If you want to know just how special the Patriots AFC Championship victory was you only need to look at Coach Bill Belichick’s face in the final minutes of the game.
He actually smiled.
The perpetually grumpy one didn’t just smile. Belichick was seen on the field giving his girlfriend, Linda Holliday, a kiss.
Players couldn’t help but smile themselves when asked about it.
“It’s unbelievable when you can help the old coach get a smooch,” Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said.
This week, a national newspaper said it would only find seven examples where Belichick smiled in postgame news conferences. Devin McCourty said that’s not the bill he knows.
“He smiles with us. You’ve got to give him a reason to smile,” the Patriots defense back said.
Players insist there’s no one who deserves to get a chance to smile more than their coach.
“He gives so much of himself for this football team to be successful I think it means a lot to him for us to be able to play in the Super Bowl so he deserves a smile or two here and there,” Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater said.