Throughout his legendary career, Tom Brady studied nearly every aspect of the quarterback position in an effort to stay one step ahead of the competition with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From film study to preparation, no detail was too small for the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Yet when asked which quarterback influenced his development the most, Brady pointed to one of his fiercest rivals, offering a surprising glimpse into the mindset that helped make him the greatest player in NFL history.
Brady Studied Hall of Fame Quarterback More Than Anyone Else
During his appearance on the most recent episode of the New Heights podcast, Brady explained that his preparation extended beyond his own film sessions. While reflecting on how he developed into one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks, he revealed there was one opposing QB whose approach he consistently studied and tried to learn from throughout his career.
“I was obsessed with the sport. I loved the practicing and I really loved the preparation,” Brady said on the podcast. “And then I got really into the game and Peyton Manning was the guy that I always looked up to… because I thought he was the epitome of a field general. He got his team in the right play… I watched him throwing for all these touchdowns every year. So it was like if I could get the mental part right… then it kind of all came together.”
Brady studied one of his biggest rivals for a reason. While many quarterbacks are remembered for arm strength or athleticism, Brady was drawn to Manning’s command of the game before the snap, something Manning looks to teach Fernando Mendoza. He admired how Manning diagnosed defenses, adjusted plays at the line of scrimmage and consistently put his offense in the best position to succeed. Those mental traits became a blueprint for Brady’s own development and helped transform him into one of the smartest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.
Brady Studied Manning: The Irony
There’s also a sense of irony to the fact that Brady admits this now. Brady and Manning were arguably the most dominant quarterback rivalry of their time, facing off for the right to represent their conference in the Super Bowl each year, for MVP awards and the ultimate prize: the Super Bowl. The football world often argued which player was the better of the two, only for Brady to admit now what he was up to instead.
Instead of trying to ignore his rival and his greatest competitor, Brady studied him.
He learned valuable information not from the players he was playing alongside or coaching against at the top of their game in other situations, but from the player he was going against on the ultimate stage each season.
Brady Studied Differently Than Other QBs
How Brady studied the game, and specifically his comments serve as just one of the many pieces of proof as to how he was able to maintain his excellence for over twenty years. Not only did the former Patriots quarterback dissect his successes and failures, he also considered the abilities of those who were challenging him to maintain his elite status, constantly looking for a slight advantage. This sense of curiosity and learning from his greatest competitors may have shaped one of the best careers in NFL history.
Main Photo Courtesy of George Walker IV – The Tennessean via Imagn Images
