Patriots coach Bill Belichick's ability to roll with the punches is inspiring.
To end the inevitable blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after a dismal performance by the Patriots' offense and 37-year-old Tom Brady, Belichick put in rookie Jimmy Garoppolo — a second round draft pick brought in to be Brady’s eventual successor.
Brady had thrown two interceptions, continuing his distinctly mediocre season. In just seven plays as quarterback, Garoppolo was able to drive the Pats down the field 81 yards for a touchdown, prompting reporters to ask Belichick if there would be a new golden boy under center.
In response to the question, Belichick scoffed that Brady had a single bad game, and emphasized the team’s collective performance: “We need to do everything better offensively.”
In the Cincinnati game, Brady finally got his high fives and critics momentarily off his back after becoming just the sixth player in NFL history to throw for 50,000 yards.
Two days after the scoff, Belichick avoided questions about the Kansas City game and the quarterback situation by telling reporters, “We’re on to Cincinnati.”
Belichick's mindset is refreshing — and watching his unflustered philosophy which has defined his career has encouraged me to apply this mindset to my own life.
Fail a really hard exam? No worries, I’ll just ace the next one. If that doesn’t work, I just need to do well enough to get into the playoffs, because nothing else matters when there’s Dutch knockout on the final exam. If my friends ask me to compare grades, I’ll just tell them that I’m already getting ready for the next one.
Belichick continued his straightforward, honest, and imperturbable demeanor in the press conference after the Cincinnati game.
“Question: How needed was this win and solid performance from you guys tonight?
"Answer: I don't know. It was the next game. It was good to win.”
If Belichick can say “I don’t know” to reporters who will tell millions of people about his uncertainty, then it’s OK for me to not know the answer to a question that my professor asks or exactly what I’m doing with my life after graduation. Sometimes, I don’t have the answer to everything — and like Belichick, that's just something we have to accept.
“Question: Was this a satisfying victory given all the criticism and questions that were asked this week about the team?
"Answer: Criticism from who?
"Question: The media. People in this room. The fans.
"Answer: With all due respect, I mean really? Look, we have a job to do. We're focused on doing that job. We're not going to sit around and listen to what everybody else says. We try to do the best we can.”
Belichick either doesn't want to care about what others think or doesn't have time to — so maybe I should be keeping myself busy, focusing on self-improvement, and not caring too.
Belichick certainly doesn’t care what people say about his fashion choices. When I have nothing to wear, I’ll do the same. Embodying my inner Bill Belichick, I'll make a fashion statement by sporting a hoodie with tattered sleeves.
I’ll be sure to wear more formal clothing when job-hunting, but if I’m ever blessed with two job offers, I won’t be afraid to turn down one I had previously accepted for the better option — taking a page from Belichick's book when he resigned from the Jets to take a job with the Patriots.
Yes, Bill Belichick clearly violated the honor code and everything a University student stands for with “Spygate,” but he has proven that he doesn’t need the help of illegal videotapes to win, and there is no questioning he is an excellent football — and life — coach. As college students dealing with tremendous amounts of stress, we can all benefit a little from the Bill Belichick philosophy.
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