The message emblazoned on Cam Newton’s game-worn gear might have been obscure to many fans. “Peace for Armenians,” read the cleats worn last month by the New England Patriots quarterback. But it was just the latest gesture of international advocacy by a team famous for its hyperfocus on football, made in support of an employee who operates mostly behind the scenes.
Berj Najarian’s title with the Patriots is director of football/head coach administration, but for the length of Bill Belichick’s tenure in New England he could be just as accurately called the coach’s right-hand man. Najarian’s broad duties entail being “the point person for day-to-day operations of the team” and “a liaison across football and non-football departments,” according to the Patriots website.