Perhaps more than any other great coach in NFL history, Belichick is a man of two lives. An estimated 1 billion television viewers tonight will see the Belichick most New Englanders know: a gridiron mastermind, largely devoid of public charm and charisma, pursuing the fourth Super Bowl title of his 12- year Patriots reign. They will see a tight-faced tactician chasing football history, and maybe, if the Patriots prevail, flashing a cathartic smile.
They will never see the other Belichick, who fights as fiercely to shield himself from the flimsiness of celebrity — ‘‘the scentless sunflower,’’ as Oliver Wendell Holmes described it — as he does to sustain an array of friendships that will last a lifetime.
Belichick spoke to many of his friends in recent days as he prepared to embrace one of his greatest challenges since he began analyzing football film at age 9.
“Bill is the essence of a friend,” said Tony La Russa, who credited a three-hour, late-night conversation with Belichick last year with helping him guide the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title. “There have been times when he has been so ridiculously generous with his time and insights that I have gotten embarrassed by his kindness.”
NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown has dedicated most of his life to helping the dispossessed, including inmates, gang members, and needy children. He said two men have distinguished themselves with their shared commitment to humanitarianism: Belichick and Boston Celtics great Bill Russell.
Belichick has visited prisons and gangs with Brown and has financially backed his Amer-I-Can program. In 2006, Belichick surprised Brown at his 70th birthday party in Los Angeles. And when Brown least expected it, he received a gift from Belichick last Christmas.
‘‘I respect Bill, I trust him, and I love him,’’ Brown said. ‘‘There are very few people I can say those things about.’’
More than 15 of Belichick’s friends said in interviews that the public Belichick — typically gruff with the media, tough on his players — is a stranger to them. Their Belichick leaves no friend behind.
