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Documentary Goes Inside Belichick's 'Football Life'

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A very private figure is about to go very public.

William Stephen Belichick, better known as "Bill," is a private man with a public position — head coach of the New England Patriots.

Thursday night, the NFL Network will air the first segment of a two-part documentary called "A Football Life: Bill Belichick." The film goes behind the scenes and follows Belichick's Patriots throughout the 2010-11 football season. For the film, Belichick was the first coach to be wired for sound through an entire season.

"I was very surprised by it," said Mike Reiss, who covers the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com. "Bill Belichick is one who is very guarded by nature, both personally and with his football team. He often says 'What happens behind closed doors should stay behind closed doors.' So to grant that access, I was quite surprised Bill Belichick would do that."

The unprecedented look under Belichick's famous "hoodie," which he wears on the sidelines most games, may have more to do with Belichick hoping to curry favor with a public that largely views him as aloof.

"Perhaps he was thinking about his legacy and having it documented by NFL Films, an organization that he respects very much," Reiss said.

Following Belichick for an entire season, the film gets real inside access.

"For me, it was interesting to watch how he motivates his team behind the scenes," Reiss said.

This program aired on September 15, 2011.

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Bob Oakes Senior Correspondent
Bob Oakes was a senior correspondent in the WBUR newsroom, a role he took on in 2021 after nearly three decades hosting WBUR's Morning Edition.

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