BOSTON (WEEI.com) -- Bill Belichick only coached Aqib Talib for a year and a half with the New England Patriots, but the current Los Angeles Rams cornerback left a lasting impression.
“He was great to coach,” Belichick said on "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria" on Monday. “He’s a great player, and he’s very, very competitive. Ultra-competitive. You might [not] know a guy is competitive until you’re with him day-to-day and you can’t put an exact value on that, or qualify it.
"But, he’s at the very top in terms of competitors. I am sure he will play hard this week.”
Talib was traded to the Patriots from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, but was not brought back after the 2013 season when he signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent.
The cornerback is known for his outgoing and direct personality, which Belichick seemed to appreciate.
“He’s funny. [Our conversations] were great,” he said. “He would speak directly. There was no read between the lines. He was pretty clear.”
Talib and the Rams will go up against the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII Sunday night in Atlanta.
By Ryan Hannable