Sports Radio Interviews

Tom Brady: ‘You Know the Hit that I Took, I Just Fell Awkwardly.’

SRI continues to work in new writers preparing for the upcoming football season. This post is courtesy of Tim Gunter from 790 the Zone in Atlanta.

Last Friday night, the hit was heard around the NFL. When Albert Haynesworth burst through the Patriots offensive line and crushed Tom Brady, Patriots fans had to pinch themselves and ask ‘Am I having déjà vu all over again?’ The Patriots are mum on the situation but they list Tom as having a ‘sore shoulder.’ But then again, I would be sore too if “Fat Albert” pancaked me. Bill Belichick is notorious for deliberately misleading the public on his injury reports so I guess nothing will change with this Tom Brady situation. Tom, like Coach Belichick, continued to mislead us when he joined WEEI in Boston to clue us in on the shoulder injury, whether he will be ready for opening day, Tedy Bruschi’s retirement, and how Tedy will be remembered.

Do you think you will be ready in the opening game against Buffalo?

“I certainly am expecting that so you know. It was fun to be out there on last Saturday night. We played against a talented team and the team played well in some respect in some ways and plenty of improvements to make and you know the hit that I took I just fell awkwardly. And anytime a 350 pound man lands on you, you know I’m sure most people would be a little bit sore which I was but I am really looking forward to this week and getting prepared for this game and then Buffalo is just right around the corner. The next few weeks are going to fly like they always do and the anticipation on opening night. I’m excited as my teammates are.”

What were you thinking right after you got hit?

“I was thinking, ‘Damn, that guy was heavy.’ That’s what I was thinking. Albert Haynesworth, he’s one of the best defensive linemen we play against, so you know? I kind of pumped to the left and drifted right into him, so, he made a good play. Like I said, I landed just a little awkward on the ground. Coach made the decision at that point at halftime that was it for the night, and you know that was it. That was the last time I was out there.”

When Albert crushed you, was there a sense of ‘ Oh no, here we go again’?

“No, I don’t think so. When I got hit last year – we’re going back a long time but I knew it was bad, obviously. I mean that pain didn’t go away. Any time you hurt your knee like that, it’s very, there’s a lot of trauma to that area that I got injured, and it lasted a long, long time. You know last night I’ve taken a lot of hits in my career, really. You can’t play the position without you know contact. And you know you’re very defenseless as a quarterback. You’re just standing there, trying to get rid of the ball. You’ve got four, sometimes five guys, sometimes six guys coming after you, and you’ve got to get rid of the ball, and that’s why it’s remarkable for guys like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning who have played . You know Favre is going on his 18th year without being injured. Not that he hasn’t been injured, it’s just he hasn’t been injured enough not to play. So there’s definitely an art to taking hits and being out there every week and you know part of the off-season conditioning program is to have your body strong and flexible and able to withstand the different hits you take over the course of the season. So, you know I’m confident in the way that I train so I’m prepared for those. Some of those you can’t avoid, like last year, but it’s really part of, it’s part of the job description. Anybody who plays this game needs to be willing to play it less than 100 percent of perfect, which you know after that first training camp practice, nobody is 100 percent.”

How do you put Tedy Bruschi in perspective?

“Well, I think Tedy, it’s all those things. You know you can’t put Tedy Bruschi into a box. That’s one thing about Tedy. Tedy is a wonderful man, he’s a wonderful person. He’s a wonderful father and husband, and he set an example from the day that I got here on on what it means to be a professional athlete and what it means to play for the New England Patriots. And we were together when he went through, probably, the toughest part of his career when you know he had his stroke, and since then, he’s really been …You know he’s done so much in the community to raise awareness and support for stroke victims. So you know he’s just a person who continues to grow throughout his life, and he’s been a great example for everybody that’s been on our team. He held himself to a very high standard. Every day, he came out to that practice field as a leader with energy and enthusiasm, and it was reflected in the way that he played. And there’s only one Tedy Bruschi, and the fans know that his love for the game and his love for the community. He’ll be missed by everybody.”

Listen to Tom Brady on WEEI in Boston with Dennis & Callahan

Tags: AFC East, New England Patriots, Tedy Bruschi retires, Tom Brady, Tom Brady shoulder injury