Here's how Bill Belichick started this morning's news conference at Gillette Stadium:

"We just had our team meeting this morning, and the last thing we did when the team gathered together was kind of give Andre a little sendoff, and let him know about our appreciation and congratulations on his selection and soon-to-be induction into the National Football League Hall of Fame this weekend. We're really proud of him.

"He's a guy that, although I never coached Andre, I saw a lot of him from my perspective as the defensive coordinator of the Giants, and watched when he played for the Patriots and, of course that was an era of a lot of great linebackers, certainly we had our share of them down there. But, you know watching Andre, Hugh Green, that was kind of the end of the Jack Lambert-Jack Ham group in Pittsburgh, but, you know, with Singletary and Carson and Tippett and Taylor and Hugh Green and all those guys.

"Andre was one of the guys that our players looked up to and learned a lot, because of his consistent play in every phase of the game, whether it be against the run, against the pass, as a pass rusher, as a tackler, you know, his outstanding use of his hand techniques and his skills as we all know with his martial-arts background and so forth, and his prodcution and competitiveness as a player. So, we really didn't play the Patriots that often, but we saw a lot of them on film, and he was a guy that we all learned from and admired and certainly I learned a lot from as a coach watching him play, even though I didn't get a chance to coach him directly.

"And then of course, when I came here in 2000, he has been a part of this organization in a number of different capacities since then, and he's not only been a friend and an asset to bounce things off and talk to, but also a great ambassador for this organization and for the game to this area for football and of course the New England Patriots. He's a guy that talks to our rookies every year and is always in the halls and the locker room and around the team and around the players, and is a very positive influence and example for all of us, and carries himself with a distinguished nature as well he should, and will be recognized this weekend. So we're very proud of him, and even though as players and coaches won't be with him, we'll be with him in heart and spirit when he is enshrined this weekend. It's a great thing for this organization; we're very very proud of it."