Possessed But Not A Jerk
June 7th, 2021
Bucs QB coach Clyde Christensen.
So what makes Tom Brady tick? If NFL owners and suits and coaches could figure that out, they’d be worth just about Jeff Bezos-cash.
The stories of Brady’s work ethic are sort of like the stories you hear of Bo Jackson’s athletic ability. Bigger than life.
Albert Breer of SI.com often twitters a story of Brady on vacation in Mexico, spotted dropping back and throwing passes to a receiver in a practice-like format on a beach. Wearing shoulder pads.
We all recently heard the story of Brady working out like a beast hungover the morning after partying at a friend’s wedding.
Part of the reason Brady is so successful, said Bucs quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen last week, is that while Brady is driven beyond belief, he’s not an a-hole about it.
Christensen noted that most guys who are madly driven are more often than not, jerks. Not Brady.
“He is pleasant,” Christensen said. “He has another life. He enjoys people. He enjoys traveling. He enjoys all his other things. So he is able to do both. He is amazing that way for me.
“Some guys are just so [possessed], they make everyone around them miserable. He’s opposite. He’s pleasant to be around. And yet you know [winning football games] is on his mind every waking hour. ‘How do I get better? How do I get better? How do I get better?’
“That is a rarity for people who work and are possessed as he is with one thought. they tend to make people miserable around them and he is extremely pleasant to be around and extremely pleasant to be teammates with.
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t get driven. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t make you better. Doesn’t mean that he doesn’t press. But he has an ability to keep it in perspective, somewhat.”
Joe remembers the aftermath of the Super Bowl and many interviews Bucs did, several pointed to Brady’s confidence and how he often reassured teammates that if they played to their best ability and played smart, they had the win easily.
As Christensen noted, not all possessed guys are like this. Over the weekend Joe watched an NFL Films documentary on Jerry Rice and a piece of it focused on how over-the-top driven Rice was.
Rice was so intense that things had to be done a certain way or anyone who disagreed needed to go home or ask for a trade, and Rice and Deion Sanders nearly got into a fistfight the week of a Super Bowl. Teammates had to restrain each guy.
While Brady will occasionally unload on a teammate or teammates for screwing up (remember the Bears debacle when Brady ripped his offensive line a new one?), he seems to be more supportive than critical.
Hey, whatever it takes. Joe assumes Brady knows what he’s doing. He’s almost 44 and seems nowhere close to retirement.
June 7th, 2021 at 8:08 am
That is what great leadership is. Build up your team, then build them up some more. But also knowing when to push that “get your attention” button like he did in Chicago with his Oline. Very impressive. So glad TB is a Buc
June 7th, 2021 at 8:09 am
Yeah this is a pretty notable observation.
Simply watch ‘the last dance’ and you notice that MJ was just as driven but was that asshole Christenson talked about. In basketball there are only 5 starters and 8-9 people who play so you can kinda get away with it but that kinda over the top behavior probably wouldn’t work with an NFL roster of 22 starters and 46 active.
It’s this balance of being insanely driven but staying positive and getting the best out of people. It’s a truly rare combination. I remember trying to explain this 10 years ago when many thought Peyton was the best and yet Peyton routinely threw teamate under the bus. He shriveled in the biggest moments. It’s this drive combined with clutch play and leadership that makes TB one of a kind
June 7th, 2021 at 9:51 am
Why is Clod on a world speaking tour about TB12? What QB coach does that? We shouldn’t even know Clod’s name
June 7th, 2021 at 10:50 am
Rice was a real douche, and his obsession with football bled into his personal life. Brady has his concussion water and fifty dollars packs of nuts to keep him grounded
June 7th, 2021 at 11:22 am
My opinion of Brady has definitely changed over the time he’s been in Tampa. I don’t think many of us long-time Tampa Bay fans had any idea of the leadership and new culture that he would infuse into the team. Hope he can keep it up for another 2-3 years.
June 7th, 2021 at 12:09 pm
The coaches acknowledge this and praise him for it, unlike the Patriot coaches. That’s why he’s a Buc and lov’in life.
June 7th, 2021 at 9:52 pm
@TB convert
Agree with your post and the MJ comparison is perfect. I might add Larry Bird into that mix as well since we’re in the NBA.
June 8th, 2021 at 3:24 am
Peyton Manning seems like a A. Hole. Sure he can play cute in a commercial. Yet there is just something about his personality that rubs the wrong way almost like a spoiled brat when something goes wrong. Could our guy Cylde be subconsciously comparing the two? I’ll take Brady over Manning all day everyday.
June 8th, 2021 at 12:43 pm
Belichick develop Brady and that’s why even Brady said that’s a stupid question was it him are Belichick ? He hate the whole idea of that question. He even said it sucks that they even ask a question like that. That’s what I like about Brady it’s not his fault that people worship him. That’s like Montana or Walsh who was it in San Francisco it’s a stupid question.