New England Patriots: Patrick Chung a modern day Rodney Harrison
Like Rodney Harrison, New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung is creating his own legacy in the praise of Bill Belichick.
When it comes to players who define what Bill Belichick likes in his players, one Rodney Harrison encompasses that type player which is why he was recently inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.
A player like that is also hard to duplicate, which is why Belichick comparing current safety Patrick Chung to Harrison is very high praise.
In his second tenure with the team, Chung has become the ultimate Belichick guy. Not only has he become a versatile defender and leader on the field, he has played for lesser money for the benefit of the team as a whole.
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So, how does it feel to be compared to a hard-hitting, game-changing safety like Rodney Harrison?
Speaking to the media Friday, Patrick Chung was both flattered and humbled about his coach’s high praise.
"“It means a lot,” Chung said. “I mean, the man just went into the [Patriots] Hall of Fame, but it doesn’t mean anything unless I keep doing it. So, hopefully when my time is up, he says the same thing.”"
As a player willing to do whatever it takes on the field to win, the comparison isn’t far off. Not only is Chung a big hitter, he is a similar hybrid type player who can play bigger by sniffing around the box on running plays and is the player usually assigned to cover big tight ends.
He doesn’t win all of those matchups, but just having a smart player who remains hungry on the field is what keeps the New England Patriots a Super Bowl contender. Like Harrison, Chung also has no problem speaking his mind. Prior to Super Bowl LIII, the veteran safety provided some bulletin board material for the Los Angeles Rams with some trash talk.
Patrick Chung has the hunger
Although it was not the Patriot Way, the trash talk showed how confidence Chung was in his team’s ability. He also backed that up before he got injured in the big game. Even in not physically finishing the game, Patrick Chung cheered his team on from the sideline in a sling with hunger in his eyes.
light. Related Story. Bill Belichick praises versatility of Patrick Chung
It is that hunger that Rodney Harrison himself praised and mentioned as a reason for the New England Patriots sustained success.
"“Guys like [Patrick Chung], they’re still hungry, they still want to do it. They’re not just doing it for the money; they’re trying to win more championships,” Harrison said. “That legacy that guys before them came in, like myself and Willie McGinest, they’re still continuing to really take their games to the next level. And for us, for guys like me that are retired over a decade, you sit back and you’re proud. Because it’s truly us against the world. When you’re the best in the world, people hate you. They respect you but they don’t like you. People see me, when they meet me as a Patriot and they still see me, and they’re like, ‘Aw, we don’t like you.’ And that’s all part of it. But that’s OK, we’ll just keep winning championships.”"
In his second stint with the New England Patriots, Patrick Chung has certainly encompassed what it means to play under a coach like Bill Belichick by putting the team first and becoming a leader for younger players.
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Perhaps years from now he will be wearing that red jacket and praising a player at the same position who came after him.