When Tom Brady speaks, the NFL world listens, but the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback’s recent brutal comments about the psyche of practice squad players has prompted a lot of negative reactions, including from a former New England Patriots teammate who made the jump to the active roster and became a key weapon for TB12.
Brady is taking heat after he appeared on the “Championship Mindset” podcast, where he discussed why many players don’t make it off practice squads. The 48-year-old explained to retired UFC legend Daniel Cormier, “what I realized was, a lot of guys on those practice squads, they don’t want to be elevated to the roster. They’re very happy living this life where they could tell their family and friends, which I have no problem with that. Like, there’s no problem. Like, you would just assume though if you were on a practice squad, you’d want be at the top, but the reality is a lot of guys don’t want the pressure of dealing with (being at the) top.”
That rather scathing take soon sparked a host of defiant reactions from former practice squad players, turned NFL starters. Among them, ex-Patriots running back Danny Woodhead had a lot to say.
Woodhead’s reaction helped shine a light on the narrowness of Brady’s take and the one truth ignored by arguably the greatest quarterback in history.
Danny Woodhead Corrects Practice Squad Misconception
Undrafted free agent Woodhead, who played joined the Patriots in 2010 and spent the next three seasons in New England, was less than sure about Brady’s comments. Woodhead initially reacted with a thinking face emoji, clearly questioning what the man he once shared the backfield with had just said.
Not content with merely furrowing his brow online, Woodhead posted a more detailed second reply. He stressed the “Last thing I wanted to do was stay where I was as a psquad guy. Made sure I knew every position I could possibly play. Like 6 weeks in got elevated to the active roster as a WR. Position I never played.”
Woodhead’s rebuttal was a clear reminder to Brady about the work practice squad players have to put in just to get noticed. Once he got noticed, Woodhead still had to maker the most of his opportunity, something he did by rushing for 1,317 yards and tallying 1,095 more as a receiver, per StatMuse, helping Brady and the 2011 Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
Those numbers reveal one thing Brady’s blunt take missed about what unheralded players need to help elevate their careers.
Tom Brady’s Patriots Legacy Built on More Than Just Mindset
It’s become increasingly easy for successful pro athletes to boil down much of their dominance simply to attitude. The familiar theme is mental toughness is what separates the greats from the rest, an idea Brady expressed through his experiences watching practice squad wide receivers:
“I saw this happen a lot — these scout team receivers would come in and practice with the scout team and they’d do really well. And I’d be watching and I’m like, ‘Man, we got to get that guy. Let’s get him up on offense. He’s making a lot of plays. That’s Darrelle Revis he’s getting open on. We got to do something. Then all of a sudden, we’re like, ‘Hey man, you’re doing really well, you got to come over here and deal with the pressure of succeeding now that you have expectation.’ And these guys are like, they weren’t prepared for it. So whatever we saw in practice against, where there was not a lot of pressure, now, when they’re put in a situation where there’s an expectation for performance, they’ve never had to personally deal with that and then they fail.”
While there’s merit to the value of grinding for success, Brady is missing a broader point. Namely, how talent ultimately plays the key role in determining how far careers go in the NFL.
The problem is talent isn’t always obvious. It’s often hidden by intangibles scouts can miss. Brady should know this better than anybody as a former sixth-round pick who emerged from obscurity to boss the sport.
GettyTom Brady’s take missed an important point about Danny Woodhead (39) and other NFL practice squad players.
He didn’t do that on hustle alone and warrior-like temperament alone. Brady thrived because of core talents like exceptional field vision that helped him quickly progress through reads.
What Brady also had was an unselfish streak perfect for football’s most important position. He would do whatever the particular matchup and his scheme demanded of him.
If that meant throwing five-straight passes from the shotgun, Brady would oblige. If he had to go under center and hand the ball off five times in a row, Brady would answer the call. Whatever it took to exploit what defenses gave him to help the Patriots win.
Woodhead followed a similar path after being overlooked because he played Division II football in college and stood just 5-foot-8. Scouts who couldn’t see past those apparent limitations missed what made Woodhead special.
He possessed exceptional balance and was a tougher inside runner than many backs his size because of his intuition and vision to follow blocks. Woodhead also had a wide receiver’s understanding of pass routes and depth, knowing just how to present his QB with an easy target.
No player is going to make it in the NFL without hard work and an ability to handle pressure, but there’s more holding back those that don’t than mindset.
Tom Brady’s Brutal Take Trashed by Former Patriots Teammate