Asante Cleveland has a story about the time Patriots coach Bill Belichick called him on Christmas Day.

Perhaps, years from now, he’ll tell it to his children someday.

The story begins pleasantly enough, Cleveland recalling a “nice, warm New England winter day” while gathered around the dinner table with several Patriots teammates in 2015. His phone rang. It was an unrecognized number, one with a 508 area code.

Disclaimer: This is not a happy story.


More explanatory, really. His future kids may ask why Dad’s cell phone never rings on Dec. 25.

“Phone off on Christmas,” Cleveland said with a laugh. “It’s going to be the new rule I go with for the rest of my life. Only bad news can come. Good news will still be there the next day.”

Belichick informed the now-Chargers tight end he was cut. Cleveland excused himself from the dinner table, he said, once gaining a sense of the call’s direction. Sunday marks his first Christmas since.

As being memorable goes, last year is tough to top.


“He was like, ‘Hey Asante. It’s Belichick,’” Cleveland recounted, doing his best Belichick voice impression. “He said, ‘We’re going to have to make some roster moves.’ At that point, I knew what ‘roster moves’ means. It means I’m being moved from the roster. We needed to bring in a cornerback because we were playing the Jets.

“He said, ‘I just want to let you know this is no indication we’re moving away from you. We really like you. … We just need to make this quick transaction.’ That call ended. I said, ‘Merry Christmas.’ I don’t know if he heard me. He didn’t say it back.”

Cleveland returned to the table.

He was at center Bryan Stork’s house. Teammates asked about the call. Cleveland relayed the news, the vibe naturally shifting at the table.


Cleveland then indulged in an adult beverage because, hey, he didn’t have a team flight or work the next day. With his weekend having opened up, he spent his Saturday at an NHL game instead, watching the Boston Bruins.

The Chargers claimed him off waivers Monday before the Patriots could re-sign him. The cornerback for whom the Patriots cut Cleveland, Troy Hill, was inactive versus the Jets and cut the next Wednesday before he could log his first practice.

Cleveland said there are no hard feelings. He takes the experience as a first-hand example of the NFL’s business nature.

Still, he’ll be a difficult man to reach this Christmas Day.


“I’m going to have my phone off all day,” Cleveland said with a laugh. “He’s not going to ruin this day again for me.”

michael.gehlken@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @SDUTgehlken