Wes Welker remembers scolding from Bill Belichick after ‘foot soldier’ incident

Bill Belichick pulled Wes Welker aside.

Bill Belichick was not happy after Wes Welker put a toe — or perhaps the whole foot — out of line during the 2010 season. The New England Patriots coach and his former player, Welker, have made that much clear.

Welker trolled New York Jets coach Rex Ryan leading up to a playoff game in January 2011. A video had recently emerged indicating that Ryan had a foot fetish. So Welker riffed off that video by delivering a handful of foot-related puns during a meeting with the media leading up to the game. Welker’s antics landed him on the bench for the opening series of the game.

At Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday, Welker was asked whether he and Belichick ever discussed the benching.

“Oh yeah, absolutely. … It wasn’t good,” Welker told reporters. “All learning experiences. … That’s why I like my guys being themselves.”

Welker missed the first offensive series and the Patriots suffered a 28-21 season-ending loss to the Jets in the divisional round of the playoffs.

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