Ex-Patriots running back recalls Bill Belichick putting him in 'fat camp' after he was drafted

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Bill Belichick has always asked a lot of his players while coaching the New England Patriots, whether it was a Super Bowl, a regular-season game or just a training camp practice. 

One former Patriot said he witnessed Belichick’s stern coaching almost immediately after getting drafted. 

"I guess we’ll start with how Bill put me in fat camp," ex-Pats running back Stevan Ridley, a third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by New England, said on the "Games with Names" podcast with Julian Edelman. 

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New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley (22) runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vincent Rey (57) at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)

Ridley said Belichick put him in "fat camp" because he was "overweight" for an NFL running back coming out of LSU. 

So, how much weight did Belichick want Ridley to cut? 

"You have that meeting where you come in there, and you’re a rookie. And he gives you your playing weight. And he brought me into the office because I go into the weight room, and [former Patriots strength coach Harold] Nash said, ‘Hop on the scale, Ridley,'" Ridley told Edelman.

"I hopped on the scale, and I’m about 235, 238 pounds. I played at LSU around 230 as a running back. Eight pounds is a lot, bro." 

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Ridley said the Patriots obviously knew he was a bigger running back, and he clearly did something to be drafted in the third round. 

But Ridley claims Belichick told him he had to get his playing weight down to 220 pounds. 

"How? I said, ‘You’re tripping, bro.' I