What Tom Brady Said (and Didn't Say) on His Introductory Conference Call
Tom Brady got his first chance to address the media following his signing of a two-year deal that could pay him up to $59 million and not suprisingly he's excited about playing for a new team in his 21st season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially introduced their new quarterback Tuesday afternoon, holding a media conference call in lieu of the typical press conference. Brady was joined by Bucs general manager Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians,
The six-time Super Bowl champion spoke of his constant pursuit of excellence, his dedication to studying and perfecting his craft, and both the thrills and challenges that lie ahead for him in Tampa Bay.
"This is an exciting moment for me in my life," Brady said. “This is something obviously that’s very unique to me, it’s something that hasn’t happened in 20 years. So I’m kind of taking it day by day. The expectation for me is to come in and do what I feel is right for the organization, that’s to be a great team player. I’m going to do everything to get up to speed with all the things I need to do with what my responsibilities are."
Brady made it clear that he's one person on a team full of players who all have to do their own part to succeed.
"The new jersey I’m wearing, I’m prepared to give them every bit of commitment I’ve had my entire career to be the best I can be to help this team be the best it can be,” Brady said. “There’s no one person that makes a team. It’s every single person that’s doing their job every single day that’s committed and determined to be the best. I’m a very disciplined quarterback. I try to follow through on the things I’m committed to and I try to work every day to be the best I can be. And I’m going to push my teammates to do that and I’m just excited to get started."
But as important as it was for Brady to talk about the future, he was also given multiple chances to voice his displeasure at the New England Patriots over the events that eventually led to his departure. Despite multiple questions during Tuesday's conference call regarding what transpired, Brady refused to take the bait and maintained the high road.
"I don't want to talk about the past," Brady said. "That's not relevant. I had nothing but two decades of incredible experience, learning from some of the best players and best coaches and the ownership of the team."
"I have a great deal of respect," Brady said of his old team. "There's nobody who's been a bigger fan of the Patriots than me. I have nothing but total respect and love."
Brady talked glowingly about the chance to play in Arians' challenging offense, the new weapons he'll have at his disposal, and his desire to continue to compete at the highest level. He also talked about the challenges of getting up to speed and on the same page as his new teammates with the restrictions in place due to the coronavirus.
He will use technology, and the telephone, to get up to speed on the playbook and to learn about the Bucs players. When he was asked a two-part question, with the first part about whether he has discussed with receiver Chris Godwin about wearing No. 12, Brady answered the second question without coming back to the first.
The Brady Bus is bound for Tampa, and it's sure to be a wild ride.
But what Brady clearly won't do is throw his old team under it.
