Tom Brady may be synonymous with the NFL and its record books, but the legendary quarterback doesn’t appreciate the hype around individual achievements. Especially since it’s a team sport. Every player on a roster plays a crucial role—this is essentially his motto. While discussing the current football scene with his former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the 47-year-old expanded on this viewpoint.
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On the latest episode of ‘Let’s Go,’ the panelists pointed out how the Cincinnati Bengals have several record-holding players right now. In response, Brady explained why that doesn’t matter.
“Well, you’re looking at a lot of individual statistics and we love individual statistics. But out of all the sports I’ve watched, football is the ultimate team sport.”
Brady further emphasized that the sport requires equal contribution from all its members, coaches included.
“There is no one individual in football. There is no one coach, there is not one player that can get a team to win against a team that’s got 53 guys acting together.”
The Patriots legend also highlighted the importance of special teams, quoting how he has witnessed many games come down to the field goal blocks recently. Even a position that isn’t often discussed, like the field goal protection unit, can be crucial in securing a win for the team. Brady then shared his own experience trying out defense under Belichick before reiterating:
“So this is a team sport I hate when people try to make this about every individual.”
On a side note, Brady also described his former Patriots coach as the “best coach in the world,” a reminder of their golden days in New England. Despite the coach’s record plummeting afterward and rumors around a tiff, the quarterback has always credited the success to Belichick.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s rumored tiff
The Patriots were creating history with back-to-back Super Bowl wins and breaking multiple records, that is, until Brady decided to look for another scenery. After the quarterback’s departure on March 17, 2020, New England could not achieve the same heights again.
The league’s most winningest coach failed to recreate his magic and his record fell from .769 to .449. Brady, on the other hand, won the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in his first year there — before ultimately hanging up his cleats. So, why did Brady leave, and why didn’t the Patriots stop him?
The main argument many bring up is that things went awry between Brady and Belichick before they parted ways. However, time and again, the quarterback has been vocal about his admiration for his coach.
During his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this year, Brady cleared the air once and for all. Calling Belichick “an incredible leader and coach” the ex-QB shared how he would give his best on the field, each day, knowing that his coach would do the same on the sideline. He further clarified:
“And I think that’s why I respected his coaching so much. Toward the later part of my career, I really think there was so much people trying to create some division that some of it – most of it – was untrue. But it’s just the way the world works.”
Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick of the 2000 Draft, has become the greatest underdog story in the NFL. And while not many will accept it, Belichick has played an important part in turning him into the seven-time Super Bowl winner we know today.
