A ringing endorsement: Brady makes winning his biggest priority in new deal
By Michael Felger
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - Updated: 02:05 AM EST
Tom Brady said it all along: Money can't buy him happiness and it won't translate to respect.
Now championships? That's a different story.
``Sometimes there is a lot of leverage you can take advantage of as a player, but I just asked myself what was going to make me happy,'' said Brady yesterday, explaining why he settled on a six-year, $60 million contract extension last week that left him behind the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. ``Was being the highest paid player in the league going to do it? No way.
``You know what makes me happy?'' added Brady. ``Looking at my three Super Bowl rings - that's what makes me happy.''
Brady made the comments while driving home after a five-hour workout at Gillette Stadium and a day after returning home from the Kentucky Derby, where he enjoyed the race with teammates Larry Izzo, Dan Koppen and Lonie Paxton (Brady picked Wilko). Suffice to say, Brady was in a pretty good mood.
``I just left Gillette, throwing the ball around with Deion (Branch) and David Givens. That's what makes me happy,'' said Brady. ``I've seen a lot of guys leave here, and they don't look any happier where they're at to me. I've seen those guys get a lot of money, and they're still bitter. It shouldn't be that way.''
Of course, Brady won't go hungry with his new deal. With a $14.5 million signing bonus, a $12 million option bonus payable next spring and $11 million in salary between 2005-2007, Brady's three-year take will be in the neighborhood of $38 million. That's a nice neighborhood, and the fact that Peyton Manning, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb (none of whom have won a Super Bowl) signed for more dollars doesn't bother Brady one iota.
``I thought back when I was making $185,000 as a rookie that that was more than I would ever make in my life. So it's all relative,'' he said. ``It's how I evaluated what was best for me. It's what it's worth to me to be here and be with these guys and be a part of what we've got going on. I mean, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo, Matt Light - they've all done it, they've all made sacrifices to be here and be a part of a champion.
``The best part is playing and winning,'' added Brady. ``This other stuff, negotiating contracts and the rest - I guess I could do without. For me, it's all about being (at Gillette Stadium) and being on the field. The commitment they made to me was great, but I'm more excited to get out there and live up to the expectations of that commitment.''
Some have speculated that the extension will take Brady to the end of his NFL career, especially since Brady will be 33 when he enters the final training camp of the deal in 2010. But Brady squashed that notion immediately, saying he pictured his career going well beyond that.
``I hope I play a lot longer than 33-years old,'' said Brady. ``I don't think that would be enough for me.''
Brady said the parameters of the contract were close to completion for some time, and that reports of the deal being delayed by the Pats' desire to back-load some of the bonus money were overblown. He said the delay was merely hammering out the ``language of what turned out to be a very long contract. Everyone wanted to walk away from this happy.''
And make no mistakes, Brady is definitely happy.
``I'm excited to know where I'm going to be and that I'm wanted,'' he said. ``There's no place I'd rather be, and it's great to know the feeling is mutual.''
Brady also took the time to talk about some of the other offseason issues surrounding himself and the team.
On Bill Belichick taking over for Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator:
``I don't think anyone really knows exactly what that's going to look like, and if Bill does he hasn't shared it with me,'' said Brady. ``I know there were plenty of times over the years where Charlie would call over to him (during a game) and say, `What do you want here, Bill?' And we'd do it. Hey, Bill knows the offense. He knows the players. I know I'm not going to be walking to the line uncomfortable with the play call.
``It's yet to be determined if Bill is going to be on with me through the headset, but that whole idea of being coached into your helmet is overblown anyway,'' he added. ``Yes, I had a good comfort-level with Charlie, but usually Charlie would call the play and that was it - 99 percent of the time. Maybe every once in a while he'd say, `Watch out for the pressure' or `Watch for the halfback on the swing,' but those times were few and far between.''
On the acquisition of Doug Flutie as a backup quarterback:
``Bill came and told me they were thinking about getting a guy with some experience, and I had known Doug for about four years. So I said that would be great - I'd love to have him,'' said Brady. ``Anyone who can make the team better, I'm in favor of. He loves the game, he loves sports. We were just screwing around throwing balls into the nets over at the stadium, and it felt like we could have done that all day.''
On the possibility of receiver Troy Brown returning to the team:
``I love Troy Brown, and I don't know if there is anyone who better represents what we're about and what we stand for than him,'' said Brady. ``I don't know if you could have any more respect for someone than him. I really hope they work something out and he's back here.''
On his Saturday Night Live appearance last month and whether he balked at any of the situations he was put in on the show:
``I get a lot of grief around here from that and I'm still getting it,'' he said. ``I made a decision that I was just going to go with it. I was laughing the first time I got the scripts, so I just said, `Let's go.' They've got a funny group of people with a lot of talent. I wouldn't have felt right getting in there and saying, `I'm not going to do this.'''
Happy for him and even more for the team. I see more good times ahead with Brady at the helm and BB on the sidelines. More Super Bowls? Would be fantastic, but as long as they're competitive every year, I can handle that.