Kyle Van Noy Said Exactly What My Heart Needed to Hear

Kyle Van Noy in his conference call today:

“I want to win again. Can’t be satisfied. We’re definitely not satisfied. If you guys saw how we’re working right now you’d be pretty impressed with the grit and tenacity we’re showing in this offseason workout already. I think everyone is rejuvenated. We’re ready for a new challenge.

“We have a lot of guys here that are motivated for greatness. Not just with the coach, but with the players. The players in every room you have a veteran like a McCourty and a Chung and a Hightower. Those guys are motivated and so are the young guys. The young guys are hungry to prove they can play. That goes offensively and defensively. You have veteran guys that hold that standard and they do a really good job.”

There’s not a lot that a Pats player can say right now that will make it move. Owing partly to the fact the time between the draft and the start of minicamps and not much is going on. And also for a reason my doctor said “happens to a lot of men your age and I can write you a ‘script if you want.”

Well I do not want. I do not need. Because Kyle Van Noy sent every Patriots fan from 6 to 12 with these comments.

I honestly think that of all the things we take for granted, this is the most egregious. The fact that these guys have been to the mountaintop as much as they have and are still as motivated as they ever were is something of a miracle. Think about how many guys on that roster have three rings already. Without looking it up, my guess is 10? A dozen, maybe? So many times you see somebody win one ring, take it as validation that all their hard work paid off, and then take their foot off the gas. Or sign a big contract with some other team looking for a leader who can bring a winning attitude to their locker room and you hardly ever hear of the guy again.

This is the opposite of that, and it’s the prevailing sentiment in Foxboro. These guys aren’t necessarily getting a ton more money by keeping this level of motivation, beyond their postseason shares. And yet they, to use Van Noy’s own words, “can’t be satisfied.” Still “motivated for greatness.” And it’s awe-inspiring.

You read about ancient wars and to keep soldiers fighting for you, you promised them the spoils of war. Win the battle and what you take is yours, with a cut for the higher ups. It’s what kept them wading into combat. So they could get rich on all the stuff, food, slavesg and female companionship they took from the vanquished. Otherwise they’d all have laid down their swords, put their feet up and yelled “Fetch me my drinking horn, wench” before opening a chariot dealership or whatever. Living the easy life. But for whatever reason, Patriots veterans with multiple rings like Van Noy just keep doing it of their own volition. And that motivation gets passed down to the younger guys. What a goddamned time to be alive and invested in this football team.