National Football League

Bill Belichick 'more than made up for' viral snub of young fans in Detroit

Published Jan. 10, 2024 12:43 a.m. ET

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As the sports world waits with bated breath for Bill Belichick's coaching fate to be announced, fans can't help but reminisce about the most memorable moments during his 24-year tenure in New England — including an unfortunate viral snub. 

It's been five years since the Super Bowl-winning coach found himself in a viral moment for seemingly snubbing a couple of young fans in Detroit … but, the internet never forgets.

In the 2018 video, young football fans Zach Ferreira and Matthew Noonan can be seen on the field at Ford Field in Detroit as the future Hall of Famer is escorted in ahead of a Sunday Night Football matchup.

The boys are both dressed in Detroit gear, and have their arms outstretched to the coach, beckoning a high five as he passes by.  

Belichick, who one can only hope was just in game mode and missed the moment, briskly walked past the boys without any acknowledgment, to their disappointment. 

The moment did not take long to reach the internet, and immediately went viral, with fans vilifying Belchick for his behavior towards the young fans.  

The video, which resurfaced on Monday amid all the buzz surrounding the 71-year-old's football future, was once again a hot topic for many. 

However, this time around, Ferreira's father, Andy, shed some new light on the viral moment, and shared that the Pats' organization actually made up for it later in the season. 

"He (Belichick) got such a bad wrap because of that 15-second clip of like blowing off two little kids that people should know there’s more to the story, Ferreira told nesn.com. "While we were never in 1,000 years offended by it or expecting anything, he more than made up for it."

The longtime New England fan shared on his X account that the family was actually in Detroit visiting friends during the game, but happened to be New England fans. He also shared a few photos of the boys eventually getting to meet with Belichick at Gillette Stadium. 

"The first thing he said was, ‘sorry I missed you in Detroit,'" Ferreira said in a caption with a laughing emoji. "He couldn't have been nicer. It's a side most don't see but should."

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