Tim Mercer

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is so punk rock and doesn't care what you think: That includes the President of the United States.

Three days after the riots at the Capitol, Trump announced he would be awarding future NFL Hall of Famer coach Belichick the Medal of Freedom, which is our nation's highest civilian honor. So, for Belichick to turn it down is quite a statement. He is the only person who could refuse such an honor without anyone thinking that he is trying to gain the spotlight. He just does what he thinks is right.

And that in itself ironically might be what makes him award-worthy.

Belichick has never been known for attention-grabbing antics. Anyone who has seen his press conferences knows what I'm talking about. During a Monday night in September 2014, the Chiefs embarrassed the Patriots, 41-14. New England needed to brush it off and focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, who was their opponent the following Sunday.

During the post-game press conference, the media peppered Belichick with ludicrous questions attacking the integrity of the entire organization, quarterback Tom Brady not withstanding. Rather than getting dragged into a frivolous back and forth with the press, Belichick answered every inane question with three words: "on to Cincinnati." That became a rallying cry of sorts for the Patriots over the rest of the season. From there, they won 11 out of the 12 games remaining in the regular reason, and went on to win their first Super Bowl in 10 years.

To this day, "on to Cincinnati" has become a popular catchphrase for "let's move on."

When Belichick announced Monday night that he will not accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying "remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award," was his way of politely saying "on to Joe Biden."

Although Belichick describes himself as apolitical, he was forced to address a note he penned to Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election. Belichick claimed at a press conference that "anyone who has known him for more than five minutes knows that he is not a political person." He went on to say that his friendship with Trump went back a long way, but that John Kerry was also in the Patriots locker room weeks earlier. Belichick was quick to point out that the two politicians had very different political views, but who he is friends with has nothing to do with who he votes for. That, alone, is a page we should all take from the greatest football mind of all time, especially if we are going to heal this country.

Loyalty is important, but standing up for what you believe in is even more so. In typical Belichick-style, his delicately-worded statement said everything he wanted to say (in as few words possible):

"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 admiration for prior recipients. 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 when, 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 while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award."

It doesn't matter if Belichick was close with Donald Trump. By turning down the Medal of Freedom from one of his friends (technically he didn't refuse it, he just isn't going to "move forward" with it), he has given us the blueprints to stay true to our hearts, no matter what those around us might feel. Standing up for what you believe in doesn't mean just spouting your point of view on social media. It means walking the walk.

I am not sure what you were up to at 12 years old, but I can tell you what I wasn't doing: going to college. The same cannot be said for Caleb Anderson, who recently started his sophomore year at Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, GA.

It is no surprise that Caleb is on such a fast track. Before he could even speak he had learned sign language, according to First Coast News. At two years old, he was not only reading, but at a rather high level. As his family recalls, "By nine months old, he was able to sign over 250 words, and by 11 months old, he was speaking and reading."

By two years old, he was reading far beyond Dr. Seuss. His choice of literature also included the United States Constitution. At the age of three, he was not only learning English, but Spanish, French and even Mandarin. While he qualified for MENSA at age three, he didn't join until he was five years old, still making him the youngest African-American boy to join, according to his parents.

Caleb flew through elementary, middle and high school. "As we started to interact with other parents, and had other children, then we started to realize how exceptional this experience was, because we had no other frame of reference," said Caleb's father, Kobi to First Coast News. Caleb's mom Claire recalled her son saying: "Mom, I'm bored. This is not challenging. It's really not helping me grow in my learning, and I think I'm ready for college." Truth is, when I was 12 years old and bored, I was trying to find enough returnables to cash in so I could go play Space Invaders. Caleb is majoring in aerospace engineering. Hey, at least we both had space in common.

Because of Caleb's age, his father Kobi has to accompany him on campus. "Yes, going back to college," he chuckled. However, while most parents are able to assist their 12-year-old children with homework, not often does that include calculous two. "He has far surpassed me in math, so I can't help him anymore."

Caleb has two siblings, Aaron and Hannah, who are also also gifted. So one would have to ask how they went about raising such exceptional children. In response Claire gave this advice:

"Raise the child you have, not the child you want.

Fully invest in the skills and talents your child has and remember there are free resources.

Focus on creating a love for learning, not just the learning itself.

The end goal to what you teach them should go back to building character.

Teach them to appreciate the gifts other people have.

As parents, it's important to remember you are always enough for your children."

"I think people have a negative perspective when it comes to African-American boys. There are many other Calebs out there. African-American boys like him," Claire said. "From being a teacher— I really believe that. But they don't have the opportunity or the resources."

Caleb is on pace to graduate college at the age of 14, and hopes to continue his education at MIT or Georgia Tech. As for me, I'm going to drink my last Fresca, and add it to the cans I am returning in exchange for a quarter and go find an arcade. Caleb, you can handle aerospace engineering and I will take care of Space Invaders.