After being unsure whether he voted to put Bill Belichick into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bill Polian set the record straight.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed to The Athletic the former Indianapolis Colts general manager did in fact vote for the former New England Patriots coach.
Polian explained his vote during an appearance on SiriusXM.
“I voted for coach Belichick in the Hall of Fame selection meeting,” he said. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame has confirmed that fact through the auditors of the selection process. Again, I’ll state that I never said that I believe that coach Belichick should ‘wait a year’ for enshrinement. This has been confirmed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, numerous selectors who were in the room, and my vote for coach Belichick.”
A report from ESPN surfaced that Polian, one of the 50 voters, lobbied other voters to make Belichick “wait a year” as punishment for Spygate. The 2015 Hall of Famer denied those accusations, but couldn’t recall whether he voted for the 72-year-old.
Belichick’s snub in his first year of eligibility drew the ire of many of his former players — including Tom Brady — other prominent athletes, analysts and members of the media. Patriots owner Robert Kraft weighed in on the matter, as well.
“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves,” he said. “As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”
Belichick won eight Super Bowls over the course of his 49-year coaching career in the NFL. Six of those came with the Patriots as he helped coach the team to two separate dynasties over the course of a historic 23-year run.