TAMPA, Fla. — During his latest appearance before reporters, following the Aug. 27 preseason finale in Indianapolis, Tom Brady encapsulated his personal life, rife with commitments and conjecture, with one blunt sound bite.
“I’m 45 years old man,” he said, “there’s a lot of s--- going on.”
During the debut of his weekly podcast Monday, the Bucs quarterback got a bit more philosophical — but only slightly more specific — about a personal life that took him away from training camp for 11 days and has sparked a sea of speculation.
“I think your life ebbs and flows, through the clouds and the sun, and through the rain and through the beautiful days, and you appreciate the moments and you find joy in the little things,” Brady told host Jim Gray on the Let’s Go! podcast.
“I spoke with my dad the other day. He said, ‘All you can do is the best you can do with the circumstances that are presented in front of you.’ ”
Brady touched on a few of those circumstances Monday: Among them are his oldest son Jack, whom he said is now a high school freshman and is playing football. He also mentioned 12-year-old son Benjamin and 9-year-old daughter Vivian.
“And I have parents, and I have a lot of things that are really important, off-field pursuits and goals that you’re trying to maximize as well,” he added.
“We all have different things that are going on. And I think once football season comes, I really lock in on what I need to do and how I need to focus, and the kind of commitment I need to make for the organization so that we can maximize our potential as a team.”
Brady insisted that harnessing his focus won’t be an issue, despite suggestions to the contrary during his recent time away. Entering his 23rd season, Brady said “the competitive fire still burns,” adding nothing provides the rush for him like high-level, high-stakes competition.
“The fact that I’m still able to play, the fact that I’m still able to enjoy it with the people I do it with, and that support us to do it, brings some of the greatest moments of my life,” he said. “And I’m going to be involved in sports for the rest of my life, I’m sure of that.”
Other topics Brady addressed on Monday:
— His re-tooled offensive line, widely maligned following a 13-3 preseason loss to the Titans:
“Every time someone says they suck and they can’t do anything, I try to show it to them and say, ‘This is what they’re all saying about you. What do you guys think? What are you going to do about it?’ Make sure they know what everyone’s saying. I think that’s important. I think I’ve always used little different spites as motivation for me.”
— Being named the NFL’s No. 1 player (in player balloting conducted by NFL Network) for the fourth time:
“To be named in the top 100 is incredible. To be named in the top 10 is a dream come true. To be named No. 1, I don’t necessarily believe that. I think I have a different view of myself than everyone else does. I try to still go out there and prove it every day to myself. Yeah, I think I’m a pretty good football player, but I’ve got to go earn it this year, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
— Where he ranks himself:
“I think there’s always people that have more physical talent than me. I think you always see guys with better arms, guys who move better, throw better on the run. I think, ‘Where do I really excel?’ I excel with my leadership. I excel with my dedication and discipline. I think mentally I excel. ... I do a very good job emotionally, staying poised when I need to.”
— The recent retirement of women’s tennis legend Serena Williams (following her defeat in the US Open):
“What a joy it was to watch her play. ... She didn’t play for a little while, and I think she realized it’s a lot of fun to play. And I think sometimes when you’re in the middle of it, you take it for granted to a degree, like, ‘Oh, it will be there.’ And then it’s not there for a year and you go, ‘God, I really love it. I really want to play.’ And then you get out there and play and you enjoy it.”
— Whether he has anything remaining to prove:
“I think for me, yeah, I have a lot to prove. I’ve got a lot to prove this year. I’m out there to prove that I’m still capable of leading a team to a championship.”
