A defining trait of every top competitor is their ability to take feedback and improve, and Tom Brady is all about that. He did the same thing as a fourth-string QB in Boston, and now, he’s applying the same mindset in post-retirement in the Fox booth.
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Of late, Brady has been under scrutiny for his amateur broadcasting performance during the recently concluded NFC Championship game. Even before that, NFL fans hadn’t been pleased with his debut commentary game in September last year. However, true to his competitive nature, TB12 has taken all of the criticisms to heart and has vowed to refine his craft — after what can be described as a relatively rocky rookie year in the booth.
In the first edition of his 199 newsletter, Brady reflected on his debut broadcasting game between the Browns and Cowboys, admitting that, during those few hours of commentary, he was struck by how little he truly understood about football. Hearing this from the GOAT’s mouth seems unreal. But as TB12 noted, his quarterbacking role meant that he primarily focused on learning passing systems and defensive coverage.
But, being a commentator requires a holistic understanding of the game to make spontaneous observations. As a result, Brady found himself struggling with delivery and confidence, admitting that he had trouble processing all the information bombarding his cerebrum.
Despite these setbacks, the Patriots legend remains hopeful. He believes he did “okay” so far as a rookie.
“This, really, was my first big test in that first Cowboys-Browns game: could I say what I needed to say? All in all, I think I did okay for a rookie. (I survived, which is the important thing.) Media critics and online commentators, however, thought I sounded nervous, or timid… Which I guess is true, because all of the information that was assaulting my senses every forty seconds had the effect of separating my mind from my mouth. It was too much… “
Brady has, however, found ways to tackle the woes he faced on his first day. And it’s exactly how he approached things in New England after getting drafted.
Practice Practice Practice — Tom Brady’s mantra to get better
Despite not being the most naturally gifted athlete in the NFL, Tom Brady became the GOAT due to his relentless drive to succeed. Whenever he encountered failure in New England, even during practice, he would go back to the drawing board and start fresh. For his Fox stint, Brady applied the same approach to overcome the challenge of information overload — relying on his proven method of hard practice and preparation.
“The god’s honest truth is that, like with anything complicated, the key to comfort and competence is just more reps,” wrote Brady.
And, as he began working on his delivery, the seven-time Super Bowl winner soon discovered a blueprint for spontaneous communication — by not getting fixated on instinctual responses.
Removing this mental constraint allowed Brady to observe his chain of thoughts from the outside rather than be a part of it. This key trait allowed Brady to pick his thoughts well and also let him know when to take pauses.
“And not unlike narrating to the blindfolded, with more reps in the booth, I understand that the trick is in figuring out what to say first, then second, then third (and then when to stop talking) in each moment, so that the game I’m describing feels like a richer version of the game you are watching on TV at home.”
The last piece of advice that helped Brady improve his broadcasting came from his mentor, who let him know that the benchmark of a good performance in the booth is directly proportional to the fun he had while commentating. Since receiving this suggestion mid-season, Brady has been having a blast in the booth.
“One thing that helped me get to that place was a piece of advice I got from a mentor of mine, who told me about half-way through the season that if I felt confident and I had fun during a broadcast, I probably did a pretty good job…”
The GOAT then ended this chain of thought with a straightforward prediction — “I am fired up and ready to kill it for Super Bowl LIX down in New Orleans come February 9th”.
It looks like we have one more reason to get hyped for the Super Bowl this week!
