New England Patriots

Bill Belichick reveals he was a huge Colts fan growing up

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:55 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

The Indianapolis Colts may not play in the AFC East, but given their quarterback prowess and perennial success, they’re considered rivals of the New England Patriots.

Thanks to the greatness of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and the elite play of Andrew Luck, games between these two teams are always interesting. Not to mention, Deflategate was “born,” if you will, against the Colts in the playoffs two years ago.

As if there weren’t enough wrinkles to this rivalry, here’s another one: Bill Belichick grew up a Colts fan – a huge Colts fan, actually.

He revealed this bit of info on Wednesday when speaking to reporters, explaining his infatuation with the Colts as a kid.

“Where I grew up, the Colts were my team,” he said, via Doug Kyed of NESN. “In Annapolis, we were fortunate because from a football standpoint, I mean at that time, there weren’t many games on TV but we got the Colts and the Redskins. But it was kind of all Colts for me.”

Belichick was such a big fan of the Colts that he could name every starter on both sides of the ball in the ‘50s and ‘60s. That’s impressive, even for a football guy like Belichick.

“Those great Colt teams of the ‘50s, late ‘50s and ‘60s, I could give you a starting lineup on both sides of the ball, all of those guys. I got to meet many of them through the years – Johnny Unitas, and Alex Sandusky – working my dad’s football camp and things like that, meeting the coaches up there.”

Belichick spent some time as a coach for the Colts. It was his first gig in the NFL – a 23-year-old special assistant in Baltimore. Given his love for the Colts, he was happy to make that his first job in the pros.

“So that was really a dream for me to be able to just wear the horseshoe helmet on my shirt when I worked for the Colts. That was a great source of pride and I learned an incredible amount that year working with coach [Ted] Marchibroda and the Colts organization.”

With the Patriots playing the Ravens this week, Belichick is reminded of the special place Baltimore holds in his heart. He loves the city and the fans, but he hopes his Patriots dismantle them and nab a victory on Monday night.