Even if you dethrone several dynasties, win seven Super Bowls, and win five MVP awards, it’s still not enough to have the Super Bowl trophy named after you. But don’t tell Bill Belichick that. Recently, the former Patriots coach, who is currently mentoring at UNC and is still calling deep routes on the ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast, suggested changing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Tom Brady Trophy. Audacious. Sacrilegious. Classic Belichick.

Belichick essentially lobbied for Brady’s name to take the place of a coaching legend when he said, “Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy. He won seven of them…You can’t win games without good players. I don’t care who the coach is, it’s impossible.” That’s seven victories in twenty years. With Bill, six. One without him. And in between, countless broken records. The resume is difficult to argue with. But one former Giant did.

The two-time Super Bowl champion and mainstay of the Giants’ brutal defenses in the 1980s, Leonard Marshall, is not interested in the Brady Trophy suggestion. The Giants icon quietly avoided the tribute train in a recent interview with Ricky Cobb of Super 70s Sports. Instead of co-signing the idea, Marshall took it in a different direction, suggesting the game’s most gritty, grimy, film-obsessed award should actually bear Belichick’s name. “One day, I really feel that award is going to be changed from the Lombardi Award to the Belichick Award,” Marshall said. “Because he’s done so much for the game… and he’s continuing to do it by mentoring and educating young people.”

That wasn’t just a casual remark. Marshall truly believes that Belichick is more than simply the scheming mastermind behind Brady’s titles. He considers him to be a man builder. A coach who develops champions, discipline, and character, besides winning. Belichick, in Leonard’s opinion, is not merely a man who benefited from Brady; rather, he created the blueprint before Brady did. And have to agree with him, because the Awards are named after the Coaches to honor their legacy. The league and fans always remember the players who made history, but forget the person who made it possible. So, it’s a way to make their names live forever through it.

And let’s be real. Without Belichick, the sport wouldn’t have its legends. It’s a sentiment best emphasised by Tom Brady’s words. “I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next.” 

That’s the reason Marshall didn’t bite when it came to renaming the Super Bowl trophy after a player, even one as illustrious as Brady. The underlying message was very clear: Lombardi still has the room, even though Brady is the greatest of all time. And Leonard? All he wants is a place at the Hall of Fame table. Not a new trophy. Just some much-needed respect.

Bill Belichick wants Brady immortalized, Marshall just wants his gold jacket

Even though Leonard Marshall hasn’t played in decades, his legacy lives on in NFL history. He led the Giants in sacks several times despite playing with Lawrence Taylor, and he has 83.5 career sacks, two Pro Bowl picks, and defensive leadership on one of the most formidable teams ever put together.

Marshall recently talked about how the omission still hurts. “It’s a stepping stone towards Canton, which is what I’m anticipating and what I’m hoping for. I think my career speaks for itself,” he said. His recent induction into Mike Ditka’s Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame served as that “stepping stone”; it was an honor, sure, but it wasn’t the final reward.

The history he helped create with Belichick and Bill Parcells is what makes it more difficult. Parcells questioned him directly in his NFL career, what he could do to make Marshall better. Belichick shaped him into a more intelligent, shrewd version of himself. He was the one who fulfilled all of that potential. As Marshall said in 2020, “Everything I wanted pro football to be, I turned and made the pro football experience mine.“

So, no, trophy rebranding campaigns are not something Leonard Marshall is interested in. He is too preoccupied with taking back his legacy. Marshall is still pursuing his immortality—the kind that gets you into Canton—while Belichick is attempting to immortalise Brady.