Tom Brady Credits Bill Belichick For Fulfilling His Potential In Clip From New Documentary Series
BOSTON (CBS) -- Almost at the same time that Bill Belichick was giving a lot of credit to Tom Brady for all of the success enjoyed in New England over the past 20 years, Brady was giving credit to Belichick for developing him into the quarterback that he's become.
Belichick gave his praise in a press conference; Brady's came from a clip from his forthcoming documentary project, "Man In The Arena: Tom Brady."
In the clip, Brady goes into detail about how and why Belichick is responsible for his development early in his career with the Patriots.
"I had Coach Belichick there to teach me," Brady said, over footage from his meeting in Belichick's office during the 2009 season. "Every Tuesday, we would meet and go through the entire defensive starting lineup, and their strengths and weaknesses, what we could attack, what he was watching, and how I could see the things that he saw, so I could gain confidence and anticipate."
In the clip, Brady looks back on the early days of his career.
"When I look back at that time, it was a really growth stage part of my career," he said. "It was a development of myself as a player, but also as a person off the field. And I was soaking up all the information."
Brady has in the past given a lot of credit to coaching, saying last year that it's a "pretty sh---y argument" that players deserve more credit than coaches, because " I can't do his job and he can't do mine."
As former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison put it in the clip, "[Brady] had structure for his career, and that's what Coach Belichick gives you."
Because of his experience with Belichick, Brady said he sometimes wonders about other young, talented quarterbacks who never have the opportunity to tap in to all of their potential.
"Even today, I look at some of these young players, and they're like, 'What do you think of this guy in his third year or fourth year?'" Brady said. "And in my mind I'm thinking, 'OK, he's talented. But who's gonna teach him how to evolve and grow? Who's gonna assist him in his learning of what football's all about, what his knowledge is?'"
"Man In The Arena: Tom Brady" is a multi-part documentary series from Religion of Sports that will air on ESPN+ this fall.