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Game planning for opposing offenses isn't the only thing New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia can do. Far from it.

Patricia started off as an aeronautical engineering major at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before becoming an NFL assistant coach, which is something Patriots coach Bill Belichick is well aware of.

"He's really smart," Belichick said of Patricia recently. "This guy could probably build a plane and fly it -- like this guy is smart-smart. He's got great recall and a really high IQ level in terms of just processing a lot of information.

"... But again, he's a blue-collar guy, certainly wasn't born with a silver spoon like most players, so they're just working for everything, working his way up through, I think he has an appreciation for that and I think he relates well to other guys who are doing the same thing."

Patricia was asked to respond during a conference call with New England media Tuesday, and while he skipped the part about building an airplane, he did discuss how much Belichick means to him.

"Coach Belichick has been great to me," Patricia said. "He's a wonderful mentor and a great friend. I'm extremely lucky to be here and to work for him, and I just try to learn as much as I can every day that I walk into this building. (I'm) just really blessed to be here."

Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images