FOXBORO — On the surface, they are the oddest of couples.

On one hand, there’s the flamboyant Chad Ochocinco — the attention-seeking wide receiver and reality TV star who lives his life in the public eye, using Twitter as just another tool in communicating with the masses.

And on the other hand, there’s Bill Belichick — an old-school coach who loves to disappear once the football season ends and can’t hide his disdain for social networking (he mockingly referred to Twitter and “MyFace” in his Wednesday afternoon press conference).

But the relationship between the Patriots’ coach and Cincinnati wide receiver has evolved over the years into a genuine friendship, cemented by their passion for the game of football. (Check out this clip from “Hard Knocks” last year, which took place before a Patriots-Bengals preseason game at Gillette.)

Belichick said the two initially met when he worked Ochocinco out on the USC campus back in 2001.

“[We] kind of ran him into the ground — it was a good workout. It was very impressive,” Belichick said. “He was, I’d say, a little raw coming out of college, but very talented and clearly he made the transition very quickly to picking up the skills and techniques and so forth, that maybe he didn’t get a chance to do in college. He picked those up in a hurry.”

Despite the fact that the Patriots passed on him in the 2001 draft — New England picked Richard Seymour with the sixth overall selection and didn’t have another choice until No. 48 overall, while Ochocinco, then known as Chad Johnson, went to the Bengals with the 36th overall pick — the two stayed in touch through Keyshawn Johnson.

“[He’s] related to Keyshawn, so we kind of stayed in touch with him through the years there,” Belichick said, “and then got to spend some time with him a couple years ago out there at the Pro Bowl.”

That coaching experience at the 2006 Pro Bowl was a new experience for Belichick, who took the opportunity to cultivate relationships with several players across the league, including Adalius Thomas, LaDainian Tomlinson and Ed Reed. In addition, that’s where the relationship between Belichick and Ochocinco went to a whole new level.

“It became a relationship beyond just a football player and a coach. He became a friend of mine,” Ochocinco said of their experience at the Pro Bowl together. “He has a lot of respect for me in my game and I have a lot of respect for him in everything he’s done as a coach.

“We just became really close and fond of each other’s work. He’s one that I look up to tremendously, one that I’ve never played for, but I show the same respect as if he was my own head coach.”

A relationship with someone like Ochocinco isn’t completely out of character for Belichick. Over the years, he has cultivated a unique set of acquaintances, including the late David Halberstam, musician Jon Bon Jovi and comedian Lenny Clarke.

In that context, a relationship with a character like Ochocinco makes a lot of sense.

“I like Chad — I like him as a player. I like him as a person,” Belichick said. “I like his enthusiasm and the fun he has with football, and I like how he competes on the football field. I have a lot of respect for that.

“[We’re] an odd couple, but in the end I think we have a lot of things in common.”

Like all good friends, the two aren’t afraid of a little trash-talking. Belichick and the Patriots have defeated Ochocinco and the Bengals three of the four times the two teams have met since the receiver entered the league in 2001. In all four of those games, Ochocinco has struggled — against Belichick-led defenses, he’s averaged 3.5 catches and 49 yards per game with one touchdown. (Not bad numbers, but for a elite receiver like Ochocinco, definitely below his career averages of 5 catches and 75 yards per game.)

However, that hasn’t stopped the receiver from jabbing the Patriots (and Darius Butler) a little earlier this week. On Wednesday, Ochocinco said he fully expects New England to double-team him.

“Of course, nothing is going to change. He’s done the same thing every time I’ve played the Patriots since I’ve been in the NFL,” Ochocinco said. “I don’t think it’s going to change this time, either.”

“Chad and I have gotten into it before, but in the end it all comes down to what happens on Sunday out on the field,” Belichick said. “We’ll do our best; I’m sure he’ll do his best and we’ll see what happens.”