5 things we learned about Tom Brady from his latest ESPN interview
Though the newest version of Madden NFL has been dubbed the “G.O.A.T Edition,” cover athlete Tom Brady still doesn’t think he’s earned that moniker—even after winning five Super Bowl championships.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Ian O’Connor, Brady explained why he doesn’t think he’s surpassed Joe Montana as the greatest player of all time, revealed his goal is to play until he’s 45, and shared that his love for football “consumes” him.
Here are five things we learned about TB12 from the pair’s conversation:
1. 45 is his target age for retirement before re-evaluating.
“I always said my mid-40s and naturally that means around 45. If I get there and I still feel like I do today, I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to continue.”
“I think 45 is a pretty good number for right now. I know the effort it takes to be 40. … My love for the sport will never go away. I don’t think at 45 it will go away. At some point, everybody moves on. Some people don’t do it on their terms. I feel I want it to be on my terms. I’ve got to make appropriate choices on how to do that, how to put myself in the best position to reach my long-term goals.”
2. He still won’t entertain the idea that he’s replaced his childhood idol, Joe Montana, as the GOAT.
“I don’t agree with that, and I’ll tell you why. I know myself as a player. I’m really a product of what I’ve been around, who I was coached by, what I played against, in the era I played in. I really believe if a lot of people were in my shoes they could accomplish the same kinds of things. So I’ve been very fortunate. … I don’t ever want to be the weak link.”
3. He’s feels very much connected to his past football teams.
“I was the backup quarterback on an 0-8 team in my freshman year of high school. I got to Michigan, I was seventh [string], and I had a hard time getting to be No. 2, and when I finally got to No. 1 there was someone else [Drew Henson] they wanted to be No. 1. I got to be a sixth-round pick behind a great player, Drew Bledsoe, and then I got an opportunity, and I’m still trying to take advantage of it. Part of who I am now is very much who I was, and that was cultivated growing up.”
4. He’s always been competitive in everything in does, including golf and surfing.
Per Joe Hession, Brady’s high school JV football coach: “He comes off as a mellow guy where you don’t see that drive, that competitiveness, until you get him on the field. He’d say when we golfed, ‘Yeah, let’s go hit a few balls,’ and then once you start playing, he’s trying to win every hole. Same thing with surfing. We’d pull up and he’d start asking questions. ‘Where’s the swell coming from? How do you catch the biggest wave?’ He’s 15 years old and I’m teaching him to surf and I’m like, ‘Tom, just get on your wet suit.'”
5. He wants ring No. 6 for his teammates.
“The great part is the next one for me is No. 6, and I’m not on No. 1. I’m trying to reach No. 6 and I’m on No. 5. If I got to No. 6, that would have great meaning to me. It’s not trying to keep up with my idols. It’s not Magic, Jeter, Mariano [Rivera], Kobe, Duncan, guys more my age who I always admired. I just want to win because I owe it to my teammates. I’m working this year like I have none, and hopefully it results in a magical season.”
Read O’Connor’s complete interview with Brady here.
