John Middlecoff

Because I think it's safe to say there are players for the Patriots who, if they weren't under contract, would have left before their contract ended.

or use that as leverage to get more money.

I was thinking about Kirby Smart, though, back to him screaming at people, is I've always been a believer that in college football, where you're from matters.

Because the culture and the wiring of the people that you need to fund your program, and if you're in a big school, the area in which you recruit from, needs to resonate.

It's why Pete Carroll from the West Coast, who went to college on the West Coast, I think he had a lot of success at USC because I think culturally he fit right in.

Jeff Tedford, who coached at Oregon, played at Fresno State, crushed at the University of Berkeley.

Why?

West Coast guy.

Understands the people.

Urban Meyer is somewhat of an outlier, right?

He's not from Florida.

He's not from the South.

Went to Florida and had success.

But I would say typically the Dabos, the Kirbys, the Jimbos, and obviously the Nick Saban, when you look at guys who have won national championships, are from the general area, give or take a state, and understand the wiring of the people that surround that program.

Kirby Smart isn't part of the culture in the South.

He is the culture.

Born in Alabama, went to Georgia, coached at Bama, now won at Georgia.

He's won six national championships as an assistant and a head coach since 2010.

I didn't look it up, but I would guess eight SEC championships.

He's probably been to 10 just as an assistant or a head coach.