Tom Brady admitted yesterday he has suffered concussions during 20 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots but says that won’t stop him from chasing a seventh Super Bowl crown.
The 42-year-old quarterback, who signed a two-year contract last month with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said on “The Howard Stern Show” on Sirius XM radio he has sustained major head injuries but rejected the notion he needs to quit playing because of it.
“I’ve definitely had concussions, yeah,” Brady admitted.
“I could sit here and stop playing football so I could worry about what’s going to happen or worry about this or that instead of saying, ‘Why don’t I live my life the way that I want to and enjoy it?’
“For me, it’s doing what I love to do. You don’t tell a musician to stop singing at age 42. You don’t tell a great painter to stop painting at 42.”
But those artists generally don’t suffer severe head injuries in their creative outlets.
“If you want to stop, stop, go ahead,” Brady said. “But for me, because I feel like I can still play, doesn’t mean I should just stop playing because that’s what everyone tells me I should do.”
The NFL has tightened rules to protect players who might have head injuries, but Brady has notably not been diagnosed with concussions, although his wife —supermodel Gisele Bundchen — said in May 2017 he had suffered concussions.
“He has concussions pretty much every, I mean, we don’t talk about, but he does have concussions,” she said. “I don’t really think it’s a healthy thing for anybody to go through.”
An NFL statement said all reports from unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants and certified athletic trainer spotters at 2016 Patriots games showed “there are no records that indicate that Mr. Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms.” Brady told Stern that while he didn’t make a “final, final decision” until March 16, he was fairly certain the 2019 season would be his last with the Patriots even though he wanted to continue his career.
“I would say I probably knew before the start of last season that it was my last year,” Brady said. “I knew that our time was coming to an end.”
Brady said he realized “it was just time” to find another club.
“I don’t know what to say other than that,” Brady said. “I accomplished everything I could in two decades with an incredible organisation... no one can ever take those experiences or Super Bowl championships away from us.”
No Belichick resentment
Brady said he had no resentment toward Patriots coach Bill Belichick at not keeping him after winning an NFL record six titles under his guidance.
“I think he has a lot of loyalty,” Brady said. “So many wrong assumptions were made about our relationship or about how he felt about me. I know genuinely how he feels about me.
“What his responsibility as coach is to get the best player for the team, not only in the short term but in the long term as well. So what I could control is trying to be the best I could be in both of those situations.
“I got into uncharted territory as an athlete because I started to break the mould of what so many other athletes had experienced, so I got to the point where I was an older athlete and he’s starting to plan for the future, which is what his responsibility is.
“I don’t fault him for that. That’s what he should be doing.”
Former Eagles star Brown dies at 82
Former Philadelphia Eagles running back and kick returner Timmy Brown has died at the age of 82, the team announced on Tuesday.
The Eagles said that Brown had died on Saturday, although a cause of death was not announced.
Brown was selected by the Packers in the 27th round of the 1959 NFL Draft, but he was released after playing just one game for Green Bay. Brown joined the Eagles the following year and helped the team win the NFL championship in 1960. “Timmy Brown was an all-time great Eagle and one of the most dynamic multipurpose players of his era. He overcame many obstacles in his life to enjoy success both as an athlete and as an entertainer,” Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
“A three-time Pro Bowler and member of our 1960 NFL Championship team, Timmy excelled as a running back and return specialist with his incredible athleticism and signature versatility. He was one of the most exciting players to watch during his career. Those who knew him well have said they will remember him for his outgoing, uplifting personality and the connections he built with his teammates and the community. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this time.” Brown, who spent eight seasons with the Eagles, holds the franchise record for most kickoff returns (169), most kickoff return yards (4,483) and most kickoff returns for touchdowns (five). He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in a 24-23 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 6, 1966, becoming the first NFL player to accomplish that feat.
Brown, who was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1962, 1963 and 1965, was inducted into the Eagles’ Hall of Fame in 1996.
After finishing his playing career with the Baltimore Colts in 1968, he tried his luck in Hollywood. Brown appeared in movies including “MASH” and “Nashville” plus television shows including “M*A*S*H,” “Adam-12,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Benson.”
File photo of Tom Brady (left) in action during a playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports
