Saluting Brady
The biggest news of the week was Tom Brady announcing his retirement for a second time.
Former Patriots teammate Rodney Harrison believes it is, as Brady said, for good. In terms of Brady’s legacy, and overall impact, Harrison relayed a couple of stories and shared some of his thoughts.
The Patriots Hall of Fame safety had told this story last year when Brady first called it quits, but it bears repeating.
“When I first came to the Patriots, he was one of the guys who really welcomed me in and made me feel comfortable. He was extremely generous to me,” said Harrison. “He took me to Pine Valley, one of the top two or three courses in the United States. Flew me in his private jet, and we hung out for a day. He just wanted to bond with me. That’s the type of guy he is. He made you believe in yourself.”
Brady did that, made the players
around him better, and inspired with his competitiveness and desire to win. Harrison said he’s never come across another player who was as disciplined as Brady. The GOAT’s lasting impact?
“I think Tom’s impact on this generation,” said Harrison, “and the generation before that is he inspired guys like Matt Ryan, or Mac Jones and guys that aren’t necessarily that mobile, to know that, hey if I’m smart, if I’m patient, if I work hard, if I’m diligent in my reads, if I have my footwork right, I can still be a great quarterback in this era where it’s a lot of athletic quarterback, and everyone’s dependent on mobility.”
Brady signed a lucrative deal with FOX to be a gam analyst. Harrison, who’s never been shy about telling it like it is, said he’d help coach up Brady for his next endeavor.
Said Harrison: “The biggest challenge for Tom is, being in that booth, and not telling the audience the obvious. If somebody’s doing bad, he can’t be afraid to criticize his peers.”