Brady and Belichick Are Overachievers

Just like Benjarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead, the two icons of the Patriots organization can also be considered overachievers. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were underdogs early in their careers and are still driven by that fact. It's no coincidence their team revels in the underdog role. 

We all know Brady was a sixth round pick, drafted 199th overall. He wasn't always the starter at both University of Michigan and early in his career in New England and he had to repeatedly prove that he deserved to play. That motivation from being overlooked still drives him today. Just take a look at the quote below by Tom Brady from a recent Bill Simmons article on the Brady and Manning rivalry.

"Being someone that many teams passed over," he explained, "there was a reason for it, you know? They didn't think I was a very good player, and they were probably right. I wasn't doing a good enough job listening to my coaches, I wasn't working at it hard enough, I wasn't good enough.
Going 199th, it forces you to be critical of yourself. That ends up being the best thing for you."

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeAfter playing football at Wesleyan University in Connecticut , Bill Belichick didn't have the talent to play professionally, but went right into the NFL as a $25-per-week assistant for the Baltimore Colts head coach. I'm sure oaching in a sport that you played colleagiately is a dream, but the fact you are not playing must motivate you to succeed as a  coach. Despite his success rising through the coaching ranks, Belichick was not a sought after head coach after his four losing seasons during his five-year run leading the Cleveland Browns.

This season, Belichick was surely driven by the fact that his team was supposed to finish in the middle of the pack, considered too young to even make the playoffs. He knows how to take advantage of the underdog situation, whether it's his team or individual players. He is a master motivator. Whatever the hell they are, his motivating tactics are able to pull the best out of everyone.

These two icons are created in the same mold. They are driven by the fact they were not expected to succeed at this level, perhaps even considered overachievers. It was a perfect marriage that is the foundation that the past 10 years of New England Patiorts success has been built on.