NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Perry reveals Van Pelt’s prize for Patriots who win ‘pickup’ award originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots dominated in several stat categories during last Sunday’s 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears — including “pickups.”
If you’re unfamiliar with that metric, it’s because Alex Van Pelt made it up. The Patriots offensive coordinator told reporters Thursday that he and the coaching staff literally track “pickups,” or the number of times an offensive player helps up his teammate after they’ve fallen to the turf.
“There’s nothing that frustrates me more than watching guys not pick each other up off the ground,” Van Pelt explained. “We ask these guys to be great teammates — run to the football. When you run to the football, good things happen and while you’re there, let’s get our guys off the ground.”
How serious is Van Pelt about this “pickup” policy, you ask? Well, he tracked 85 players who “ran to the football” and 58 “pickups” Sunday against the Bears. And according to our Patriots Insider Phil Perry, the player who records the most pickups even gets a prize.
“My understanding is, if you win the pickup award in a given week, you actually get a little truck — a little (toy) pickup truck,” Perry said Thursday on Arbella Early Edition, as seen in the video player above.
If you think that’s a bit… corny, you’re not alone. But apparently there’s a tongue-in-cheek nature to the proceedings. (Offensive lineman Demontrey Jacobs was last week’s winner, for the record.)
“It’s a funny thing,” Perry said. “(The players) get it, too. You think guys are actually taking it seriously and shedding a tear as they walk up and grab their Tonka truck? That’s not happening. It’s a lighthearted thing. It’s a little bit more of a lighthearted atmosphere, obviously, and so, yes, it is something that they focus on.”
This bit isn’t new for Van Pelt, either. The veteran assistant actually began the practice of tracking “pickups” and rewarding players with toy…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/perry-reveals-van-pelts-prize-150727170.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-11-15 15:10:40
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
