Coach Belichick Declines Presidential Medal of Freedom

Recently, President Trump offered Head Coach Bill Belichick the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Coach declined, according to masslive.com. Here's the statement he released:

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and an admiration for prior recipients,” Belichick’s statement read. “Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy. I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts or remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award.

According to Wikipedia, here's a partial list of people who have been offered the Medal of Freedom and have accepted either living or posthumously: