The Patriots coach and ESPN broadcaster discuss their crafts at a lecture to honor the memory of a late Brown student.

01:00 AM EDT on Friday, April 16, 2004

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Two giants in their chosen fields united at Brown University last night to give some insight on how to navigate the road to success. Or even find it.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and ESPN's Chris Berman were the guest speakers at the Casey Shearer Memorial Lecture.

The event was light on football news, heavy on inspirational messages as the two addressed a crowd of mostly students.

"It's a home game, man," Berman growled upon entering the auditorium. Berman, a 1977 Brown graduate, was scheduled to be the lone speaker for the event but he "dragged" Belichick along. Berman will return the favor Monday by speaking at Belichick's alma mater, Wesleyan.

Belichick gave a nod to strides being made by wide receiver Chas Gessner, a 2003 Brown graduate. He also mentioned that, as he recruits on college campuses each spring, one of the most important things he looks for in players is passion.

"We want to know how much they want to play football," Belichick explained. "Not just be a football player and be on ESPN, but will they do all the things necessary to improve their skills?"

During a question-and-answer period, Belichick was asked if free agency and the frequent roster turnover in the NFL hampered rivalries.

"It's like college," he said. "New people come in, old people leave, but the teams remain. Brown doesn't like Princeton. New people come in and you still don't like Princeton. We hate the Jets. That doesn't change."

Belichick also cracked wise when asked about his plans for the Patriots' irst pick in the draft a week from Saturday, Belichick smiled and said, "We'll probably trade."

Asked if Ty Law would be with the team next season, Belichick said, "Are you a correspondent for The (Boston) Globe? What, are you kidding me? I'm not going to talk about that."

The event is held annually to honor the memory of Casey Shearer, who died after collapsing while playing basketball in May 2000 just days before his commencement.

Shearer, who interned at ESPN, was a talented writer with a passion for sports, and five Brown students were given writing awards last night with that in mind.