Bill Belichick Releases Huge Statement About James Develin’s Work Ethic

Raise your hand if you enjoyed last Sunday’s game against the Vikings. Congratulations. James Develin was able to notch his first multi-touchdown game of his football life in Sunday’s Week 13 win, taking two goal line carries the extra way to hit pay dirt. This earned him a praise from the man himself.

“It’s always good when we score,” Belichick said on Develin’s touchdowns Wednesday. “But however it happens, he’s very unselfish and most of the time, he’s paving the way on that. But he made a couple big runs. Sometimes that last yard is a tough yard to get, especially against a defense like that. He got it. He got some good blocking, so it’s good.”

While becoming the darling in a December win where your team is vying for the top seed in the conference, it’s easy to rest on your laurels. That’s not Develin’s m.o. however.

“I had to do that kind of stuff to get my foot in the door in the league,” Develin said of his relentless approach to the game. “I just continue to take that approach every single day. It doesn’t matter what’s going on, I’ve got to come in here and put my best foot forward. Working hard is just something I’ve got to do.”

James Develin‘s rise in the NFL is certainly something admirable. The fullback attended Brown University and was originally a defensive lineman. When his collegiate career ended, Develin had stints in the Arena Football League and the United Football League before breaking into the NFL. After some time with the Bengals, he came to New England in 2012 and has been a key cog in the running game ever since, thanks to that hard working attitude.

“He’s just earned everybody’s respect by his daily performance,” Belihcick said. “Nobody grinds it out harder than James does whether it’s offensively or in the kicking game. Preparation, training in the weight room, he’s just a hard-working kid that just grinds it out every day. Quiet, doesn’t say much, but his actions are strong and I think everybody appreciates and recognizes his commitment to the team and how much he puts into it, how tough and dependable he is. He just shows up every day and does it. I mean, you can count on it. You really can set your watch on it. He’ll be there, he’ll work hard, he’ll do everything you ask him to do, he’ll be ready to go. I think without a doubt, everybody in the entire building feels that way because it just happens every single day.”

Do you think Develin will prove himself even more in the future?