Tom Brady's secret skill
Tom Brady played in his ninth Super Bowl on Sunday and added a sixth ring to his collection after the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13 to 3 in a game that was heavy on defensive for both teams. Even so, the QB shined reminding fans of his humble roots, going from the 199th pick in the NFL Draft to one of the greatest athlete of all-time.
Brady’s play on the field is well documented and his numbers are historic. The country has watched him grow as a player since 2001 and he’s gotten even better with age. Brady could have two HOF careers, 2001-2007 and 2007-2018. And let's not forget his better half, Giselle.
Tom Brady (L) and Gisele Bundchen arrive for the 2018 Met Gala
(Photo:ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)
Complementing the GOAT’s athletic skill is his ability to lead on and off the field, according to some of his current and former teammates.
BRADY IS A BORN LEADER
Brady has been a leader for the Patriots since his first start. Troy Brown, former New England Patriots wide receiver, was asked when he knew Brady was going to be great.
“When Tom came to the huddle in Super Bowl 36,” Brown said. “He was calm and said 'let’s go win this.' I could see it in his eyes and I knew we were going to win.”The Pats did drive down the field to win, just as Brown thought after seeing Brady’s leadership in the huddle. He was young back then, trying to lead players older than him. Brady recently has been dealt a new challenge: leading players who are much younger than himself, and he’s done it for years now. This year in particular is amazing, with no teammates being over 15 years old when Brady won his first ring. Brady is just a born leader, and he’s found a way to reach every teammate, young or old.
PLAYERS TALKING TOM TERRIFIC
As New England is preparing for another Super Bowl, players are raving about Brady. New England Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty puts it best on why Brady is such a great leader: “After the game, you see Tom’s excited to celebrate with the offense, with the defense, with the special team’s guys.” McCourty continues, “Obviously for a guy like Tom, this guy is the GOAT, you’ve seen him do it so many times that sometimes you take it for granted.”
The way Brady knows everyone from Gronk to practice squad players is truly amazing. Brady’s leadership quality is overlooked nationally, but not by his teammates. One player who’s spent the least amount of time with Brady is safety Obi Melifonwu, who grew up a Patriots fan and is now a teammate of Tom’s, describes his quarterback: “He’s such a great leader. I can’t even say enough about his character and the type of guy he is, on and off the field. He’s the type of guy you want to play for.”
LEADING NEW PLAYERS, YOUNG PLAYERS OR VETS…NO PROBLEM
Another new teammate offensive tackle Trent Brown: “He’s a great leader and it trickles down to the rest of the team.” Brown also said there’s one word that sums up all of Brady’s accomplishments: “There’s one word, GOAT, that’s it.”
Josh McDaniels said: “Brady is the first guy in the building to know a person’s name.” Tom Brady is a living legend, yet somehow finds a way to connect with every player. Phillip Dorsett said: “We all know he’s much older than everyone in the locker room, but we do what we can to keep him young.”
The living legend was asked how he connects with every player so well: “I just play the role I can given the person and what I think they need at the moment.” Brady added: “It could be rookie. It could be a veteran.”
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The age gap this year is as big as it’s ever been, and Brady has mastered the art of relating to different generations.
Being a leader isn’t just about winning, it’s about being relatable, taking time to get to know your teammates, and no one’s ever done it better than Tom Brady.
*This is an excerpt from ‘Tom Brady – the Greatest Leader in Sports History’ originally published on BostonSportsExtra.com. It has been edited for length and clarity. The original version was updated on 2/4/19.