Former President Donald Trump didn’t plan to invite Alabama Senate hopeful Katie Britt to meet with him at Mar-a-Lago this month. He already had his man in the race — conservative firebrand Mo Brooks — and wasn’t keen on endorsing a second candidate, despite briefly considering it amid frustrations with Brooks’ dull performance so far.

But then Trump got to talking with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick at his annual Super Bowl party, and their conversation turned to the contentious GOP primary in Alabama.

“Belichick coached Wesley Britt and said positive things about the couple when they got to talking about the race,” said a person familiar with their conversation. (Katie Britt’s husband spent four years as an offensive lineman for New England.)

Days later, Trump invited Katie Britt to visit him at his Palm Beach estate while she was in town for a donor event with other MAGA-aligned candidates. Politico was first to report their meeting last week.