© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Former Buccaneers Offensive Lineman Recalls Tom Brady Incentive in Tampa Bay
If you played well blocking for Tom Brady, he was sure to reward you for it.
The Tom Brady era for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was great for fans, resulting in a Super Bowl and two subsequent playoff runs. And apparently, if you were one of his offensive linemen, it was great for you, too.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Ali Marpet recently spoke on the Wam Bam podcast in December, and while doing so, dropped an interesting anecdote. At one point during his tenure with Tom Brady, Brady grew weary of the team's unsuccessful screen game and pulled the linemen to the side to give them some extra incentive.
“[Brady] took our starting offensive line to the side and he’s like, ‘Hey, if you guys can get a screen to go for more than 15 yards, I will give you $1,000 cash each,'" Marpet said. "‘That is for you guys; so every time that we get that, I will be happy to make that payment.'"
That kind of thing certainly works as a motivator, and although Marpet declined to say exactly when this happened, he did reveal that it helped in getting the offensive line back on track and making the screen game flourish once again.
"There were definitely multiple 15,” Marpet said. "So those kinds of things. Again, Tom just knowing how guys are wired and what goes a long way and inspiring and getting the most out of his guys."
Marpet retired after the 2021 NFL season, and Brady retired one season later. Even still, it's always interesting to hear anecdotes of his time in Tampa Bay, and it seems as if playing well for him would turn out great for everyone on the roster — in more ways than one.
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