How Pitt WRs coach Tiquan Underwood learned Bill Belichick is 'a man of his word'

Tiquan Underwood caught three passes for 30 yards for the New England Patriots during the 2011 season.

Yet, he was proud to be part of the team the week before Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

Then, the day before the game, he got the call: Bill Belichick wanted to see him. Underwood was released, hours before he would have stepped onto the biggest stage in pro football.

Did he pout? Did he complain to his family or, worse, the media? Was he bold enough to argue with the great Belichick?

None of those things happened, which might signal to everyone, especially Pat Narduzzi, the type of man who will coach Pitt’s wide receivers this season.

Underwood happily told the story Wednesday when he was introduced to reporters as Pitt’s new wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

“In New England, he cuts people at the end of the week, every week,” Underwood said. “Mine just so happened to be literally the biggest game.

“Meeting with coach, he said, ‘Listen, we’re going to let you go. We’re going to bring up somebody from the practice squad to the active roster.

“ ‘Once we win, you’ll get the ring. You’ll get the money for it. We’re going to sign you back right after the game.’ ”

The cut didn’t hurt as bad when Underwood found out that defensive lineman Alex Silvestro, a teammate from their days at Rutgers, had snagged his spot.

The Patriots gave Underwood the option of joining the team in Lucas Oil Stadium, but he opted to stay back at the hotel and watch the game on TV.

“I rooted for my guys,” he said.

As it turned out, Underwood — and the rest of the Patriots — never got the winner’s share ($175,000 at the time). The underdog New York Giants won 21-17, partially on the strength of Mario Manningham’s over-the shoulder, sideline catch from Eli Manning.

“It was a hard one to watch. No ill will there,” Underwood said. “No hard feelings whatsoever. We all know this is a business. Sometimes, that’s just the way it goes.

“One thing about coach Belichick, he’s a man of his word. Unfortunately, we lost that game so the money was a little bit less ($75,000) than I thought it would be.

“Instead of a Super Bowl ring, I have an AFC championship ring. But coach Belichick, he kept his word. He really did, and I really appreciate him for that.”

The Patriots re-signed Underwood, but he was released before the season. He ended up playing through the 2017 season for four teams — two more in the NFL, two in the CFL — before embarking on a coaching career.

He spent the past two seasons coaching wide receivers at Rutgers, most notably Bo Melton, who caught 102 passes for 1,256 yards and nine touchdowns in that time.

When Narduzzi asked Underwood if he wanted to join the Pitt staff, the 34-year-old said it was the most difficult question thrown at him during the job interview. He played for and coached with Greg Schiano at Rutgers. Incidentally, Underwood’s Rutgers teams won all four games against Pitt from 2005-08.

It wasn’t easy saying goodbye.

“That’s home. That’s where my heart is. It will always be there,” he said. “When (Narduzzi) offered the job, this is real. If I do decide to go to Pitt, some people may not take that well. At the end of the day, I have to do what’s right for my family and also myself and my career. I felt like this was the best place for me right now.”

Underwood was given the dual title of wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator, meaning he’ll work closely on the gameplan with offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr.

“He has so much wisdom, so much experience,” Underwood said. “For me to be in that offensive staff room with somebody like that is phenomenal. No. 1, I get to learn from him. No. 2, to actually have a seat at the table and have a voice and be part of those conversations is pretty awesome.”

He said his role will be to study the opponent’s secondary structure and figure out the best way to attack it.

“Getting that title for me was very important. With more responsibility, you have to be ready for that and I felt like I was. That’s kind of why I’m here. I felt like I wanted to take a step up.”

While working with Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison, Jared Wayne and several younger pass catchers, Underwood said his job will be to elevate everyone’s game. First, however, he will work on developing relationships.

“I try to be real and honest with the players and try to build that relationship,” he said. “Players will play for you if they know that you care and they trust you.”

To that end, Wayne can expect a cake — probably an ice cream cake, Underwood’s favorite — on his birthday (Oct. 7), the night before the Virginia Tech game. Underwood likes to help celebrate his players’ birthdays.

“We all were born on a certain day, and it feels good to be celebrated and acknowledged,” he said. “Some people’s upbringings, sometimes, you didn’t have birthdays and maybe you didn’t get a birthday cake. I look forward to bringing that here, for sure.”

Meanwhile, his immediate task is finding a suitable barber for his high haircut.

“It’s not about sticking out, but I want to be different. I’m comfortable in my skin. I’m comfortable with who I am,” he said. “Now as a coach, you definitely don’t see a lot of coaches with this. It helps in recruiting. They say, ‘That’s the coach with the high top.’ I look at it as a recruiting tool.

“I have not found a Pittsburgh barber. I can’t let just anybody touch this. I need to see some pictures and some proof that they have skills.”