Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady are cut from the same cloth.
They’re elite players whose popularity transcends sports. Above all, they’re proven winners, which is a reality that’s very much the result of their own motives and desire to be great.
“Tom Brady isn’t worried about fame, he’s not worried about the money he makes, personal numbers. He worries about what he’s taught to do, win,” Ortiz recently told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. “He was trained to win. That’s what I do. Sometimes I go 0-for-4 and we win, but maybe I got a runner over and I’ll go home like I went 4-for-4. That’s the mentality you grow up.
“When you play for the Red Sox, there’s some chip you carry because everybody wants to whoop your ass. You see everybody brings their ‘A’ game when they play against you, so you have to carry that with pride, and that’s what I do.”
Brady was straightforward Tuesday when discussing his football future on WEEI’s “Dennis and Callahan,” saying he doesn’t plan to retire until he “sucks” and that he doesn’t “plan on sucking for a long time.” Ortiz has expressed similar sentiments whenever he’s been pressed on the issue of retirement, meaning both Boston mainstays might not be walking away from their respective sports for at least a few years.
“I don’t even think about it,” Ortiz told Bradford. “That’s how it should be. I play on a day-to-day basis. I don’t think about how I’m going to feel tomorrow. I don’t think about how it’s going to be a year from now. If I’m good to go, I’m good to go.
“When I play, I’m not thinking about me. I’m thinking about whooping ass and walking home with a ‘W.’ I still look at the game the same way when I got here. I don’t want to be thinking I have to homer to get this or that, and then you do it and you walk away from your game. All I’m looking for is to embarrass you when I play, by winning.”
Ortiz and Brady have done their fair share of winning since becoming the faces of the Red Sox and the Patriots. Ortiz owns three World Series rings, and Brady owns three Super Bowl rings.
It’s possible both players might add to their jewelry collection before retiring — something that’s inevitable, even if not imminent — and they’ll have their hard work, dedication and overall approach to thank for much of their success.
