Patriots superstar Tom Brady on health, concussions, playing football past 40
New England Patriots superstar Tom Brady is opening up about playing pro football at 40, his family life and his health. In a wide-ranging interview with "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah O'Donnell, Brady also touches upon concussions, a topic his wife, retired model Gisele Bündchen, discussed with "CBS This Morning" in May.
"I don't worry about 'em, no," Brady told O'Donnell in the "CBS Sunday Morning" interview. "I mean, I'm not oblivious to 'em. I mean, I understand the risks that, you know, come with... the physical nature of our game."
O'Donnell sat down with Brady at his TB12 Sports Therapy Center, near Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and she also conducted his first at-home network television interview outside of Boston. The quarterback shared details of his life at home with his wife and kids, his training and diet program, his business partner and body coach Alex Guerrero, and his new book, "The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance," which is published by Simon & Schuster (a division of CBS).
Watch O'Donnell's full report Sept. 17 on "CBS Sunday Morning."
Brady is now 40 years old and in his 18th season. He's been successful far longer than rival quarterbacks (having won five Super Bowls), and shows no signs of letting up. The quarterback told O'Donnell that this is not his last season, for sure. He hopes to be healthy and 45 before making that decision.
"I do wanna go out on my terms," Brady said. "I do wanna go out playing my best."
His strategy is focusing on something he calls "pliability," which he says is lengthening and softening of muscles. Brady said the system has made him quicker now than when he started playing football.
Brady said the "The TB12 Method" is for anyone seeking to live a healthier lifestyle, not just elite quarterbacks.
"I think some people may be able to do some things better than I can," Brady said. "Hopefully they don't throw the football better than me, which is what I'm really trying to do."
His thoughts about staying healthy and playing come at a time when there's been a lot of discussion about the impact of concussions on players. Asked what impact studies about concussions will have on the NFL, Brady told O'Donnell, "I don't know what the future is gonna look like, you know, and I'm not gonna pretend to predict it. And I'm gonna do everything I can to take care of my body in advance of the, you know, of the hits that I'm gonna take on Sunday."
In May Bündchen had talked to Charlie Rose about her husband:
"He had a concussion last year. I mean, he has concussions pretty much every -- I mean, we don't talk about -- but he does have concussions. ... I don't really think it's a healthy thing for your body to go through."
O'Donnell's full report will air Sept. 17 on "CBS Sunday Morning."