Devin McCourty earned several nicknames from his teammates. Perhaps it was Matthew Slater who came up with the best one.
He called him “Mr. Patriot.”
During a media session a few years back, Slater explained why he gave McCourty, who announced his retirement Friday, that moniker.
“I just think of everything he embodies and what he stands for. Obviously his on-the-field play is elite. He’s one of the best players at his position in the league. On the field, he’s like another coach,” said Slater. “He’s so reliable, so consistent, his football I.Q. is the best that I’ve seen over the last several years. It’s up there with the best over the course of my career.
“And then what he does off the field, as well. The type of man he is, his consistent character, the things that he does in the community, the type of teammate that he is. If you’re looking for a guy that you want to build a team around, you want young players to look to and model, that’s Devin McCourty.”
It’s hard to sum up McCourty and his importance to the Patriots much better than that.
As it is, all it took was one film session with McCourty in 2010, then a prospect out of Rutgers, for coach Bill Belichick to be sold.
And now, the Patriots have to somehow fill the void. Granted, at age 35, with 13 seasons under this belt, McCourty wasn’t quite the same player as in earlier years. But that doesn’t diminish his importance.
The Patriots still have to find another quarterback for their defense, another safety with his intelligence to get everyone in position and to man center field.
Perhaps, that player lies in-house, be it Kyle Dugger or perhaps Adrian Phillips. Perhaps Jonathan Jones, an impending free agent, or Jalen Mills, can be the next McCourty, making the switch from corner.
Or maybe the Patriots need to delve into free agency to find a replacement, and/or the draft, to groom one.
Trying to shut down all of the NFL’s high-powered offenses is hard enough without top corners. But the guy in deep center also holds great importance.
And that’s just the start of what the Patriots need to replace.
“If Devin’s not here, it’ll be noticed, not just on the field, but in the locker room and in the community, although I’m sure he’ll still be a part of the community,” Jonathan Jones said last week after an appearance at the Patriots Hall of Fame, speaking to Big Sister Boston on International Women’s Day.
During Jones’s appearance at the Hall, he made several mentions of McCourty. Specifically, he was asked about players who have influenced him the most in his career, players who have been his mentors.
Without hesitation, Jones began with McCourty. He was the guy in the room Jones said he wanted to emulate, along with Slater.
For Jones, and other defensive backs, they all took their cues from McCourty, who was everyone’s role model.
“I watched (McCourty), and said, ‘I want to do that!’ Whatever it takes to be that guy, I’m going to do that,” Jones told the assembly. “Just coming to work every day, doing all the community things, just being a Patriot, being what Devin is. It was finding somebody who had what you wanted.”
McCourty was “Mr. Patriot” in so many ways. For Belichick, having that kind of presence in the locker room, having someone who lives up to all of the Patriots ideals, is immeasurable.
McCourty, who played in 205 regular-season games for the Patriots — he ranks No. 5 in team history — was also one of the few remaining players who had been a part of a championship team, having won three rings during his time.
He was the straw that stirred the drink on defense. Before the game, he was the guy who got everyone going with his fiery speeches on the field after drills were completed in the pregame warmup.
Jonathan Jones, in describing those sessions a few years ago, said everyone was always dialed in to McCourty’s message.
“He gets the guys going. He knows what to say,” said Jones. “He puts a chip on our shoulder. He finds something to say to get us going. He always finds something, whether it’s within the game plan, or just something that’s going on to give you some extra motivation.”
Someone else will also have to step into that role. But if you’ve ever listened in to one of McCourty’s sermons, once again, those are going to be tough shoes to fill.
Belichick alluded to such in a statement he gave Friday in wake of McCourty’s announcement.
“It is a rare group of players who win games, exude team culture, lead, win awards and win championships,” Belichick said. “And then, there is Devin McCourty. Devin did all of those things as a player and more.”