Bill Belichick was a New York Giants assistant coach from 1979 through 1990, the last five seasons in the capacity of defensive coordinator. He had some great players during his tenure, as we all know, such as Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor along with other Giant greats such as George Martin, Brad Van Pelt, Leonard Marshall, Mark Haynes, Brian Kelley, Gary Reasons and Pepper Johnson.
One of Belichick’s favorite players however, was linebacker Carl Banks, the Giants’ first round pick in 1984 out of Michigan State who played for years in the shadow of Taylor and Carson, but was one of the best linebackers of his era.
Banks played under Belichick in New York from 1984-90 and then in Cleveland from 1994-95. Over time, Belichick has referred to Banks from time to time when mentioning great linebacker play.
Such is the case this week when Belichick appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio, where he discussed his top-ranked defense. Banks was also on the show and Belichick credited Banks with being the prototype he’s been using to show his team the correct way to stop the run, specifically the “counter trey.”
New England has the NFL’s top-ranked defense through eight games this season — second versus the pass, fourth against the run. And to at least some degree, they apparently have Banks to thank for that.
