Devin McCourty called Danny Amendola’s ‘Patriot Way’ comments ‘a little bit of a slap in the face’
"I don't think that came out the correct way at all."
Days after wide receiver Danny Amendola made some polarizing comments about the real embodiment of the “Patriot Way,” another of his former teammates spoke up to disagree.
Devin McCourty, a member of three Super Bowl-winning New England defenses, took issue with Amendola’s characterization.
“I think [Amendola’s] trying to let people know Tom’s greatness. I don’t think that came out the correct way at all,” McCourty responded when asked about it on ESPN Friday morning.
Still, he did agree with one of Amendola’s points.
“I think what he said about the coaches is true,” said McCourty. “That’s what coaching is: It’s watching film and putting guys in the best position.”
“When I think about the Patriot Way, I think about a team,” McCourty added. “If you want to call Tom the best player on the Patriot Way and the leader of it, no doubt about it. But you can’t tell me in all of those games in all of these years throughout that the defense and other guys haven’t had something to do with it. That’s all guys coming [through], all guys believing in that. We’ve had great players across the board. We’ve had guys like Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, the Tedy Bruschis, the Willie McGinests, the Ty Laws. Ty Law’s a Pro Football Hall of Famer. He is the Patriot Way also.”
The 33-year-old safety acknowledged that, on the surface, Amendola’s comments were disrespectful to everyone else on the rosters for the six Patriots Super Bowl-winning teams.
“Whether you want to call Tom the leader of the Patriot Way, because I think a lot does trickle down from him, but I think it was a little bit of a slap in the face to all of the other guys that are not Tom Brady,” McCourty explained.
“I don’t think he meant it that way,” McCourty said of Amendola. “I think he really wanted to push Tom Brady’s greatness, what Tom Brady is, because everyone puts us in this Brady vs. Belichick arena, and I think [Amendola] was really trying to tell people Tom is a great player.
“For me I don’t think you have to defend that,” McCourty concluded. “Turn on the film, turn on this year. If you thought Tom Brady was a system quarterback, you probably need to go dive into the snow if you’re in the Northeast right now, head first, because he’s shown every bit of him [that] he can go win anywhere and really at any moment.”
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