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Tom Brady pushes back on notion he recruits veterans to play alongside him
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tom Brady has played with a number of notable veterans throughout his career. However, Brady does not believe he has helped recruit players to compete alongside him.
In the past, Brady has generated interest from free agent receivers, including Antonio Brown. Rob Gronkowski even came out of retirement and was traded from the New England Patriots to play alongside Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The most recent high-profile receiver to sign on to play with Brady is Julio Jones. A long-time member of the Atlanta Falcons, Jones was released by the Tennessee Titans this offseason and recently joined Tampa Bay.
Despite the attraction, Brady recently downplayed the notion that he recruits veterans. Instead, Brady said players have joined Tampa Bay because of the team in place and not just to play with Brady.
“Naturally, I’m an older player, and I’ve been very fortunate to know a lot of guys,” Brady said according to Michael David Smith with Pro Football Talk. “Guys choose this team because of the team, not because of me. We have a great organization, great teammates, and I think people are excited to come join a great group of people, a great group of men. It’s never about one person. That isn’t ever what this sport is about. It’s the ultimate team sport. I love playing with players that are professional, players that want to work hard, and players that put the team first.”
Whether or not he’s a recruiter, it is not hard to see why a receiver in the NFL might want to play with the living legend. It will be fun to see how Jones and Brady work together in 2022.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.