These are dark days for the Rutgers football program. Interim head coach Nunzio Campanile is staring at a 1-11 record if the Scarlet Knights lose out. So why is one of the NFL’s biggest winners continuing to collect former Rutgers players?

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the guy with eight Super Bowl rings, traded for Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu on Monday. Yes, Sanu gives quarterback Tom Brady another weapon on offense. It also gives the Patriots their fourth Rutgers alum on their roster.

Sanu joins ex-Scarlet Knights Devin and Jason McCourty and Duron Harmon in New England. And don’t forget that before the Rutgers reunion rumors started, former head coach Greg Schiano was lined up to be the Patriots’ defensive coordinator this season.

Belichick has had several other ex-Rutgers players pass through Foxborough during his two decades with the Patriots, including Logan Ryan, Kenny Britt, Jonathan Freeny and Tiquan Underwood.

That led the Boston Globe to ask the question ... what’s the deal with Belichick’s love of Rutgers?

“I would say it’s two things — smart and tough,” Harmon said over the phone Monday night ... We’re all smart football players who understand what we’re trying to do,” said Harmon. “Coach Schiano did a good job of preparing us, not just playing football, but being smart as a whole. And also being tough. Devin and Jason hardly miss any games. We’re dependable. In the big-time moments, making big plays in big games. Mo [Sanu] has done that. I think Coach Schiano drove mental toughness into us at Rutgers, dependable not just in the fourth quarter, but in the two-minute drive to win the game. From that standpoint, coming from Rutgers made the transition easier. That pipeline was built.”

The Boston Globe also talked to Rick Mantz, Rutgers’ director of high school relations. Mantz coached Sanu in high school and directed him to Schiano at Rutgers. “He could identify talent, and secondly he knew how to push and develop,” Mantz said. “Bill knows that. Bill was around the program and spent time with Greg to know that kids coming out of our program at that time were NFL-ready.”

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Belichick’s love for Rutgers is a family thing. His son Steve, who is the Patriots’ secondary/safeties coach, played lacrosse at Rutgers, giving dad Bill a reason to be on campus to strike up conversations with Schiano. And Bill Belichick has never been afraid to shower Schiano with praise, according to the Boston Globe. “The most impressive thing for me is the way that our players, which we’ve had a lot of Rutgers players come through here, the loyalty and the, I would say, love of the program for years and years after they had left,” Belichick said. “Not taking anything away from any other school, but I would just say that it’s extremely strong. I think the relationship that he has with his kids, with his players, and how well-prepared his players are to come into this league is exceptional.”

“He’s a guy that’s tough as nails," Jason McCourty told the Boston Globe. "The thing with Coach Schiano is you’re going to respect the heck out of him because of his work ethic, just a guy that demands the most out of you. You’re not going to be there and not work hard.”

Hard work is a cornerstone of Belichick’s coaching legacy. He constantly preaches his players to do their jobs. Sounds like that’s nothing new for the Rutgers alums on the Patriots.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.