Ty Law’s Former Coaches Details Secrets To Legendary Patriots CB’s Success

Ty Law wasn’t born a great football player but the former New England Patriots cornerback worked hard and earned his Hall of Fame talent.

Two of his ex-coaches identified the traits which made him a great NFL player in a feature The Boston Globe’s Chris Gasper published Thursday. Former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and current New England head coach Bill Belichick both praised Law and revealed the secrets to his success lay in his self-belief and dogged work ethic.

Crennel said Law’s self-confidence helped him embrace the challenge of shutting down the opposing team’s top wide receiver week-in, week-out each season.

“He felt like he could cover anybody,” Crennel said. “He didn’t care about who it was. He accepted the challenge and looked forward to the challenge.”

Crennel spent four seasons with the Patriots between 2001 and 2004 during which he got to watch Ty Law go the extra miles in order to prepare for those challenges.

“Sometimes because of that confident personality some people think that he didn’t have to work at his job,” Crennel continued. “He worked at his job. He would run a couple of miles a day in the morning before practice because he knew that his job required some stamina.

“He would put that time in getting extra running and conditioning in before we went to practice. I think that was one of the things that made him so successful.”

Law was a second-year player in 1996 when Belichick first arrived in New England as assistant head coach and defensive back coach.

“There was really no weakness in Ty’s game,” Belichick said. “He was good in coverage, good on the jam, good against the run, and he could change the game with his ball skills.”

Law has earned Pro Bowl recognition four times in five seasons he played under Belichick and also played key roles on the Patriots’ first three Super Bowl-winning seasons. It’s no surprise he’s set to become the first “core” member of the Patriots dynasty to enter the Hall of Fame.