Minneapolis • The New England Patriots’ middle linebacker is the team’s No. 3 tackler, a pass-rusher whose sack helped derail Jacksonville’s final drive in the AFC championship game and another example of how coach Bill Belichick and his staff maximize players who have failed elsewhere in the NFL.
That’s Van Noy’s shortened name of his old school, as he cites in the videotaped starting lineups of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” productions — presumably to be included in the Super Bowl LII telecast from Minneapolis. His playful treatment of the introduction stems from a secret language with former BYU teammates Ross Apo and Cody Hoffman and reflects his personality traits of “a little bit different, a little bit of zest,” Van Noy said.