's not fun in games. No, I mean, it's all business all the time, you know, where, you know, we're with Pete. Like, you could come in and, like, tell a joke or two of them, you know, chit-chat a little bit, talk of family, whatever, you know, all this kind of stuff.

for it. That doesn't fly with Belichick. Yeah. At least, at least in my experience. Unless you're a defensive player. Oh, well, there you go. Right there. He loved the defense. Thanks for listening. Remember to tune in every Tuesday for a brand new episode and every Sunday for another Games with Names Highlight.

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Hi, I'm Buzz Knight, the host of the Taken a Walk podcast, and join me for an upcoming episode with Sack McFarlane, the creator of Family Guy talking about his new Frank Sinatra music project. Anyone who loves music would salivate over something like this. The biggest question for us was, what's in these boxes? Really, the most thrilling part was hiring an orchestra and just playing what was in these boxes. Listen to Taking a Walk on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my.

We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to give. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.