The New England Patriots’ culture has been under attack recently after the revelations of former Patriot Cassius Marsh. The defensive end said he “hated” his time with the team due to its lack of fun.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick responded to those criticisms by saying that winning is what’s important for the team. Linebacker Don’t’a Hightower had a similar take to his coach’s, saying that while it may be hard work playing for the Patriots, it’s worth it given all the success they’ve achieved.
“I mean, to each his own,” Hightower said per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t really have anything to say to them. I mean, guys here, I know — I mean, it’s not for everybody. It’s definitely harder than most places, but I mean, that’s part of it. A lot of guys know that when they come here. But, I mean, in the locker room, it’s not Bill’s job to make this fun and this atmosphere fun; it’s the guys around it. … So, there’s a time and place for everything, but we know whenever we walk through the building, it’s time to work.”
As an Alabama alum, Hightower knows all too well what it feels like to be part of an incredibly successful situation led by an authoritarian coach. He also realizes difficult hard it is to reach that level of success with all the hard work and sacrifice that comes with it.
Hightower is spot on when he says that not all players are capable of enduring that type of demanding environment. There are just players who are wired differently and can withstand that sort of situation. The Patriots have just been successful in finding those types of players like Hightower over the years, which has also contributed to all their success.
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