Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke will look back fondly on his time under legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
“He’s definitely someone you have to take a breath and realize when you’re with him, he’s just another person,” Rourke said during an appearance on Donnie and Dhali. “The things that he’s accomplished in this league are just unbelievable and to be coached by him, even if it was only for three weeks, is a tremendous honour.”
The Patriots parted ways with their 71-year-old on Thursday, bringing an end to the greatest coaching tenure in NFL history. Belichick spent 24 years in New England, winning 17 division titles, nine AFC Championships and an incredible six Super Bowls. He posted an incredible 333-178 overall record including playoffs and trails only Don Shula (347) as the winningest coach in NFL history.
Rourke was claimed off waivers by the Patriots on December 18 and spent the final three games of the season on the team’s active roster. He was promoted to New England’s primary backup behind Bailey Zappe for the team’s final game on Sunday but didn’t see any action.
Throughout that brief tenure, Rourke used every opportunity to soak up Belichick’s winning formula.
“That’s how I felt walking into that organization, you kind of see the impact they’ve had in the last 25 years in this league of just the consistency to win. It’s so hard to do,” the Canadian marvelled. “The parity in the NFL is next to none and to have that level of success at a consistent level for such a long time is unbelievable. The fact that he would take a chance and pick me up, had heard good things and all those different types of things, that just means a lot to me.”
Belichick cited Rourke’s preseason performance with the Jacksonville Jaguars and high level of production in the CFL as reasons why he brought him to New England. The Oakville, Ont. native later drew praise from the NFL icon for his work ethic after being promoted to second string.
While Belichick is well-known for his surly demeanour and hard-nosed coaching style, Rourke was able to see both sides of the legend’s approach.
“He certainly has a reputation. It’s been fun kind of talking with the Boston media about their experience covering the Patriots and covering him in particular,” the Canadian QB chuckled. “I think he’s got a high standard for everybody. Obviously, that started with [Tom Brady] and I think that carries down. The people that have the most impact on the game he’s going to be hard on and he certainly coached us hard, but I think that’s part of it.”
“I think sometimes the new school approach is to kind of go easy on your guys and be chummy with them, but I think that sometimes really coaching someone and trying to get the best out of them is lost. And he certainly doesn’t shy away from that, which I think is a positive thing and something I’ve responded well to in the past.”
The Patriots finished at the bottom of the AFC East with a 4-13 record in 2023, their second straight year missing the postseason. Belichick has failed to secure a playoff victory in any of the past five seasons, leading to his dismissal.
Speaking prior to him moving on, Rourke expressed a desire to continue playing under Belichick. He will no longer have that opportunity in New England, if the Patriots retain his rights by way of a qualifying offer before March 13.
“I really hope that I have a chance to continue to learn from a great coach like him because you know that you’re going to have some kind of success at the end of the day with someone of his calibre.”
The Patriots will pick third in the upcoming NFL Draft.
