'Now I'm just a fan': Retirement to bring out new side of Patriots legend Devin McCourty

FOXBORO —  Devin McCourty went from a redshirt freshman on the Rutgers University football team to a senior captain in 2009.

Three years later, McCourty went from being a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback to the New England Patriots' newfound free safety in a position shake-up.

A decade later, yet another transition is ahead of the 35-year-old McCourty, who announced his retirement on March 11 after a storied NFL career that spanned 13 seasons, all with the Patriots.

NFL analyst on television? That's not out of the question. Patriots fan from his New Jersey home? Most definitely.

“I’m so excited to watch the game of football and root this team on, and be one of those crazy avid Patriots fans, living in New Jersey and wearing all of my Pats gear," McCourty said with a laugh.

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“I’m excited to, not really say goodbye to the fans, but be able to embrace the fans as a fan (myself). Now, we’ll be equals. I have a little knowledge from playing, but I'll get to be like those crazy guys. If Mac (Jones) throws an interception, I’ll be cursing Mac out,” McCourty joked. “If Bent (Juwan Bentley) misses a tackle, I’ll be cursing Bent out. That’s what it’s going to be because now I’m just a fan. I’m not their teammate anymore. That means they have to play perfect games. That’s the expectation as a fan.”

A three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler, McCourty finished his career with 938 tackles, 35 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 7 fumble recoveries through 205 games, all starts. He spent 12 of his 13 seasons as a team captain.

McCourty's total of 24 postseason starts is the fourth-most in league history, and the most among all defensive players. He is also one of eight players all-time to start in five or more Super Bowls.

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“The leadership, and the person that he is, actually are more impressive than the player he was. Certainly he’s a Patriots’ Hall of Fame player. What a career he had," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. "Off the field, he gave us so much leadership, not just vocal – there was plenty of that, too – but always doing the right thing. … You could always look to him for an example, positive words of encouragement or thoughts on how to improve things.”

During a speech at McCourty's retirement ceremony Tuesday afternoon, Belichick recalled a story of scouting McCourty leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft: "We got into the film and that's where I got blown away. (I was told) that Devin was really smart, could run the defense, knew what everyone was doing. I had heard that before, like 'Alright, we'll see.' ... But I never really had an interview like (his). I mean, I was completely stunned that he would know as much as he knew about the entire defense."

The Patriots drafted McCourty with the 27th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, which Belichick sarcastically referred to as one of the team's 'C' (average) drafts, as it selected Rob Gronkowski just one round later.

His rookie season, McCourty started all 16 games at cornerback and led New England with a team-high 7 interceptions en route to receiving a Pro Bowl nod and finishing second to Ndamukong Suh in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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“On behalf of the Belichick family,” said Belichick, as he turned to McCourty, “it’s truly been an honor to coach you and have you on this team. You’ve just been the epitome of everything a coach could ask for, a team could ask for, an organization could ask for.”

“Devin provided an irreplaceable leadership on our team, both on and off the field," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "He recognized the platform he had and constantly used it, along with his brother (former NFL cornerback Jason McCourty), to help others.”

In his speech Tuesday, McCourty told a recruiting story of when Boston College was recruiting his brother and former head coach Tom O'Brien came to the family's trailer home for a sit-down with Jason McCourty. Jason McCourty alone.

Devin McCourty spent the meeting in the next room over, eavesdropping through thin walls.

“That fueled me," McCourty said. "And Jay knows, I still get energized, I’ve got a little animosity towards BC. Even though I played here for over 13 years, there’s some love now, but I thought me and Jay were always the same. We always thought about ourselves as being the same and that was probably one of the first times someone told us we were different, and told me I wasn’t good enough or as good as him. For my whole career, I never felt like a first-rounder. I never felt like a top guy. I always carried that mentality.”

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“My journey was different because for most of my life, I always felt like no one really thought I could be the type of player I could be," McCourty said.

Devin and Jason McCourty spent three seasons together in New England, from 2018-2020, with the keystone memory winning Super Bowl 52 over the Los Angeles Rams in 2018. Devin McCourty said Tuesday that there was once a time he considered being his brother's agent, rather than chase a career in the pros himself.

“As a kid dreaming of being a professional athlete, I never dreamed in detail of what that would look like. I just wanted to be here,” said Devin McCourty. “The reality far surpassed the dream. I never thought that I would have an impact on a team, lead the team, be a captain.

“I look up now and don’t really understand how I’ve gotten to this day, but I know I’m so thankful."

McCourty also shouted out Tom Brady, Matthew Slater, Logan Mankins, Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo among the teammates he learned the most from.

“What I learned from those guys, I tried to pass down to these guys," said McCourty as he glanced to the row of current Patriots seated near the podium. "I think they’ll do a great job. This team is battle-tested: they’ve been through good, they’ve been through bad but the biggest thing is, they want to win. And they want to win together. I’m excited to watch the team and cheer them on.”

New England is coming off an 8-9 season in which the team missed the postseason for the second time in three seasons.

Said McCourty, “I’m going to miss relationships more than football, but what I’m excited about is watching this team grow."

Only this time, from afar.

“I’m excited to be a crazy New England Patriots fan," he said, "because I’m going to give it all I got."

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Retirement to bring out new side of Patriots legend Devin McCourty