Bill Belichick doesn't do it often, but he did it for James Develin, which shows the respect he has for him.
The coach released a statement to be included in the release where the Patriots announced the fullback has been placed on the reserve/retired list.
“To some people, James Develin may be ‘unsung’ in terms of publicity and fame, but to his coaches and teammates he is one of the most appreciated and respected players we have ever had," he said. "In football, there are a lot of tough, unselfish and dependable people who bring positive leadership on a daily basis, but the name James Develin represents those qualities at an elite level. A tribute to the impact James had on our success, of the five seasons in which he appeared in every game, we won three championships. Any team would be fortunate to have a James Devlin-‘type’ on its roster but the reality is he is a rarity and we are very fortunate he was a Patriot.”
Develin announced he's retiring due "unforeseen complications" following a neck injury last season.
A post shared by James Develin (@jdevelin) on Apr 27, 2020 at 10:31am PDT
Related
