Getty Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tom Brady has been likened to many things throughout his storied NFL career. From Hall of Famers such as Joe Montana, to the physical embodiment of a horned ruminant mammal, otherwise known as a goat. However, drawing a parallel between the six-time Super Bowl Champion and the main antagonist from Super Mario Bros., well that’s a new one.
“To me, he’s the ultimate test as a player,” New York Giants defensive back Logan Ryan said of Brady to members of the media earlier this week. “He’s like the final boss in Mario or whatever game you might play when you’re on the last level and they have hammers and cannonballs and everything going off in the game. He presents every threat to you possible. You have to stay super locked in. As a competitor, I feel like he brings the best out in me because I know I have to be my best in order to compete with him. I love playing against him because it’s the greatest challenge in football, definitely mentally, and physically, as well.”
Brady Responds to Ryan’s Bowser Comments
Ryan’s analogy caught the eyes of many, including the newly anointed King Koopa himself.
Brady took to Twitter to embrace the moniker following Ryan’s comments, poking a bit of fun at himself in the process:
Brady is of course alluding to last season’s AFC Wild Card game, when the defensive back snagged the final interception of Brady’s Patriots career, a moment that has since stuck with the 29-year-old New Jersey native.
“Definitely the interception was a big play in my career, a big play in both our careers,” Ryan claimed. “He reached out to me afterwards. I had dropped one earlier in the game and he said why can’t you drop them both? I said even though I like you, I can’t drop them both. We have much respect for each other.”
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Ryan Impressed, Not Surprised by Brady’s Success with Bucs
As for what Ryan has seen thus far in Brady’s transition from New England to Tampa Bay? Simply put, much of the same.
“What I see in Tom Brady is Tom Brady,” Ryan said. “Like fine wine, he keeps getting better. Twenty years of experience, arguably, I think the best player to play the game, the best quarterback. He does everything he can to figure out the defense. He’s a great point guard in this league where he just distributes the ball to his playmakers. He has everyone playing well for him. They have a guy Scotty Miller, number 10, who’s running past everybody. Mike Evans, Godwin, Gronk is back to old Gronk form. He brings the best out of his teammates. He is one of the greatest teammates I ever had. He makes everyone around him better and that’s what I see in Tampa. The same old Tom Brady to me and that’s excellence.”
Brady enters Week 8 ranked sixth in the NFL in passing yards with 1,910 passing yards, while his 18 touchdown passes on the season rank second to only Russell Wilson (19).
Brady is set to meet up with Ryan this Monday night, as the Bucs and Giants are set to clash in East Rutherford at 8:15 pm EST.