A native of Montvale, N.J., Devin McCourty remained in his home state to star with the Scarlet Knights as an All-Big East player. He played alongside his twin brother, current Titans cornerback Jason, at both Saint Joseph's High School and Rutgers. McCourty earned a starting job at cornerback as a rookie in New England, going on to tie for the NFL lead with seven interceptions in his Pro Bowl season. He was elected a team captain the following fall as the leader of the back end of the defense in action at both cornerback, and now safety.
What were your first impressions of Bill Belichick?
I first met him in a meeting before the draft. The first thing I thought was that I could get no read on this guy. I didn't know what he was thinking. I didn't know if I had a good meeting or a bad meeting. So I would probably say my first impression was just question marks. I didn't know what I just went through.
If you weren't playing football, what would you be doing for a living?
Playing basketball.
Are you better at basketball than football?
I would like to say that. I don't know how true it is.
Would your brother agree with that?
No. He thinks he's better than me. So he probably wouldn't.
If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?
First, probably my brother. Then, if not, probably Morris Chestnut.
He could play both of you?
Yeah, exactly. (laughs)
If you could meet anyone in the world, from any time period, who would it be and why?
I always liked Wilt Chamberlain growing up, just how dominant he was. I'd probably like to meet him just to get his outlook on how he viewed his time while he was playing basketball and his approach to the game.
Have you ever been star struck by anybody you've met?
Really all the time. Anybody that's on TV that I see them, somewhere out I'll always … and then when I came here with Tom [Brady] and Randy [Moss] and Vince [Wilfork] I was kind of star struck.
Feel like you fit in with those guys now?
They're just average guys now. (said with a smirk)
Any nicknames going back to when you were younger?
Most of my life I've just been called Twin. People can't tell us apart. So really we'd both just be called Twin.
Who did you root for in football as a kid?
I was a big Cowboys fan growing up. I loved Emmitt [Smith] and Deion [Sanders].
Do you have a favorite training camp story, from anywhere you played?
Probably in college. Our last day of training camp we'd go to the pool and all the freshmen would put on skits. I just remember my freshman year we put on a whole skit of our conditioning test. And we mimicked all the top players, how they had struggled through the conditioning test. So that was pretty funny.
Did they get mad?
They got a little mad. But if you failed they strapped you up, put tape all around you and threw you in the kiddie pool. So none of us had to do that.
Favorite food or meal?
Probably macaroni and cheese with some pork chops. My mom's.
What do you like to read?
I read a lot of motivational books. Like I'm reading Eric LaGrandes's book from my school - "Believe." Different books like that.
What's your first football memory?
Just playing. I lived in an apartment complex, so we had a big grass field and playing Kill the Carrier with a bunch of my friends. Mimicking different players.
Do you remember your first big play in organized football?
Probably my second year when they let me play running back. Actually I think it was the first game and me and my brother both scored. I remember that year we just kept track of our touchdowns going back and forth.
Do you remember your first car?
It was a Ford Taurus. We called it Pepsi. Me and my brother shared it. It was a'ight. It was a car. We were happy.
How about your first apartment?
It was off-campus at Rutgers. It was me, my brother and actually Tiquan Underwood, who was here, and two other guys we went to school with. It was horrible. In the winter we didn't even have heat. It ran on oil heat and all the oil ran out and we didn't have money to get more oil. So we had space heaters. It was rough.
Do you remember your first date?
Movies.
How'd it go?
It probably went good. That's what I would assume.
Was there a second date?
Yeah, there is always a second.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?
Probably Kevin Durant.
Ever traded places with your brother?
Oh, yeah. We tried to in school and stuff. Someone usually always told, one of our classmates that could tell us apart, would tell the teacher.
How do people tell you apart?
Different marks. Like I'll have something on my nose. He has a scar from chicken pox on his forehead. I have a birthmark on my ear. He has one on his neck. Then once you look at us for a while, people could tell us apart.
If you could be a singer or musician for a day, who would it be?
I'd probably be in Boys II Men.
If you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
Somehow to play on the same team in the NFL with my brother, have my father come to a game because he passed away - have him come back - and … dang that would probably be it. I'd only need two. I'd probably give one away.
Ever been in fight with your brother?
We used to fight all the time. But we never stayed mad.
What was the longest you ever stayed mad at Jason?
Maybe an hour. We don't get mad.
