FOXBORO, Mass. — Even some of the most successful New England Patriots players were starstruck when they first met Tom Brady, which is completely understandable. It’s not every day that you meet the greatest quarterback of all time.
But the key is to get past that initial intimidation and begin to treat the legendary quarterback like any other teammate. Undrafted cornerback D.J. Killings knows that.
“At first it was surreal seeing him, like in the locker room,” Killings said Tuesday. “Then when I saw him in the locker room, I was like, âall right, boom. Itâs competition time.â Like, I gotta go against him. … Heâs the best quarterback of all time, but I gotta go against him. Iâm not looking up to him anymore.”
Killings certainly doesn’t lack confidence. He also doesn’t feel extra pressure that he’s wearing No. 29 — the same number Malcolm Butler wore when he signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2014 before switching to No. 21.
“I don’t compare myself to anybody,” Killings said. “He told me I respected the number from what he told me. But after that, it’s my number now. I gotta put my name on this number now.”
It helps that Butler has been accommodating to Killings.
“Yes, all the guys have,” Killings said. “I can see why they have so much success in that room and on the defense, because everybody just buys in to what the team wants.”
Thumbnail photo via Jamie Rhodes/USA TODAY Sports Images
