Updated 01:06, August the 5th, 2008
Both sides of the battle
Veteran tight end has unique perspective on Patriots-Colts rivalry
Since their two teams came to power earlier this decade, Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy have been portrayed as polar opposites: the cold, unfeeling Belichick matching wits with the warm, heartfelt Dungy. It’s a clichéd storyline, one many out-of-touch national reporters have often relied upon when contrasting the Patriots and Colts.
But one of the only guys in the NFL to have suited up for both coaches says they have more in common than you might think. Veteran tight end Marcus Pollard played for Dungy and the Colts from 1996 through 2004 and spent time in Detroit and Seattle before signing with the Patriots in the offseason. While a few players have made the move from Belichick to Dungy (Adam Vinatieri and Dan Klecko), Pollard is part of an even smaller group that has gone from Dungy to Belichick.
And the 36-year-old Pollard says people would be surprised at the amount of shared characteristics.
“I don’t think there are any differences,” Pollard said after Thursday morning’s practice session at Gillette Stadium when asked about the differences between the two. “Coach Belichick and Coach Dungy are both committed to winning. They both know how to get the best out of players. And they both find a way to make guys gel and find chemistry and make guys work together.”
The similarities between the Colts and Patriots don’t stop there. In Pollard’s limited time in New England, he’s seen plenty that’s reminded him of Indy. That includes coaching, ownership and MVP-caliber quarterbacks — Pollard calls Tom Brady and Peyton Manning “smart intelligent quarterbacks” who are “very knowledgeable about the game.”
“Both are organizations that didn’t start out as premier organizations and franchises, but I think now, both are at the top, the elite,” Pollard said. “I think both, now, have great class, great ownership. They are great coaches, quarterbacks, and there’s a great group in the locker room.”
Prior to signing with New England in the offseason, Pollard already had a history with the Patriots. While with the Colts prior to the 2003 AFC Championship Game, he told reporters, “If we keep playing like this, then you can just go ahead and hand us the rings.” The statement sparked a profanity-laced tirade from Belichick, who used it as bulletin-board material to inspire his team to a win over Indianapolis.
“Everybody hated playing against New England,” Pollard said of his time with the Colts. “I thought Rodney Harrison would be just the biggest jerk, ever, in the locker room. But he has not been. I’ve actually spent more time with Rodney and getting to know him, than anyone else in the locker room.”
For what it’s worth, Belichick appears to have done a 180 on Pollard since the 2003 playoffs. The veteran remains in the mix as a backup tight end.
“He is very professional. I think we all know that he is a very experienced guy and good in the passing game,” Belichick said of Pollard, who has caught 349 passes and 40 TDs over the course of his 12-year career. “I don’t think we are doing anything that he hasn’t done before. It is just a question of adapting to different terminology and a little bit of refinement here and there.”
