As the consensus greatest quarterback to ever play the game, Tom Brady has garnered many admirers over the course of his 23 NFL seasons. In some cases, such as in Tampa Bay’s Week 14 game against San Francisco, the legendary quarterback has been known to attract special attention from players on the opposing team after games.
On Sunday, the Buccaneers QB found himself in an interesting conversation with 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw shortly after San Francisco thrashed Tampa, 35–7, at home. The brutal loss marked a sad return home for the Bay Area native in just his second game ever played there in his career. To make matters worse, Brady ended up being asked to sign a ball for Greenlaw that the veteran defender picked off from him late in the game.
To some, Brady’s gesture, while classy in its own right, may seem a bit odd considering the circumstances. But, as the 45-year-old explained during the most recent episode of his Let’s Go! podcast with Jim Gray, the decision to accept his opponent’s request is one Brady graciously chose to go through with, even if it still stung a little bit on the inside.
“It was s--- for me, it was complete s---,” a laughing Brady told Gray. “But I try to be a gentleman. No, actually, I mean, look, it was a great play he made. I’m happy he’s got the ball. I wish I didn’t throw it but I’m trying to be a good sport. Because a lot of times, I’m not a good sport. I can be a pretty bad sport. In the moment when they get me in the right frame of mind, I’m actually a good sport.”
Clearly, Greenlaw, much like he demonstrated on his play against Brady, knows a thing or two about the art of good timing, and in this case, it paid off in more ways than one. After the game, Greenlaw said he felt nervous about approaching the GOAT, but admitted he ended up going over to Brady “like a little fan” once he saw the right opportunity to do so.
“Man, the worst thing he could tell me is no,” Greenlaw said. “I was always told if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. He’s a good guy to be able to sign that ball after he threw them picks, that’s big time so I appreciate him. He’s the greatest, he’s the GOAT, so I appreciated that.”
Although it may have been difficult to do in the moment, Brady may want to prepare to show some more of that good will with the possibility that he’ll be signing a few more autographs in the coming weeks as he nears the end of what could be his final season. Let’s just hope for the sake of whoever puts in the next request that they do so far away from the nearest tablet.
