“I Didn’t Use to Like Tom Brady Until…”: Patriots DE Talks About His First Impressions of TB12

In the NFL, being the best at what you do naturally draws hate from rival fanbases. Most of that hate stems from watching their teams lose clutch moments against you — and no one delivered in the clutch like Tom Brady. Week after week, he picked apart elite defenses, which is why he ended up with more haters than fans over the years.

The Eagles may have gotten their revenge in the 2018 Super Bowl, but Philly fans and players surely weren’t fond of the Patriots quarterback either, including now-Patriots DE Milton Williams.

Born and raised in Crowley, Texas, and having spent four years in Philly, Williams only saw the worst of Brady. In his recent sit-down on the Who Cares?! Podcast, he even admitted that he initially didn’t use to like the star quarterback. “I didn’t use to like him,” he said.

But as he continued to learn the game over the years, his perspective shifted. “Until I really started understanding the game and really everything that comes with playing quarterback,” he added, explaining what changed his view of TB12.

After learning what a quarterback goes through in practice and film sessions, and just how hard it is to play the position, it changed Williams’ entire perspective on how he used to view the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

“He gotta know everybody’s job, he gotta see everything, he gotta know every call, he gotta make all the adjustments, he gotta get everybody on the same page, while he’s running from people like me. At the end, he gotta make sure he gets the ball out on time. You know that’s a lot to do.”

But it wasn’t just that. Doing all of that work takes a toll on a quarterback’s body and mind, but to keep it up for so many years, even into his 40s, was an epic feat that even legends can’t always pull off.

“He did it [as] one of the best for a long time. If they had the opportunity to win the game at the end, you just knew that he was just gonna make every throw and make every play to go down to the field goal range to score a touchdown and win.”

#Patriots DL Milton Williams’ thoughts on Tom Brady:

“I didn’t used to like him until I really started understanding the game… If they had an opportunity to win the game at the end, you knew that he was just gon’ make every throw, make every play…”

(🎥 Who Cares?! Podcast) pic.twitter.com/tGZpIpWhHP

— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) July 12, 2025

One can look at Aaron Rodgers and draw conclusions. Someone so accurate and with unmatched arm strength for most of his career suddenly looks average in his 40s. Injuries certainly play a big part in that, but keeping the body in top shape while holding a team together that late into a career isn’t for everyone, unless of course, your name is Tom Brady.