Tom Brady is talking more than ever before now that he’s traded in his helmet and shoulder pads for a media microphone.
When appearing on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on Wednesday, the former New England Patriots quarterback was asked if the team felt drained on the eve of game nights on Saturdays, after a full week of game prepping under former coach Bill Belichick.
It’s no secret that Belichick was a stickler for details with a hard-nosed coaching style. Did that ever have a negative impact on Brady before games?
“I think the answer would be no, and I think that’s where Bill was actually so great,” said Brady. “And no one saw him in those moments like we did. On Saturday night, we were so prepared and so focused, we were the opposite of tight.
“We were always relaxed because we had the answers to the test. Let’s say we had 150 calls on the call sheet. There was a squad meeting at 8:00. I would meet with the quarterbacks starting at 6:30 and the offensive coordinator. We’d go through every single play on the call sheet.”
Bill Belichick always had @TomBrady and the Patriots ready to go:
"Saturday night we were always so prepared and so focused. We were the opposite of tight. We were always relaxed." pic.twitter.com/RFgWdY7ctc
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 19, 2024
Not only did Brady say he went through every play on the call sheet, but he also went through every potential counter to each play.
“The Patriot Way” wasn’t magic in a bottle. There are no secrets or shortcuts to the sort of success New England had without hard work. Brady and Belichick simply outworked their opponents, and it showed every time they were on the football field.
Everyone sees the six Super Bowls, but no one ever saw the work it took to get there.