Tom Brady Still Watches Patriots? ‘Hard Habit To Break’
FOXBORO — As Peter Cetera once sang on the band Chicago’s 1984 soft-rock hit, watching the New England Patriots play football is a ‘Hard Habit to Break’ for quarterback Tom Brady.
Though the 45-year-old may neither reside in New England, nor take his home-field snaps at Gillette Stadium any longer, the Patriots still remain a part of his football life.
“I watch that team every week and am impressed by how they prepare and the accountability the organization has,” said Brady during his most recent appearance on his “Let’s Go” podcast with host Jim Gray.
One might say, keeping an eye on the Pats might indeed be a ‘hard habit to break,’ for the legendary quarterback.
While Brady’s decision to leave New England prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season certainly raised a few eyebrows, it has since become obvious that both he and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick were, at least, amenable to the idea of going their separate ways.
However, even after two-plus seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of which resulted in his record seventh Super Bowl Championship as a starting quarterback, there is still a great deal of New England’s in Brady’s heart, along with a healthy respect for his former head coach.
Brady was both nostalgic and appreciative when speaking on the podcast about his time playing under Belichick in New England. His sentiments were undoubtedly fueled by Belichick’s praise of his eclipsing the 100,000 passing-yards mark during Tampa Bay’s 16-13 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
The 70-year-old called the milestone “amazing” and a “great accomplishment,” on his Monday morning appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Morning Show. Apparently, Belichick’s words meant a lot to Brady, who, despite their philosophical differences at times, continues to cherish the two decades they spent together in Foxboro.
“Believe me, all those years with him [Belichick] in my ear, I can hear that as if he were right next to me,” Brady told Gray. “We had 20 years together of elite football experience that I wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world. He’s a great competitor.”
Belichick, in his first draft with the Patriots, selected Brady as the 199th overall selection in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. In only Brady’s second season, Belichick named the Michigan product New England’s starting quarterback; standing by him even when incumbent Drew Bledsoe had returned from injury. Little did anyone know that a twenty-year run of unprecedented success was about to unfold.
The prolific player-coach tandem was among the most successful of its kind in professional sports. Together, they participated in 285 regular-season games, 41 postseason contests and a record-setting nine Super Bowl appearances. Their 219 combined victories is the most by any head coach/quarterback duo in the history of the NFL.
Of course, Brady is also cognizant of Belichick’s recent brush with history. The Pats head coach recently passed legendary Chicago Bears coach George Halas for sole possession of second place for all time head coaching victories. With New England’s 26-3 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, Belichick has earned 326 career wins, just 21 shy of the record held by Miami Dolphins’ legend Don Shula.
Can Belichick both catch and surpass Shula?
Absolutely … at least, according to Brady.
“What an amazing coach he is and how he prepares the team to win. He’s done it year in and year out. He’s 22 wins away from an amazing milestone,” said Brady. “I have no doubt he’s going to get it.”
The recent complimentary laurels being delivered between ex-coach and quarterback have been refreshingly received among Patriots fans. While Belichick understandably enjoys a great deal of popularity as the current Patriots head coach, Brady’s departure has done little to lessen his popularity in the region.
Despite being engulfed by a sea of envy throughout most of the country, he is still largely adored in New England; firmly entrenched among the immortal beloveds of New England sports. In fact, he might be the most admired sports figure in the history of a city that has been the home to such icons as Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell. Visions of game-winning drives, improbable comebacks and championship parades are forever a part of the region’s generational memory bank. Prior to his taking the reins as the Patriots starting quarterback in 2001, New England knew little but defeat. Since that time, they have enjoyed unparalleled success.
As for who deserves the credit for such success, he believes no one needs to look any further than Belichick.
“It always starts at the top,” Brady said with a smile.
He would know. The ‘top’ is a viewpoint from which Brady has been observing for quite some time.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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