Bill Belichick has always asked a lot of his players while coaching New England Patriots, whether it was a super bowl, a regular season game or just a training camp.
A former Patriot said he witnessed Belichick’s Stern coaching almost immediately after getting a draft.
“I guess we start with how Bill put me in Fat Camp,” said ex-Pats, who runs back Stevan Ridley, a third round of the NFL draft in 2011 by New England, at “Games with Names” podcast with Julian Edelman.
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New England Patriots run back Stevan Ridley (22) the ball is running against Cincinnati Bengals outside Linebacker Vincent Rey (57) at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
Ridley said Belichick put him in “Fat Camp” because he was “overweight” for an NFL that ran back from LSU.
So how much weight did Belichick wanted Ridley to cut?
“You have the meeting where you get in there and you’re a rookie. And he gives you your player weight. And he brought me into the office because I go into the weight room and [former Patriots strength coach Harold] Nash said, ‘Jump on the scale, Ridley,’ “Ridley told Edelman.
“I jumped on the scale and I’m about 235, 238 pounds. I played at LSU around 230 as a running back. Eight pounds are very much, bro.”
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Ridley said the patriots obviously knew he was a bigger race back and he clearly did something to be drafted in the third round.
But Ridley claims Belichick told him he had to get his player weight down to £ 220.
“How? I said, ‘You stumbled, bro.’ I said, ‘Nah,’ ‘Ridley remembered. “[Nash] Said, ‘Don’t ask me. I tell you what the chief executive said. ” ”
Ridley went to Belichick’s office to hear from the main coach himself.
New England Patriots -trainer Bill Belichick during a practice 18 September 2019 in Foxborough, trade show. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
“I went in and said, ‘Coach, I have to talk to you about this weight. And he said,’ What’s the number? I don’t really remember what I had. ‘Two to twenty, it’s impossible.
“I can do quick math. I’m a draft of the third round. I don’t have money like that. So cool camp I went.”
Ridley came to work on his weight and it paid yield after he came to Belichick’s favorite to play weight at 220.
Despite what Ridley thought at first, it worked for him.
“Quick as a cat, man,” he said, laughing when Edelman asked how he felt. “Freaking nasty, dude. When I got to the weight played, I was like, ‘Hi, Bill knows what the hell he’s talking about.'”
New England Patriots, running back Stevan Ridley, runs towards Oakland Raiders at Gillette Stadium. (Winslow Townsson/USA Today Sports)
Ridley played four years in New England and drove in 2,817 yards, including 1,263 his second campaign in the 2012 season, which included 12 of his 22 career rushing touchdowns with the patriots. Ridley was part of the Patriots troop in 2014, shockingly defeating Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl 2015 thanks to Malcolm Butler’s target line.
Ridley then played for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers after his Super Bowl-winning last season in New England.
