The former Pats head coach has always been proud of his Croatian roots.

Bill Belichick is a proud Croatian descendant.

Bill Belichick is a proud Croatian descendant.LAPRESSE

With eight Super Bowl rings and three Coach of the Year awards, Bill Belichick is one of the most decorated coaches in the NFL. Recently, the former head coach of the New England Patriots added one of the most prestigious awards given by the Government of Croatia to his collection.

Bill Belichick visits Croatian soccer team, honored by president - ESPN

Belichick’s trophy case must be one of the largest in the NFL. Over nearly 50 years of coaching, he has accumulated all kinds of accolades and trophies, starting with the six championships he won as head coach of the Patriots and two more as an assistant coach with the New York Giants.

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He was also nominated to the NFL’s All-Decade Teams of the 2000s and the 2010s. He was part of the NFL’s All-Time Team for its 100th anniversary and holds all sorts of NFL records.

Among all these accolades, Belichick will now have to make room for one more, the Order of the Croatian Morning Star, which he received this week from Croatian President Zoran Milanovic.

Belichick’s Croatian roots

The veteran head coach never misses an opportunity to showcase his Croatian heritage. Belichick’s grandparents emigrated from the Balkan country in the second decade of the 20th century and settled in Pittsburgh around 2015. The coach’s last name is an American adaptation of the original Bilicic.

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The award recognized Belichick’s efforts to highlight his Croatian lineage. In a statement, the Croatian Government explained, “The President decorated Belichick for special merits in promoting Croatia’s reputation and interests in the United States of America during an exceptional sports career over many years.”

Belichick received the award from President Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Along with the medal, he was given a jersey with his original Croatian name and the number 8. The jersey commemorates a friendly football game between the national teams of Croatia and North Macedonia.

Belichick’s pride in his heritage

On numerous occasions, the former New England coach has expressed pride in his Croatian roots. He once shared that his father, Stephen, had a tattoo that paid tribute to his homeland.

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During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Belichick closely followed the quarter-final match between Croatia and Brazil. The coach watched the game on television until the penalty shootout in which Croatia secured their place in the semi-finals.

After his departure from the Patriots, Belichick is about to begin a new phase of his career as a television analyst. It is expected that the legendary coach will continue to proudly display his heritage, now from the broadcasting booth.

New Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo Details Exactly What He Did That Led To Two-Game Suspension From NFL

Jimmy Garoppolo speaks at a press conference.(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
New Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has finally revealed his miscue that led to a two-game suspension from the NFL.

With a clean track record, many were stunned to learn that the 32-year-old Garoppolo was suspended by the league for two games due to a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Garoppolo revealed that his suspension stemmed from him messing up a “therapeutic use exemption”, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop:

“Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said Tuesday that his two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy was because he “messed up” the therapeutic use exemption when he first got to Las Vegas.

The violation was related to the quarterback using a prescribed medication without having a valid therapeutic use exemption from the league, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter last month.”

Last week, the Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year contract following his release from the Las Vegas Raiders. “Jimmy G” had signed a three-year deal worth $72.75 million in 2023 free agency, but he was benched midway through the season in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell.

A second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2014, Garoppolo spent his first three and a half years in Foxborough, winning two Super Bowl rings as Tom Brady’s backup. Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2017 season and spent the next six years there before joining Vegas last year.