Family matters: Brady mourns grandmother
By Michael Felger
Thursday, February 3, 2005
JACKSONVILLE - This has not been a great week for Tom Brady, and it goes way beyond the usual hassles and distractions of the Super Bowl. It strikes at the core of what Brady holds most dear: His family.
The result, according to those who've been around him, has been a subdued demeanor by the Patriots quarterback, both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes, and a complete immersion into the game plan for Super Bowl XXXIX.
Late yesterday afternoon, Brady's paternal grandmother died after a long illness. In the days prior to her death, Brady's immediate family had traveled to the San Francisco area to be with his father, Tom Sr., and Brady didn't know if any of them would be able to make it to Jacksonville for the game.
``It's been tough,'' said Brady, prior to learning of his grandmother's death. ``You know, my head has been here, but heart has definitely been with them.
``I just wish I was there for my dad,'' he added. ``I mean, it's his mom. It's tough to talk to him on the phone and hear his voice crack. But I've got things here I've got to take care of.''
The plan is now for the entire Brady clan to be on hand for Sunday's game against the Eagles. The funeral for Brady's grandmother will be a week from Monday.
The elder Brady, reached last night in California, asked that the details be kept private and that the story not be made a ``big deal of - because we don't want this to be a distraction to anyone.''
Brady's worries have gone beyond his grandmother. He said his uncle, Tom Sr.'s brother, has been battling cancer.
``It's been a perfect storm,'' said Tom Sr.
Brady has long said his father is his best friend. The elder Brady has traveled to most Patriots games since 2001, and after the Pats' first championship Brady gave him his Super Bowl ring. When Tom Sr. can't make it to games, the quarterback's first postgame phone call always goes to him.
Brady is also very close to his three sisters, who are expected to rejoin Brady today when the Patriots' ``friends and family'' charter arrives in Florida.
Meanwhile, Brady has kept a low profile, spending most of his time outside of practices, meetings and interviews either in his hotel room or watching film on the Eagles.
``Maybe a lot of that has to do with his family,'' said teammate and good friend Lonie Paxton. ``And maybe he just wants to win. If, knock on wood, something bad happens in this game, he doesn't want anyone to think he was distracted or that his family situation took anything away from his preparation. . . . He understands that our success depends so much on him. And he takes that responsibility very seriously.''
While his grandmother's death has no doubt tempered Brady's demeanor, the fact is he's not a very flashy interview subject to begin with. That reality seemed to frustrate some of the national media on hand this week.
On Tuesday, for example, NFL Network correspondent, and Tampa Bay linebacker, Simeon Rice positioned himself next to Brady's podium and offered his commentary on the QB's quotes.
``No personality,'' said Rice into the camera. ``My god, no wonder the (Pats) win. God, so boring. As boring as that cat is, I couldn't `kick it' with him.''
Brady apparently saw that report while watching television in his hotel room, because at the end of his press conference yesterday he offered a quick smirk and said, ``Thanks for coming, I know I can be kinda boring.''
Brady will be going for his third championship on Sunday.
``He's been focused,'' said quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels. ``It's where it needs to be. He's very keyed into his preparation. He doesn't want anything to happen in this game that he's not prepared to handle. All our guys are single-minded, and he's the epitome of that.''
