In a statement, Belichick said he will “not . . . move forward with the award” as planned. He said he had agreed to accept the award before last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.
“Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients,” Belichick said. “Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy.
The Medal of Freedom, created by John F. Kennedy in 1963, is awarded to individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
Son of a veteran. Father asst coach at Naval Academy. Spent part of an offseason narrating a World War II documentaryabout D-Day, made regular visits to Walter Reed and talked meaningfully about Veterans Day as a day that makes all other American holidays even possible. He was reared on the Naval Academy campus, and to this day he supports veterans’ causes through his favorite restaurant, Mission BBQ, where the national anthem is sung every noonday, and which ships ribs to troops overseas by the ton.