Belichick knows his football! (Shameless plug)

My Alma mater (Aliquippa)

Patriots coach Belichick praises Aliquippa as 'great football area'
[triblive.com]
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick praised Aliquippa as a “great football area” Wednesday when he was asked about Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann, a native of that town.

Mann, a member of Aliquippa's 1964 WPIAL championship team, coached under Belichick with the Cleveland Browns from 1991-93.

“He comes from a great football area. He comes from Aliquippa,” Belichick said on a conference call with reporters. “There have been a lot of great players come out of that area. We had one here with Ty Law. Sean Gilbert and guys like that.

“It's a tremendous football area with great tradition.”

Mann's first job in a 44-year coaching career — 32 in the NFL — was as a junior high coach at Aliquippa in 1970.

“Going all the way back to high school football, he's had a great career in the sport of football,” Belichick said. “The game's been good to him, and he's contributed a lot to the game.”

Belichick said he didn't know Mann until he arrived in Cleveland and retained him for his first staff in '91.

“He does a tremendous job,” Belichick said. “Certainly, at that point, I never had been with a receivers coach who had the kind of understanding that he did about the offense, the passing game, protections.

“Most receiver coaches don't really specialize in protections. Richard knew every detail of every protection that they had used in the past or we were using, how it affected receivers, how they needed to adjust based on certain blitzes and pressures.

“He was an excellent technique coach. He did a great job of developing some of our younger receivers there in Cleveland such as Michael Jackson.”

In his first three seasons in the NFL while playing for Mann, Jackson averaged 16.9 yards per reception and recorded 17 touchdown receptions.

“He was good with players, good with scheme, good game-planning, great worker,” Belichick said of Mann. “I loved working with Richard Mann.”

Reporters also asked Belichick about Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown's Facebook Live video, but he refused to discuss it.

“I'm not really concerned about social media,” he said. “I'm trying to get our team ready to play the Steelers on Sunday.”

Pressed further, Belichick was asked why Patriots players Tom Brady and Julian Edelman said Belichick wouldn't tolerate Facebook Live in the locker room. “We're really focused on the Steelers,” he said. “I'm not going to get into a social media discussion. I don't know anything about that stuff, anyway.”

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.

---

R.I.P. Nelson aka TonyHunter87 1971 - 2017 far too soon..

Your last words to me: "Your a great guy RFIP. I was very sad when you left the board, and your son, but was glad to see you back. Take care my friend, may God be by your side." 09/09/2017 12:58AM

No Nelson, you were a far better man than I, and I am sure an awesome husband and father as well. I will miss you my friend. -RFIP