Asante Samuel helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls during his five-year tenure in New England.
It also influenced the training style of the best coach in NFL history.
That is what Samuel claims, anyway. In a tweet Tuesday morning, the former Patriots cornerback said he “made (Bill) Belichick better understand the cornerback’s position” and insisted that Belichick teach some of his current players some of the methods Samuel used despite initially rejecting them.
Fun fact: I made Belichick better understand the cornerback position and how to make plays in any coverage. He never agreed with the way I played, but now he teaches it. # pick6 #hof
– Asante Samuel (@ pick_six22) June 23, 2020
Samuel did not provide any details, but as Evan Lazar of CLNS Media points out, the Pro Bowl cornerman used a “T-step” technique in which he planted his foot laterally to more quickly break the ball.
Heap of Samuel cuts using the “T” step on top of his pedal to break the ball. See how your sole is at a lateral angle making a “T” shape to drive over the ball. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/Tm7xfZKtUy
– Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) June 23, 2020
The T-step is an aggressive technique that catchers can expose with double strokes, but it allowed Samuel to rack up 22 interceptions in New England, so perhaps the former cornerback says Belichick now teaches his players this technique after being suspicious. her. .
That’s not out of reach, as Belichick has shown his willingness to adapt to new NFL trends during his more than 45 years in the league.
Fun fact: When I was in Atlanta getting ready to play the Patriots before the game, Tom and Bill huddled together and Belichick immediately started talking shit about me. This is how we rock! # pick6
– Asante Samuel (@ pick_six22) June 23, 2020
