Bill Belichick’s $20 Test Exposed: Denis Leary Reveals the Secret Behind ‘Draft Day’

The NFL draft has become something of a holiday for football fans — and the 2025 event starting on April 24 was no exception. During an interview on “The Rich Eisen Show” posted the same day, comedian and actor Denis Leary shared that legendary coach Bill Belichick once gave him insider advice to help prepare for his role in the 2014 film “Draft Day.”

Although “Draft Day” is a fictional story starring Kevin Costner as the Cleveland Browns’ general manager, Leary’s character — the team’s head coach — was loosely inspired by Belichick. So Leary turned to the iconic former New England Patriots coach for tips.

The Inside Secret

Over the phone, Belichick revealed a real-life tactic: after reviewing the script, he told Leary he used to slip a $20 bill into a playbook to see if a prospect actually read it.

“Tough, smart, dependable” has long been Belichick’s mantra when evaluating talent, according to CBS Sports.

In the film, the real-life $20 bill got switched for a $100 bill getting taped to the back of a playbook, a test that was given to and failed by rookie quarterback prospect Bo Callahan. 

If a player, like the fictional Callahan, returned the test playbook without mentioning the money, it is a subtle indication he did not finish reading it. Callahan not only did not take the $100 but also lied that he did read the book and knew nothing about the money. 

The film somewhat failed with a budget of $25 million and only grossing $29 million. 

Besides Leary and Costner, Jennifer Garner, Sam Elliot, Terry Crews, Diddy, and the late Chadwick Boseman made their appearances in the project.

Eisen, himself, starred in the movie too as a radio sportscaster, as he is in real life.

The film might have underperformed and was received mildly by critics, but a televised version was announced in 2024, shifting away from the NFL draft day drama and into the NBA’s.

Belichick ended his NFL head coaching career after 23 years, from 2000 to 2023, with 302-165 over 29 seasons, six Super Bowl championships, nine AFC championships, and 17 titles in that division, and he worked with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman.

He has worked within the NFL since being a special assistant for the Baltimore Colts in the 1970s. A year after ending his reign with the New England Patriots, Belichick returned to coaching this January by signing a five-year, $50 million contract to coach the University of North Carolina.