Tom Brady retired as the greatest to ever do it, but back during the dynasty’s early days, he was just a young buck who got picked 199th in the draft. Sure, he won the first franchise Super Bowl in his first year as a starter, but he had much to prove, not only to his teammates but also to himself. It’s natural to be tempted by fame, but that didn’t happen to Brady because it was his early teammates who kept him grounded.
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Ty Law, one of the greatest CBs in the Patriots’ history, who also played by Tom Brady’s side for three years, recently sat down with former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman on his Games with Names podcast. They delved into Brady’s early days and his development, which eventually made him the GOAT.
Law asserted that the 7-time Super Bowl winner had, from the beginning, a willingness to learn, respect for the process, and didn’t let his ego come in his way. The former CB stated that even after winning a Lombardi on his first try and becoming a household name in the league, Tom didn’t let that get to his head, and came back more hungry and assertive. He didn’t let that stardom get into his willingness to put in work.
Surprisingly, Law even asserted that they didn’t let Tom Brady get comfortable and gave him a hard time in practice because he had yet to gain their trust. And one could very well argue that it paved the way for the star QB to become one of the greatest.
“From the time that he won the Super Bowl and became this big phenomenon and everything that had happened and transpired during the season, he came in the next season, with a different type of confidence, he didn’t let the fame get to his head to where he wasn’t willing to put in that work. And he did that because we gave him a hard time; because we didn’t trust (him) yet. (He) just got here. Yes, (he was) our teammate, but it was our job to talk shit every time in practice and throw it back in (his) face.”
Trash-talking was part of the Patriots’ culture. That’s how they motivated each other, and no player was safe from it. However, Vrabel mastered it and never missed an opportunity to get under someone’s skin.
Ty Law Reveals the Toughest Talker in the Patriots Locker Room
Subsequently, Law revealed that everyone trash-talked in the locker room, and there was no exception for Tom Brady. He was always kept on his toes. The former cornerback asserted that while everyone was bantering kings of their own, including Willie McGeneist and Bruschi, former Titans Coach Mike Vrabel was the biggest heckler of them all.
Vrabel took trash-talking to a different level and didn’t hold back. Nothing was off-limits for him and sometimes he even took things to a personal level, dissing his teammate’s family members. He would meander around the line but never crossed it. That’s how he got the best out of his teammates. However, he was also the kind of teammate who passed drinks and liquor around when it was cold.
This type of camaraderie is what the Patriot’s Way was all about. Keep each other motivated and accountable in any way possible so you don’t slack off. This propelled them to success, something that the documentary failed to highlight.
