20 For 20: Rare And Unique Photos Of Bill Belichick On 20th Anniversary With Patriots
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick has officially been at the helm of the Patriots for 20 years. Over that time, he's won 267 games and six Super Bowls. He's stood at a podium for hundreds of hours and has sat down for countless interviews. He's been a guest on late night talk shows and Super Bowl pregame shows, and he's been a stabilizing figure in a football world where the only constant is change.
Suffice it to say, Belichick has been seen quite a bit during his tenure in New England. Still, there have been moments that may not have captured the spotlight as much as others. And in honor of his 20th year with the team, here are 20 rare and unique photos from his time leading the Patriots.
1. Early Days
Photos from Belichick's earliest days in New England aren't always readily available, but fortunately, someone was wise enough to snap a photo of him on the sideline for his first game as Patriots head coach. This one took place on July 31, 2000, at the Hall of Fame Game in Canton against the 49ers.
The Patriots won, 20-0. A rookie quarterback named Tom Brady got his first taste of NFL action, too.
2. Super Bowl XXXVI
Speaking of Brady ... he did enough early in his career to impress the head coach, leading to Belichick sticking with the QB in 2001 once Drew Bledsoe was healthy enough to return. Here, two of the greats of all time are pictured in the week leading up to Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams, a game that would begin a dynastic shift in the NFL.
3. Pittsburgh Shower
The Patriots would not have been in that Super Bowl if they hadn't won a game they weren't supposed to win a week prior in Pittsburgh. The Steelers entered that game as 10-point favorites, and when Brady left due to injury, the Patriots looked to be in trouble. But a Bledsoe touchdown and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown powered the Patriots to a victory on which the dynasty was built.
4. Elation In Jacksonville
It's not often that Belichick really lets loose, even after winning championships. The ending of Super Bowl XXXIX, however, was not one of those times.
5. World Leader
Winning six Super Bowls over an 18-year span leads to the opportunity to meet a few different leaders of the United States of America.
In another life, Belichick might make for a great White House press secretary.
6. Bill And A Kid
In recent years, Belichick has welcomed his two sons -- Steve and Brian -- onto the coaching staff. Any parent -- and really, just anyone in general -- can appreciate how great that must be.
"It's just, you miss so much as a father, because of your schedule and the games that you're involved with in the NFL, then the kids (are) in school and playing sports and doing stuff, and you just can't be there for all of it," Belichick said this past year in an interview. "Kind of feels like you make up a little bit for it by being able to be involved with them on a little bit later in life level."
7. Bill And A Kid (Rock)
There are pictures of Bill golfing with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Those don't compare to the pictures of Bill hitting it off with Kid Rock at Pebble Beach. There are a lot of proper nouns in that sentence that likely never imagined they'd be used together.
8. Conference Champion
As head coach of the Patriots, Belichick has won nine conference championships. Nobody else has ever won more than six. Here, Belichick holds the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the Patriots demolished the Colts by a 45-7 final score in the 2014 AFC Championship Game.
9. All Business
The Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. When it came time for another chance, Bill Belichick clearly wasn't messing around.
10. Richard's Respect
Everybody saw Richard Sherman make a point out of shaking Tom Brady's hand at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, but the All-Pro cornerback also made sure to find Bill Belichick to offer congratulations after Malcolm Butler shocked the football world (and Sherman, specifically).
11. Back To Work
After winning a Super Bowl for the first time in a decade, the party didn't last too long for Belichick. He was back at work, sitting in the stands at the NFL scouting combine just a couple of weeks later, clipboard and stopwatch in hand.
12. Pregame Prep
Belichick is always jotting down notes with a pencil on the sideline. Here, he took a look at some of those notes prior to Super Bowl LI. (If you look closely, you can make out something that looks like, "Fall behind 28-3, then win in overtime, it will be epic.")
13. Celebrating History
Just like Super Bowl XXXIX, Bill Belichick made sure to make the most of his celebration after Super Bowl LI. The first-ever overtime victory in the Super Bowl will have that effect on even the most stoic of coaches.
14. Honoring His Dad
Bill Belichick showed up to Super Bowl LII in style, departing the Patriots' team plane with a hat that caught everyone's attention in Minnesota. Turns out, the hat belonged to Bill's father.
"That was my dad's hat, so I thought I'd just toss that one one. I felt good about wearing it," Belichick said. "Minnesota is a good place to have a hat. It did the trick."
15. One More Time
Seventeen years after pulling off an upset victory on the road in the AFC title game, Belichick and Brady did it once more in Kansas City on a frigid night last January. It was a vintage win for the Pats, who rode that victory to a sixth Super Bowl title two weeks later.
16. At The Track
It's not often that Belichick takes a break from football, but he does like to pop in at the Kentucky Derby from time to time. Here, Belichick looks over his options at the Kentucky Oaks, which is annually held the day before the Derby.
17. Celebrating With The Jove
No rocker on the planet brings out the excitement from Bill Belichick quite like Jon Bon Jovi.
18. Bike Buds
When it comes to a good cause to support his quarterback, Bill Belichick made it a point to regularly show up to the cycling event on Cape Cod.
19. Family Affair
Belichick learned coaching from his father, just as Belichick's children learned the game from him. Now, a fourth generation of Belichick is gaining some incredible experiences through football.
20. All About Winning
When Belichick was hired 20 years ago, he issued a very straightforward statement at his introductory press conference: "That's all I really am about, is trying to win football games."
With six championships and 267 victories under his belt, he's put those actions into words in a big way for the Patriots.
