[22nd July 2000 – 8:00 AM, Team Meeting Room]
The energy in the room shifted the moment the veterans walked in. The rookies had tacitly been sitting near the back, leaving the best seats for the vets. All of them dressed in their practice gear when the doors opened, and the returning players filed in. These were men who'd played real NFL games, taken real NFL hits, cashed real NFL checks. They moved with the confidence and self-assurance of people who had a job, something the rookies could only fake.
Curtis Martin, the star running back, took a seat near the front. Vinny Testaverde, the veteran quarterback, sat beside him, scanning the room with the weary eyes of someone who'd seen it all. Mo Lewis, the linebacker, and McGinest eyed each other, measuring how the other would affect their roles on the squad.
McGinest was brought in as a defensive captain, and Mo Lewis was the current leader. Still, they silently settled into a chair and immediately crossed their arms, their expressions suggesting they'd rather be anywhere else. The coaching staff entered last—Rex Ryan, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, and finally, Patrick Belichick.
The head coach moved to the front of the room without fanfare, his expression as stoic. He didn't smile, didn't offer pleasantries. He just stood there, hands in his pockets, and waited for the room to go silent. It took no more than three seconds.
"Gentlemen," Belichick said, his voice flat but carrying authority, "welcome to the 2000 season. For those of you who were here last year, don't get comfortable; it's a new chapter. For those of you who are new—rookies, free agents, trades—Welcome to our family." He paused, letting that sink in.
"This organisation has underperformed for too long," Belichick continued. "We've been mediocre. We've been inconsistent. We've been forgotten. That will change now."
"Our motto for this season is simple: *Pride.*" Belichick's eyes scanned the room, making contact with players one by one. "Be proud of your game. Have pride in your brothers. Bring pride to the fans who come to support you week in week out." He let the word hang there for a moment.
"Pride means showing up every day ready to work. Pride means holding yourself and your teammates accountable. Pride means that when you step on that field, you represent something bigger than yourself."
Belichick's gaze landed on the rookies in the back. "Some of you won't make this roster. That's the reality. But for those who do, you'll be part of something special. We're building a defence that will make offences fear us. We're building a culture that will outlast any single season. And we're building a franchise that will matter in this city again."
He stepped back slightly. "Rookies, I hope you have warmed up over the past two weeks because training camp officially starts now. No more rookie camp, no more easing into it. From this moment forward, you're competing for jobs. Every rep matters. Every drill matters. Every film session matters. If you're not willing to give everything you have, the door is right there." Nobody moved.
"Good," Belichick said. "Coach Ryan, take the defence. Coach Weis, take the offence. Let's get to work." The room erupted into motion as players stood, grabbed helmets, and headed toward the doors.
~~~
[22nd–27th July 2000 – Training Camp Montage]
The following five days blurred together into a relentless cycle of practice, film, lifting, and sleep.
Day 1 (July 22): Full-team practice for the first time. Thomas took some reps with the third-string offence, handing off to backup running backs and throwing short passes to practice-squad receivers. Vinny Testaverde ran the first team with surgical precision, his experience evident in every snap. Carmazzi got second-team reps, but the man was too nervous and promptly threw two interceptions in eleven-on-eleven drills.
Day 2 (July 23): Special teams installation. Thomas spent two hours learning punt protection schemes, getting repeatedly crushed by Adalius Thomas, the seventh-round linebacker who played with reckless abandon.
Day 3 (July 24): Red zone drills. Tom finally got a chance to throw touchdowns in practice—three completions in five attempts, including a perfect back-shoulder fade to Windrell Hayes that made McDaniels nod approvingly. However, he struggled quite a few times when the opposing team's pressure bore down on him too quickly. Despite being quite composed, it didn't help much against defenders who have faced the best of the best.
He wasn't the only one showcasing glimpses of his talents. Across the field, where the defensive drills were being held, the two defensive egos of Mo Lewis and McGinest were clashing. In each defensive drill, the two would clash, each on a collision course with the other. Rookies like Urlacher found it hard to showcase their skills with the two of them competing as if they were in a playoff match.
Day 4 (July 25): Full-pads practice. The hitting was real now, and the violence visceral as the offensive squad faced the defensive team. Both coordinators seemed to be competing to prove they had the better unit. The only players who were off game were the QBs, who were the red shirts; aside from grabbing or shoving, nothing was due to them.
In one snap, Vinny snapped the ball and sent a bullet to the tight end who came across five yards behind the line of scrimmage. John Abraham read the play perfectly, though, and destroyed the tight end on a pass rush; their bodies collided, sending the end crashing to the ground, sending the ball loose. Drawing loud cheers from the defensive side.
On the offensive end, Curtis Martin reminded everyone why he was a Pro Bowler, breaking three tackles on a twenty-yard run. The star rookie defenders, like Urlacher, Julian Peterson, and Abraham, were all left eating dirt. Only after Mo Lewis hogsacked his leg, the off-balance running back, sending them rolling on the ground.
That day was also Thomas's worst day as he got sacked four times—once by Urlacher, twice by Peterson, and once by Mo Lewis. He threw five interceptions before Offensive Coordinator Coach Weis subbed him off. Despite the hits not being hard, the frustration of having the momentum he had built up all training camp being wasted in one session.
Trying his best to remain calm, he could only watch the team continue the practice, awaiting his next turn, but it never came. Laveranues Coles had a decent opportunity to catch some throws from QB1 Testaverde. The third round wide receiver made a few good catches, looking quite solid as he made good use of his talents.
Day 5 (July 26): Film session day. The entire team crammed into the meeting room, lights dimmed, projector humming as yesterday's practice footage played on the screen. Belichick stood at the front with a remote, pausing and rewinding with surgical precision.
"Brady," Belichick said, freezing the screen on Tom's fourth interception—a poorly thrown out route that Mo Lewis had jumped easily. "What do you see here?"
Tom cleared his throat, feeling forty-seven pairs of eyes turn toward him. "I... I didn't read the linebacker dropping into coverage."
"You didn't read him," Belichick repeated flatly. "Or you read him and threw it anyway?"
"I read him late," Tom admitted.
"Late is the same as not at all," Belichick said. "In this league, late gets your receiver killed. Next play."
The film rolled forward to another interception—this one off a tipped ball at the line. "Abraham," Belichick said, pointing at the screen. "What did you do right here?"
"Timed the snap, got my hands up at the apex of his throwing motion," Abraham said confidently.
"Correct. Brady, what could you have done differently?"
Tom studied the screen. "Pump fake first, or check down to the back in the flat."
"Or," Belichick added, "don't force the throw. Sometimes the best decision is no decision. Throw it away, live another down." He moved on without waiting for a response, already cueing up the next play.
The film session lasted three hours. Every mistake was dissected. Every success was analysed. By the end, Tom's head was spinning with adjustments—footwork, release point, pre-snap reads, pocket awareness. He scribbled notes furiously in the small notebook McDaniels had given him on Day 1.
When they finally broke for lunch, Tom felt simultaneously exhausted and energised. His performance yesterday had been terrible, but at least he now understood how to fix it.
Day 6 (July 27): Two Days Before Preseason Opener
The morning practice was lighter than previous days—installation work, no pads, focus on execution over violence. The preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints was 48 hours away, and Belichick wanted his players both fresh and sharp.
As if his mistakes were forgotten, Tom got more reps than usual, working with the second team in seven-on-seven drills. McDaniels stood beside him the entire time, offering corrections in real-time. "Feet narrower in the pocket. You're too wide—makes you slow to reset."
Tom adjusted. "Better. Now read the safety. If he creeps up, you know it's man coverage. If he stays deep, it's zone."
---
Please leave a comment, drop some power stones, and a review. It's what motivates me to write chapters and helps me tremendously as the story reaches more readers.
---
.
.
.
.
To Be Continued...