Well all the Tom Brady haters have a very unfortunate reconciliation to deal with today. The recognition that Tom Brady is the absolute best quarterback ever in the NFL, and most likely the best all around football player as well. I looked up a long list of complaints about Brady, and also looked at all the excuses. The start with, “Tom Brady only got all these wins because of . . . ” Well, I think I know exactly why Tom Brady has been so successful in his career. Good old fashioned Work Ethic. The fact is he just works harder than anyone else. Plain and simple.
Not a very comfortable thing to accept. If we admit that it was work ethic that got Brady where he is today, then we have to look at our own selves. Are we putting in the same level of work ethic in our chosen life mission? Now your other excuse will be that Brady was just a really naturally talented person. Well that would be nice, but it is not really all that true. You can read up on his progress as a youngster. He did not even start playing football until his freshman year at a small Catholic High School. He was not that Buddy Warner groomed from day one type player. I read a story that when he was really young he wanted to be a fast runner. He was really slow, everyone beat him. He focused on improving his running until several years later he was the fastest in his school.
He became successful not because of raw talent, or money, or anything else. It was just simply hard work. Every coach he has ever had, all say the same thing. Tom Brady shows up to work and works hard and does not go home until the job is done. He puts more effort in than anyone else. He was never a superstar, he was always a contender but always an after thought. He was top of the draft. In fact, he was drafted by both the NFL and the MLB when he graduated. He had to pick, but both had him down the list in terms of draft pick order. Even going to play in College at Michigan, he was put on the bench until Griese moved on. He got constant mixed reviews, favoring other up and coming new talent. He shared starting time @ Michigan but toward the end of the season started playing every game. He won their bowl game that year, and the scouts all uniformly said he had amazing work ethic, great attitude, but lacked that star power. As a consequence he waited and waited while other people were picked until the Patriots picked him up in the 6th round of the draft.
He showed up for training camp ready to play. He memorized the playbook and outworked everyone. He eventually proved that he was the one to be trusted, took the Patriots to the superbowl. However, after beating the Rams he was still being questioned as lacking talent. A one season wonder and all of that. Of course he worked hard, proved everyone wrong and one 5 more superbowls with the Patriots.
Now COVID made this different, but Brady’s impact on the Buccaneers was instantaneous. He implemented new discipline on almost everything, even down to the pre workout treatment of the leather on footballs they would be using. He started hosting sunrise workouts for the team in the Spring and Summer. During practice if people were not performing well, he would with a calm authority and patience explain they need to be more urgent, and to maximize each effort they were performing. He was relentless, lifting every member of the team to harder work effort.
Amazing to see how the work ethic of one person can do so much.
Guy Reams
