At 72 years old and out of the NFL, Bill Belichick still managed to grab attention during Super Bowl week.
What was the former Patriots coach wearing on the red carpet?
All of his Super Bowl rings.
Belichick was the center of attention at the NFL Honors, where he not only showed off his impressive collection of Super Bowl rings, earned from winning more titles than any other coach in NFL history, but also got playfully teased during the awards show. On social media, people were less kind, especially after he walked arm-in-arm with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Belichick even ditched his usual hoodie for a burgundy sports coat, while Hudson looked stunning in a silver sequin dress.
These days, Belichick is as much a topic on TMZ as he is in NFL news or his new role as head coach at North Carolina. Hudson caught attention when she appeared to wear one of Belichick’s Super Bowl rings on her ring finger, sparking engagement rumors on social media. The Daily Mail even posted pictures of her “showing off a stunning sparkler” at a charity event in New Orleans on Wednesday.
Hold on, paparazzi.
Hudson later posted on Instagram that the ring she wore at the Honors was actually a Bridgewater State University Bearcats National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Championship ring — not a Super Bowl ring.
Like any young couple — or at least a couple with one young person — they were spotted out after the show enjoying Bourbon Street bars.
The grumpy coach who didn’t engage with reporters in New England is now a media favorite after his split with the Patriots. He jokes around and shares insights on “The Pat McAfee Show” and has even hosted two podcasts. He appeared on the NFL Network on Thursday night but refused to pick a Super Bowl winner between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Bill Belichick shows his Super Bowl rings as he walks the red carpet“He’s changed in a good way. I like it,” retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski told The Associated Press. “I like it big time. How he’s been representing. How he’s swaggy. How he’s been in a new world, not coaching in the NFL. He’s been spectacular. Everyone loves him now.”
Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach with the New England Patriots and two more as an assistant with the New York Giants, even seems to have developed a sense of humor, at least about his relationship with Hudson.
Host and rapper Snoop Dogg made fun of the age gap between Belichick and Hudson during his monologue, joking about remembering a time when the Cowboys were good and the Chiefs were bad, and how Belichick’s girlfriend wasn’t even born yet.
Belichick and Hudson laughed politely while the crowd reacted with “awws” to the joke.
Social media users quickly joined in on the fun, with one person posting a picture of the couple at the awards show and writing, “You can make fun of Bill Belichick all you want, but I think it’s really nice that he took his girlfriend to the NFL Awards even if it is a school night.” Another shared a collage featuring Napster and “Toy Story 2,” joking, “All of these things are older than Bill Belichick’s girlfriend.”
Date nights might become harder to come by once Belichick returns to college.
Belichick signed a five-year deal with North Carolina in December worth $10 million per year in base and supplemental salary, with the first three years guaranteed, including buyout terms. There’s also up to $3.5 million in annual bonuses.
That’s plenty of money for Belichick to buy as many rings as Hudson wants — just like her boyfriend — for all her fingers.
