Belichick wasn't the only one to praise Judge, as numerous players and coaches who have worked with him in the past have gone on record to commend him.

"Joe is a coach I have a lot of respect for after working alongside him for seven seasons. He has great attention to detail and leaves no stone unturned in his preparation. His units were always well-coached and among the best in the league. I wish him success in New York." – Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores, who spent seven seasons working with Judge in New England from 2012-2018

"Joe and I worked together for three years when he was an assistant at Alabama. He was high energy, had great attention to detail, and was always wanting to learn more about all aspects of the game. He's been recognized for a while as an up and coming coach and I think the Giants are a great fit for him and he's a great fit for the Giants." – University of Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart, who spent three seasons with Judge at the University of Alabama from 2009-2011

"It has been a real joy working with Joe over the past eight years. Joe's commitment, work ethic and love for the game are incredible. His intelligence and knowledge of the game set him apart. We have shared many personal and professional mountaintop experiences together. I'm thankful for the time he coached me and know that without his contributions my personal NFL experience would not have been the same. I wish him nothing but the best moving forward. He will always have a fan in me." – Patriots Special Teamer Matthew Slater

"I'm not surprised at all [that Judge is pursuing a PhD in education]. Joe is such a smart guy, having been around him for all these years now. He knows so much about so many different things. He's really committed himself to his craft here, but it doesn't surprise me that he would want to continue to acquire knowledge and advance himself." – Slater

"There's no coach in this building that works harder to prepare himself. Obviously, coach Bill Belichick shows an excellent example, but Joe is always prepared no matter what he's doing, whether he's in our room with the kicking group or the receivers. … You're really getting a chance to see his football knowledge and his love of the game in his new role." – Slater

"Joe does a great job. Joe works hard. I don't know if Joe ever leaves the building. I think he's going to do a great job handling both (special teams and wide receivers). With special teams, you're used to handling a lot of stuff and moving parts with everyone on the team anyway. I'm wishing him good luck, and I don't think it will change the way that we interact." – Patriots Kicker Stephen Gostowski

"It's my first new coach. Joe Judge is a very passionate guy, he works very hard at his craft, it's exciting to have him and he's been doing a good job. I'm excited to have him." – Patriots Wide Receiver Julian Edelman

"(He's) really, really, really, really detail-oriented. I think that's good for us, because he breaks down everything for us. Obviously, he's learning on the fly, but he's doing a really good job as it comes to detailing everything. I think it's helping us because we have a lot of younger guys who need the detail." – Patriots Wide Receiver Phillip Dorsett