Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick is not regarded as a personable guy. He’s as guarded as they come in public settings and has a reputation as a tough person to connect with for outsiders.

Still, Ryan Mallett felt an immediate connection when they visited prior to the 2011 NFL Draft. New England was Mallett’s final interview before the draft and he spent two days there visiting with Belichick and others in the organization.

No, the connection wasn’t simply the affinity for hooded sweatshirts that Mallett and Belichick seem to share. (Mallett changed into a “hoodie” both nights after he stopped watching the draft with family and friends at a hunting lodge in Humnoke).

Both Mallett and Belichick grew up in football families.

“We both come from coaching families,” Mallett said. “It’s something we have in common. Football means a lot to both of us.”

That connection apparently paid off for Mallett, who has coaches on both sides of his family, including his father, Jim. New England picked him No. 74 overall in the third round of the draft, ending a surprising drop for a player once projected as a first-round pick.

Belichick, whose father is a coach, noted that connection when asked by reporters what drew him to Mallett. Production and arm strength were obvious plusses, but Belichick said he felt like the Patriots were getting a player who loved football.

“He’s definitely a football guy. He’s a great kid to talk to, and he’s very into football. You can’t wear him out; as long as you want to talk about it, he’ll be there. However many hours it is, he’s ready to go watch the film or go talk about a new technique or a route or a read or whatever,” Belichick said. “His father is a football coach. He’s grown up in a football family, which I can definitely relate to. Either you get sick of it or you marry into it and you love it. It’s one of the two, and I think he’s, like I said, very much a football person. Both his parents are educators and he’s a kid that’s eager to learn and has a great thirst for knowledge for football and for his position, which there is a lot going on there. I think that he’ll certainly get an opportunity to receive a lot of knowledge at that position around here, so we’ll see how it all manifests itself.”

Mallett will sit behind all-pro, league MVP Tom Brady, who is entrenched as the team’s starter. National analysts widely view the Patriots as a good spot for Mallett, whose throwing ability did not seem to be enough to overcome questions about his maturity and decision-making.

Judging from his comments, Mallett seems to have the right attitude about working with Brady and Belichick. He defend himself from questions about his personality and character and said he is ready to “go to work.”

“They’re drafting a guy that’s a personable guy. I do the right things. I’ll go to work every day,” Mallett said. “This is professional football. This isn’t college any more. You’ve got to go to work every day with your head screwed on right.”

Should Mallett do that he’ll no doubt connect with Belichick on an even greater level.