Strange Call: Patriots Rookie Believed Belichick Prank?
Lots of people were shocked on the first night of the NFL Draft when the New England Patriots traded down and then reached up for Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange.
Include Strange among the most surprised.
So worried his friends would prank him on draft night, Strange was skeptical when the phone rang from an unknown number and none other than Pats boss Bill Belichick was on the other end.
Strange picked up the phone, and the voice on the other end identified themselves as a member of the Patriots. Strange initially didn't believe it, actually asking the caller if he was being pranked.
“(Cole) said, ‘Sir, I don’t mean to be disrespectful at all, but I’ve gotta know because I’ve got some crazy friends. Is this a prank?’' Strange's father, Greg, said. "The guy said, ‘Hold on just a second.’ And then Bill Belichick got on the phone and of course, unless you’ve been under a rock for the last 20 years, you know Bill Belichick’s voice."
That's a pretty definitive way to prove Strange wasn't being pranked. Belichick isn't exactly known for his sense of humor, but he does possess one of the NFL's most unique and recognizable voices.
Belichick at one point told Strange, "Hey, you’ve gotta act like you’ve been there, man."
The selection of Strange not only shocked Cole, but also most around the NFL. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead reacted with mock laughter before later apologizing to Belichick.
Strange's friends only wished they could have pulled off such a prized prank.
