Belichick pays tribute to football writer Dr. Z in Friday presser

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Bill Belichick opened up his press conference on Friday morning by expressing his condolences to the family of longtime football writer Paul Zimmerman, whose columns for Sports Illustrated were regarded as among the most insightful in the business.

Zimmerman, widely known as "Dr. Z," died Thursday at the age of 86.

"Certainly express my condolences to the family," Belichick said. "Paul was a great ambassador for professional football, what he he did through the years with his background, and his insight into the draft, [and] I would say some of his behind the scenes, organizational insight that he gave due to his great sources and trust that he created with so many people.

"It was pretty interesting reading his Sports Illustrated columns. I always kind of felt like Paul and Will McDonough were two of the really well-connected, respected writers that covered the game certainly when I came into the game and many years thereafter. Certainly a sad day to hear about his passing. But he made a great contribution and certainly popularized a lot of things today that have blossomed into major, major stories and events that I'd say he was in on the ground floor on."

Belichick noted that he and Zimmerman had a strong relationship, connecting at league meetings, and chatting a handful of times in-season from year-to-year.

"He was someone you could trust," Belichick said. "Whatever he told you, you could take it to the bank."

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