Like many football players today, Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell idolized Tom Brady. Coupled with that, when O’Connell burst onto the NFL scene last year, comparisons were rife between him and Brady. So it’s no surprise that the Purdue alum was in awe when he first came face to face with the GOAT.
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Brady, who has been in pursuit of owning a piece of the Raiders met their rookie prospect multiple times last year. As expected, the seven-time Super Bowl winner served as an inspiration for O’Connell as the former used to share his wisdom and experience in their meetings. Speaking on Maxx Crosby’s podcast “The Rush”, O’Connell opened up about how he felt meeting his idol, calling it a dream come true:
“l’ve seen him a few times last year and it was crazy you know. It was meeting the guy that I tried to model my game after, that l was such a huge fan for a long time and to get to hear him talk about obviously the offense I was in last year to him talk about it he was in for 20 years whatever it was awesome, dream come true.”
Explaining exactly what enamored him about Brady, O’Connell credited the GOAT’s sheer perseverance and his desire to win, as he said,
“I think just his desire to win and that really bleeds into all aspects of your life. I think that’s why l loved it cuz you know, a six round pick to do what he did and you know to struggle to find a way to start and then to come in and start with the Super Bowl like… just to see this like in the documentaries, to see his journey…”
The Raiders QB feels inspired by Brady’s initial bullying as a sixth-round pick to eventually having the career he had due to sheer self-belief. Brady has never been known for having byzantine processes and O’Connell adores that about the Patriots legend. Add to that the reliability factor, and it makes perfect sense why the Raiders QB feels so inspired by TB12.
Apart from being a similarly low-round pick, Aidan, like Brady, was surprisingly made the starter mid-season. Their playing style was similar to being heavily passing-reliant thanks to their inherent lack of mobility. It is also no surprise that the former Patriots QB was happy to connect with O’Connell, as he has always been happy to share knowledge with his juniors. As seen recently during his brunch with the latest QB class.
Tom Brady Inspires The NFL Draft Class Of 2024
Last Sunday saw Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin arrange a brunch date for the stars of the NFL 2024 draft with Tom Brady and rap mogul Jay Z. The preseason brunch served as a motivation for the rookies entering into the glitzy world of the NFL as Brady shared what made him the GOAT.
For starters, the seven-time Super Bowl winner revealed the importance of treating every practice seriously. Brady revealed that he treated every single day like it was the Super Bowl, eventually making the Super Bowl seem like any other day to him.
Similarly, TB12 also advised youngsters to not get swayed by the trending currents of social media. The virtual world makes stars, not champions and Brady thus urged the rookies to focus on the team.
“And the biggest problem I see with a lot of the young players today: You guys are making it too much about I and me because of social media, because of branding and all that. It’s fine. You’re not going to win…”
An athlete’s legacy is measured by the impact he has left on the next generation of players and fans. Safe to say, Tom Brady is inspiring and leaving an incredible legacy to match up for the next generation.
