“I don’t need any excuses. You’re an NFL receiver.”: When Tom Brady reamed Cyril grayson in practice to test his dependability
Tom Brady has always pushed his teammates to be their best. And Cyril Grayson was one of those fortunate enough to be able to play with the GOAT.
When you play with Tom Brady, he demands your absolute best. He is a little bit crazy. There’s no way around it. He is so dedicated to football and quarterbacking that it borders upon madness. There’s nothing else to say about it and his continued NFL career at the age of 44-years-old is a testament to it.
Tom Brady is known for not only outworking players on the field but also outworking them in the film room, the training centers and even his diet. He doesn’t eat dairy, tomatoes, pepper, mushrooms, or most fruits—“I have no desire to do that”. And there’s a reason for his teams always dominating. His insane drive to motivate his teammates to become their best versions.
And all of this has led to his unbeatable legacy. 7 Super Bowl rings. All-Time leader in Passing Yards with 79,204 yards. All-Time leader with 581 touchdowns. 3 MVP’s and many more.
.@TomBrady turns 44 today.
— More SBs than every franchise
— Beat 19 teams in playoffs
— 34 playoff wins
— No. 1 all-time TDs
— No. 2 all-time yards
— As many NFC titles as Rodgers, Brees, Ryan
— 3,039 yards in SBsFather Time is begging for mercy 🐐 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/QSqwoQlmJd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 3, 2021
Tom Brady made Cyril Grayson realise his true potential
Cyril Grayson joined the Tampa Bay Bucs practice squad last year. And in only his first season in Florida, he had Tom Brady running the show.
On the first route Grayson ran, he slipped.
“I was making excuses, and I was like, ‘Man, the ground.’ He was like, ‘It’s a perfectly laid ground.’ Just being hard on me,” Grayson said. “And then he throws me the ball that’s in the sun, and he goes, ‘Hey, I don’t need any excuses. You’re an NFL receiver.”
Grayson had never played in college and previously had only 1 NFL catch to his name. So understandably, Grayson must have felt defeated at the point.
He thought to himself, “Man, he’s being too hard on me,” Grayson said. And the Tom Brady had a few words for his WR.
He told him, “The reason I’m so hard on you is because you have this talent — I just want to pull that out of you,” Grayson recalled. “I see that in you, and I just want you to see that in yourself.”
“From that moment, I knew he felt something in me,” Grayson said.
And remarkably, 1 year later, Brady would hit Grayson with the winning 33-yard pass late in the fourth quarter of a crucial Week 17 game against the Jets.
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