Bill Belichick reveals second-best defensive player he's ever coached in NFL
Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has never wavered in his belief that Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was the greatest defensive player he's ever coached.
But who was the second greatest?
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The six-time Super Bowl-winning coach revealed that former Patriots All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison gets that honor when appearing on "The Pivot Podcast". Belichick was making a point that every player is different, and it's his job as a coach to play to their strengths to get the most out of his players on the football field.
While deep-diving on coaching strategies, he also gave high praise to Harrison.
"You just try to play to the players' strengths," said Belichick, the current head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. "Rodney Harrison was the second-greatest defensive player I coached behind Taylor, but he's different than Devin McCourty.
"They're both great players. You try to let them do what they can do and let them play the game to their strengths. I think that's your job as a coach, to get the team prepared to play and then put them in a position where they got a fair fight."
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Harrison is a Patriots Hall of Famer and All-Dynasty player who has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist multiple times. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and one of the best defensive backs in NFL history.
His arrival in New England was transformative, and it helped elevate the team as back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
Belichick stands firm in his belief that he has coached the greatest players of all time at every phase of football—Taylor on defense, Tom Brady on offense and Matthew Slater on special teams. It's an incredible compliment to Harrison to be on that list of all-time great players under the greatest coach of all time.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Bill Belichick reveals second-best defensive player he's ever coached
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