Eliciting emotion from Bill Belichick typically is a fool’s errand.

But ask him about his dad, Steve Belichick, and the New England Patriots head coach suddenly is a misty-eyed open book.

Among his many accomplishments, Belichick’s father was a World War II veteran and an assistant football coach at at the United States Naval Academy for 34 years. It’s a legacy that’s near and dear to Belichick, and one that will be explored in “The Belichick Legacy,” a special airing Thursday night on CBS Sports Network.

In a clip released ahead of the piece’s debut, Belichick gets uncharacteristically emotional while talking about some of the memories he has of his father.

The Belichick Legacy. Tonight at 9pm ET on @CBSSportsNet. pic.twitter.com/cERjaT8HDL — New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 7, 2017

Powerful stuff.

Belichick, of course, isn’t the heartless robot many portray him to be. Still, seeing him crying is jarring nevertheless.

“The Belichick Legacy” airs Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET.