Did Bill Belichick just promote ‘The Battle at the Beach’ during the NFL Draft on ESPN?

Bill Belichick appears to be a high school football nerd. Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show on an ESPN platform, Belichick promoted the ‘Battle at the Beach’ which will feature Bergen Catholic this August.

A guest speaker at least year’s Rutgers football coaching clinic, the remarks from Belichick on ESPN were certainly surprising. His son, Stephen Belichick, is a former Rutgers long snapper who is now a defensive coordinator with the Washington Huskies.

The annual showcase event, featuring some of the top high school programs in the region but also the country, has quickly gained traction as an elite set-up. The ‘Battle at the Beach’ traditionally takes place in late August in Ocean City, New Jersey.

This year, the marquee game at ‘The Battle at the Beach’ will be IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) against Bergen Catholic (Ramsey, New Jersey).

To hear Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner as a head coach, speak about the game was certainly surreal.

IMG Academy finished as the fifth-best team in the nation in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25.

Bergen Catholic, after another state title, ended the year at No. 23 in the rankings.

Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire