HOUSTON — With a win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI on Sunday, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will add another chapter to his legacy. The 39-year-old Brady already is considered the greatest to ever play the position. If he wins Sunday, his five Super Bowl wins will be the most by any quarterback in NFL history.
There has been a lot written and said about Brady this week. Here is what some of his teammates and coaches said this week about what makes Brady so successful:
The preparation
Head coach Bill Belichick: “Tom works very hard and prepares well. He always has. He’s very diligent in his preparation. It’s not an up-and-down thing. It’s consistent every week in terms of learning the defense, learning their schemes and their players. Just getting our game plan so he knows what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. Then, getting into the situational football as we get closer to the game. He’s very smart and has a lot of experience.
“In our system he has a lot of experience against defensive coordinators, different players and different situations. He’s able to put it all together better than any player that I’ve ever coached. Putting all that together at once in just a couple of seconds of time, he has to process it once he gets the calls and gets to the line of scrimmage. I think his preparation allows him to in part do that. He has the football instincts as well. He’s a great role model for all of us. Any player and any coach. All of us.”
Cornerback Malcolm Butler: “That is a guy that comes to work, and if you did not know him, you would be like, ‘Wow, this guy really works hard.’ He really does work hard. He comes to work and he works hard like he has not accomplished anything. He always wants to win. He is a team leader, he is a great guy and he does all of those things great. Of course, he is good on the field and off the field. I am just glad he is our leader.”
Safety Duron Harmon: “He puts everything he does and everything he has into this sport. You’ve got to think about it. He’s 39 and he’s playing at a level that people wish they could play at in their prime. He puts everything into it. Practices are like games to him.
“He’s out there, he’s getting people right, he’s getting excited, he’s yelling — it’s just like a game. When you see a leader do that each and every day, it’s hard for the whole team not to try to replicate that energy, that emotion. I would say he definitely helps drive this team.”
The practice perfectionist
Harmon: “It has helped a lot just going against him. My opinion — I mean, does it really matter — I think he’s the greatest quarterback ever, but for him to go out there and to be able to not only practice against him, but be able to talk to him after practice and being able to see what he’s seeing, like: Why did you throw that ball? What did you see from me that made you go here? Being able to have that type of context, that conversation with him has really allowed me to evolve and become a better player and a smarter player at the same time.”
Linebacker Dont’a Hightower: “It’s been a big part to us this year. Again, like we say, we have the best quarterback in the league, we go up against him every day. Going up against the best definitely helps prepare for others. And in a lot of senses, it makes practice a lot harder before you even get to the games. We just have a great look at that every day.”
Cornerback Logan Ryan: “It’s extremely competitive and that makes him him. I don’t know the reason. I don’t want to say it’s because of the draft or whatever it may be. I’m sure it was his whole life. The guy’s a true winner, he brings it every day and he’ll continue to bring it every day. He challenges me daily and if I don’t step up, he’s going to embarrass [me]. So really I think it just makes us go out there and not be afraid of anything and compete.”
The leadership
Wide receiver Danny Amendola: “He demands a lot. He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s our team leader. He gets us all going. He gets us playing hard and he’s the reason why we play so hard. The guy comes in the building every day with next-level focus and intensity. He brings the team up. It’s cool to have a leader like that.”
Running back LeGarrette Blount: “He’s an amazing teammate. He’s a great supporter and he’s very energetic. He can get anybody going in a matter of seconds. If he needs to light that fire, he knows exactly what to do and what to say in order to get that lit so you can play your best game.”
Safety Devin McCourty: “I think he is a big reason for our closeness. You ask him about all of that stuff, he doesn’t really care. I think, for him, it’s being a part of this individual team. I think he’s able to break it up and enjoy each team he’s won Super Bowls with, but I think right now for him, this individual team has had a great journey. He’s happy to be a part of it. He’s happy to lead us. He’s trying to do what’s best for this team. I don’t think he lumps them together and thinks about his history and all of that.
“I mean, for us as players, it’s a great opportunity. It’s an honor to be able to practice with him, to learn from him, talk to him — just a guy who’s been a great student in the game who has been able to have longevity and play at a high level for so many years. I know, for me playing safety, always being able to talk to him — he beats me on a play in practice, I ask him about it after, he always explains himself. He’s really helped my career and I’ve been able to learn from him. It’s just cool and I’m honored to be a part of his success.”
Fullback James Develin: “Tom is just an everyday guy. He’s a really good person and is a real person. I think a lot of times Tom gets put on this pedestal because of the success he’s had and the status that he’s achieved during his time in the NFL. He’s just a true gentleman. I remember the first day that I showed up to work with the Patriots, he was one of the first people to come over and introduce himself to me. I think that really spoke to the level of respect he has for his teammate. He’s just a true gentleman.”
The talent
Ryan: “His accuracy. His precision. He knows where to go with the ball. He’s not out there just guessing and throwing it to guys. A lot of guys get tips and bad balls thrown right to them, and he’s not going to give you those. So, you have to earn them. If you’re going to get Tom, you’ve got to work for it and it’s very, extremely hard to do.”
Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Brady’s weaknesses: “At least he hasn’t shown me yet. I’m still trying to find those.”
Safety Patrick Chung: “Ninety-eight percent of his throws, you know [are on target]. Sometimes you’re like, ‘You know, it’s Tom Brady.’ You can’t defend it sometimes.”
The competitor
Center David Andrews: “I think it makes you more competitive when you see someone like him get upset about something small. You realize all the little things do matter if someone like that is upset because he messed up something so minor or whatever it may be. I think he is just a great leader even when he is not saying something. It’s just the way he carries himself.”
Wide receiver Julian Edelman, a college quarterback: “I idolized the way he played the game. There were quarterbacks at the time in the league that got all the accolades, that did all the yards, that were drafted high. But they never won like Tom, they never had that competitive edge like Tom. I always felt like you want to play with a guy like that.”