Twin Patriots Stars Fooled Bill Belichick Hours Before Super Bowl as Patriots Legend Reveals Hilarious Prank

There was a time in New England when the McCourtys used to make everyone feel confused around them. Devin was already part of the Patriots from the beginning of his NFL career. However, it was not until the 2018 season that Jason started playing for the Patriots. Jason’s trajectory differed slightly from Devin’s. His early years in the NFL saw him spend 7 years with the Titans and only one with the Browns. So, the moment he finally got an opportunity to join his brother’s team. The McCourty twins ensured they made the most of their time playing together. Aside from delivering Super Bowls under legendary head coach Bill Belichick, the two also made a mockery of his teachings.

Having twins on a roster is all fun and games—until they swap jersey numbers. Most coaches depend on those digits to tell them apart, but Belichick has never cared much for what’s printed on a player’s back. That philosophy hasn’t changed, even now. Speaking at North Carolina in 2025, long after his NFL heyday, Belichick reinforced the same message he preached for years: “The numbers and the gloves you wear is not as important as doing your job and being responsible and accountable to your teammates. Our focus is on the team.” In his world, identity isn’t something you wear—it’s something you earn.

In a guest appearance on the College GameDay podcast, Belichick said, “learn your teammates..learn their names, earn them all of us the coaches the players like.. we don’t need numbers, we need to learn our teammates.” Well, Belichick’s suggestion was obviously great in fostering a sense of togetherness within the team. Instead of building their reputation through a bunch of numbers, he wanted them to shift their focus from jersey numbers to on-field relationships. Though it largely worked for Belichick, the McCourtys made a prank out of this.

Belichick recalled how Devin and Jason used to deliberately make a fool out of him. “What killed me was guys like Jason and Devin McCourty. When I did that with them — identical twins — they would intentionally wear the same stuff. Exactly the same: cut off the same sleeve, the same socks, the same everything. There was no number on them. And then they would come up to me and say, ‘Which one am I, Coach?’ And it was really, it was really hard. Those guys killed me.” But apparently, this wasn’t even the worst of it all.

Sometime in the past, long before Jason joined his brother, the two were caught at a Super Bowl together. Though Belichick didn’t reveal which Super Bowl it was, he did say how the McCourty twins tricked him. “The worst one was—we were at a Super Bowl on Saturday before the game, we were taking the team picture and all that. Jason walks by, but I thought it was Devin.” Knowing only that Devin was part of his Patriots team, Belichick had no clue about Jason’s presence. That led Jason and Devin to pull Belichick’s leg the night before the Super Bowl.

“I didn’t know Jason was there — Jason wasn’t on our team at that point. Jason walks by and says, ‘Hey Coach, I’m going to be late for the meeting tonight, I got to go do something.’ And I was just like, ‘Whoa, what are you talking about?’ And then Devin turns around and goes, “Yeah, but I’ll be at the meeting, don’t worry.’ Oh, they nailed me. Yeah, they nailed me,” Belichick added. Well, Belichick may have been a victim of the McCourty twins’ shenanigans. But if he had talked with their mother beforehand, maybe he would have easily debunked their pranks.

Mama McCourty shares tips on recognizing Devin and Jason

If anyone could have differentiated between Devin and Jason, it was their mother, Phyllis Harrell. Only she knew what made Devin and Jason different, despite their stark similarities. One of the first differences Mama McCourty once talked about was their birthmarks. J-Mac apparently has one on the side of his neck. Meanwhile, Devin’s is on one of his ears. Other than searching for birthmarks, you can always recognise Devin and Jason through their eating habits.

At breakfast, Devin is said to always prefer Bacon. Then, if someone is reaching for the sausage first, it’s Jason. Moving on from breakfast to snacks. Mama McCourty once told the Patriots that if someone is snacking on Chips Ahoy Candy Blast cookies, then it’s definitely Jason. And if one of the twins is trying to get Linden’s chocolate chip cookies, it’s Devin. So, those were some tips to recognize Jason and Devin. However, on the field, it was always hard for anyone to know which one was Jason or Devin. That’s where Belichick struggled.

He spent more time with the brothers on the gridiron rather than at a breakfast buffet. It is clear how the McCourty brothers capitalized on this fact and had their fun while doing so.