As references go, it’s hard to think of having two better names on the resume than Bill Parcells and Charlie Weis, especially if the man doing the hiring is Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
North Carolina State quarterback Jacoby Brissett certainly has a Hall of Fame list of backers. He could name-drop to get any football job he wanted. But according to both Parcells and Weis, the Patriots third-round pick really didn’t have to bring out the heavy artillery to convince Belichick to take him with the 91st overall pick.
The word from Parcells and Weis: Once you meet Brissett, and watch him play and interact with others, it’s hard not to be sold on him. That’s how it was for both Parcells, who saw him playing high school football near his home in Jupiter, Fla., and Weis, who recruited him to play at the University of Florida.
But let’s hear them tell it. Because talking with them, it’s easier to see why the Patriots used such a high pick on him. Parcells, who has been a mentor to Brissett, threw out some lofty names when talking about the young man and what he brings to the table.
“He’s a Curtis Martin, Willie McGinest, Troy Brown type player. That’s the kind of guy he is. That’s what New England is getting,” Parcells said when reached yesterday. “Those kinds, those Tedy Bruschi types, those players who’ve been successful — he’s very similar in his personal life to those kinds of guys.”
The Tuna didn’t hold back on the compliments, that’s how much he thinks of the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder. But it was very much the same way with Weis, who coached the quarterback for a year at Florida while he was the Gators offensive coordinator.
“I only got to coach him for one season, but I absolutely loved the kid as a player and a person,” said Weis, who left to coach Kansas, while Brissett later transferred to North Carolina State. “I couldn’t be any happier that he ended up in New England.”
Leading man
While some were caught off guard by the Pats taking another quarterback so high up in the draft, neither Parcells nor Weis were surprised by the move for Brissett, who enters the fold as the No. 3 quarterback, but may land even higher on the depth chart in the coming years depending on what happens with backup Jimmy Garoppolo and how deep into his 40s Tom Brady ultimately plays.
On the surface, Brissett is a big, tough, athletic, strong-armed quarterback who had some notable performances in the Wolfpack’s most important games. More than a few draft evaluators believe he has the physical tools to become an NFL starter.
In 2014, Brissett was just one of three quarterbacks in the Power-5 conferences to throw for 2,000 yards, rush for 300, throw 20 touchdown passes and throw five or fewer interceptions. The other two were eventual Titans No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota of Oregon and current Packers backup QB Brett Hundley of UCLA. He put up similarly big numbers in 2015.
Typically, Parcells wasn’t going to get the bust ready for Canton, but he does believe Brissett is in the right place to give himself a chance to start in the pros.
“You never really know for sure until you see a player under the gun, so to speak, at the top level,” he said. “But, that being said. I have a very high regard for this young man. He’s an awesome kid. He’s very bright. He has zero personal issues. He’s a very dedicated, committed guy and I think he’s going to the absolute perfect place for him. They’ve got a great coach, a great organization, and they’ve got a great role model playing that he’ll be able to observe and learn from. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Because of what I think he has, his career is going to develop well.”
Weis won’t argue with that assessment, but he will throw in a couple of other components he feels are vital to making it as a quarterback in the pros, intangible qualities Brissett also exudes.
“The one key thing with him in New England, if the quarterback can’t be a leader, he doesn’t have a chance,” said Weis. “Obviously, they’ve had a string of guys who were great leaders. Tommy, is, obviously, the king of the hill. Before him, Drew (Bledsoe). We’ve had people who’ve been really good leaders.
“But let me tell you, this kid, from the time he was in high school, is like the Pied Piper,” Weis said of Brissett. “Going to his high school, they had several kids who were going to play Division 1 football, but he was the man. He played on an all-state basketball team, and while some went on to play Division 1 basketball, on that basketball team, he was still, the man. He was definitely the leader of the pack. In the quarterback position, I think that’s a critical factor. And that’s what he was.”
Valued intangibles
Another essential trait in the Weis book? Competitiveness. We’ve seen it in Brady in spades. We’ve also seen glimpses in Garoppolo.
Brissett?
Weis relayed a story. At the time he was trying to woo Brissett to Florida, the school had already locked up a stud quarterback in Jeff Driskel, who was the highest ranked quarterback in the country.
“I remember sitting down with the kid in school, and saying, “What are you, afraid? Are you afraid of Driskel? Or you just don’t trust me? Because the only two reasons you wouldn’t come to Florida is you’re afraid to compete with Driskel or you’re afraid I’m going to shaft you for the other guy,’’’ Weis said. “Most kids in the situation he was in wouldn’t have come. But he committed 24 hours later. You could see he was a competitor; he wanted to go toe-to-toe with Driskel.
“I felt bad about leaving him,” Weis went on. “But at the same time, it’s turned out just fine for him. It’s a great situation for him. He’s got Tommy and Jimmy, great coaching, and a system that’s been the same forever. What more can you ask for?”
Weis indicated he was not consulted by the Patriots or asked for a reference. They did all the homework.
“I’d like to say I had something to do with it, but absolutely not,” he said. “I’m just really happy for the kid. He’s in a place that’s a really good fit for him. He’s a dropback quarterback. A lot of times people get stereotyped. He’s not a roll-out, gimmick quarterback. This kid is a big, physical kid that’s a true dropback quarterback, and I think he fits their system great.”
Well, part of that fit comes from the fact Brissett is familiar with concepts and verbiage of the Patriots offense having spent that year with Weis. Some things have changed since Weis was the offensive coordinator in Foxboro, but not a lot.
After the Patriots picked Brissett Friday night, Weis texted some people in the organization to give them a little primer on his former protege.
“I texted (Brady) and just told him a little bit about my relationship with the kid,” Weis said. “I told him he’d fit in great with the Pats.”
Both former Patriots coaches believe Brissett has the right stuff to be a good NFL quarterback one day. That belief may allow the Pats to move Garoppolo before his contract expires, a move that would set Brissett up as the next in line when Brady retires.
“I don’t see Tommy going any time soon. But you also have to look at it … you have Jimmy’s contract coming up, and Tommy’s close to 40,” said Weis. “The combination of those things, you always know the Patriots have to have a plan. Obviously, this was the plan.”
And to that end, Parcells planned on meeting with Brissett yesterday to prepare him for life with Belichick.
“We’re going to have a little visit,” said the Tuna. “Now that we know where we’re going, what we’re doing, we’ve got to give him the rules of engagement, so to speak.”
