Bill Belichick's Statement on James Develin Proves Just How Important He Was to Patriots Culture

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is not known for praising his players. He emphasizes the importance of each person on the team rather than giving certain guys "star" treatment. The "Patriot Way" of "doing your job" has propelled the franchise to six Super Bowl victories over the last 20 years.

The recently retired James Develin was one of the players under Belichick who embodied the "do your job" mentality. After spending eight seasons in New England, Develin announced his retirement Monday. In response, Belichick praised Develin and highlighted his importance to franchise's recent success.

The fullback role is certainly not a glamorous or popular one, but in Develin's case, he was loved by his teammates and coaches as well as the fans. In making this statement, Belichick showed how monumental Develin's impact was.

Develin retired due to "unforeseen complications" with a neck injury he suffered last year. He's the latest Patriot to depart from Foxborough in a long offseason of roster changes for the franchise. Belichick and the rest of the Patriots staff will now have to recover from the loss of stars such as Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, and now Develin.