How Patriots' Bill Belichick shocked NFL prospect at Shrine Bowl

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was quite a hit at this year's East-West Shrine Bowl played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 2. 

"Really kind of surprised me that he was a little nicer than maybe he seems," Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defensive back Myles Brooks said about Belichick at the NFL combine on Thursday, per Dakota Randall of NESN. "Maybe just because we’re still college kids, but (Patriots coaches) seemed a little nicer than I thought." 

According to the Shrine Bowl website, the coaching staff from the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons worked this year's All-Star game. Brooks noted that he was pleasantly surprised how New England coaches treated the players "like grown men" and were willing to "come to you and tell you what you need to do and if you’re not doing it, move around." 

On Wednesday, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald mentioned that Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Charlie Thomas explained at the combine how Belichick "stopped everything" during a Shrine Bowl practice due to a lack of proper execution during a punt drill. 

Brooks confirmed the authenticity of the story but didn't seem too bothered about it. 

"They really care about special teams," Brooks said about the Patriots. "That’s something that Belichick cares really about, and I understand why. Because, at the end of the day, football is won on special teams." 

Former Patriots players such as linebacker/defensive end Cassius Marsh and even future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski have made playing under Belichick and the so-called "Patriot Way" sound downright miserable over the years. Brooks may not share that opinion, but one wonders if Marsh and Gronkowski would have a simple warning for the to-be rookie ahead of this year's NFL Draft: