After speaking with the local media earlier Sunday, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady answered questions from the Pittsburgh media later in the day.
Here’s the full transcript from Brady’s conference call:
On view of Roger Goodell:
“Like I said, I have a lot of personal feelings about everything that’s non-Pittsburgh related, but I think that’s for another time. I certainly have a great amount of respect for the commissioner and what his job is. My job is to be the best quarterback that I can be, so that’s what I’m going to try to be on Thursday.”
On how the decision to contest the suspension was related to potential benefits for the NFL Players Union:
“Well, guys, I really don’t want to get into all those feelings. I’ve been dealing with that for seven months, so I’m really at the point where I’m focused on the opener and the Steelers and all the challenges they present. I’m excited about where our team is at, and I’m excited about the opportunity to play. Anything that we really dealt with in the offseason is kind of compartmentalized and as much energy and attention as I can on this great team that we’re playing.”
On unleashing seven months of aggression on the field Thursday night:
“It’s time for me to do my job. Like I said, anything that’s happened over the last seven months really wasn’t my job. This is what my job is, is to go out there and try to be a great leader for our team, to try to go out and execute the plays that are called and execute them at a high level. That’s where my focus is. It’s been a lot of studying, a lot of trying to figure out exactly how they’re going to play us. They’ve got a good team, they’ve got some good players, a lot of experience, a lot of speed, and we’re going to have to — Sometimes preparing for these openers are tough because you haven’t seen a lot of tape and a lot of film on what they’ve done this year and incorporating different players and new schemes. We can only really go on the preseason and what we’ve seen, but we anticipate of course there being things that we haven’t seen yet. You’ve just got to be prepared, you’ve got to see everything, everyone’s got to follow their rules, and we’re going to have to execute at a high level if we want to score points.”
On success against the Steelers in Foxboro:
“We’ve had some pretty good offensive nights, but this night is going to be a lot different. They’ve always had one of the best, most challenging defenses to prepare for because they do a lot of things and they have a lot of versatile players. This year is really no different. They’ve got a tough scheme, and with a new defensive coordinator, I’m sure they’ll have some new wrinkles. It’s a big challenge. We’ve had a couple challenging days of practice trying to get ready for their different blitz packages. Whether we play home or away, ultimately it’s going to come down to execution, and you’re right, we’ve had some pretty good days in the past, but if we want to have a good outcome on Thursday night, we’re going to have to really be at our best.”
On difference between Dick LeBeau’s defense and Keith Butler’s defense:
“There might be a few things that are different, but a lot of it’s the same. I think the philosophy of playing Steeler defense is definitely still there. They’ve always been one of the toughest, most physical teams that you play in all levels of the defense, and that’s still the way it is. It’s a very big, physical front, powerful, athletic linebackers that seem like they all have great instincts out there and a secondary that can definitely make plays. William Gay is one of their best guys. I mean, he’s really a playmaker for them. They definitely have got some guys that can take advantage of sloppy football. If you make a bad throw, make a bad read and throw it in the wrong place, it could be a bad time for the offense. We’ve got to be really disciplined, and hopefully we can go out there and put together a bunch of plays and score some points.”
On taking advantage of window for winning:
“I think the one thing about pro football is there is pressure to win every single year. The pressure is never really off. I think if you don’t want that, then this isn’t going to be the business that you choose in your life, because it is — it’s high intensity. Every day is an important day, and you can never get that day back. We’re preparing for the Steelers and we have a clock that counts down the time, and every minute that ticks away you don’t get back, and if you waste it on something you shouldn’t be spending it on, then you’re at a disadvantage. So, you’ve got to be able to deal with the pressure, deal with the highly competitive nature of the sport. It’s also a marathon. It’s a series of one-game seasons. You put everything you can into it for one particular weekend. There is a lot that goes into it physically, mentally, emotionally, and then you see where you’re at, at the end of the week. You actually get a great representation of how you prepared that week because there is actually a scoreboard and you can see how you did against another opponent. Over the course of the season, you adapt and you make changes based on your personnel, based on the team you’re playing, but you’re putting everything you can into it every single week.”
On staying on top of your game as you age:
“That’s a great question. I think you find different things each year that you incorporate into your routine. (Steelers quarterback) Ben (Roethlisberger) has been an incredible player in this league since his rookie year, when we played him multiple times. He’s been at the very top, two Super Bowl wins, and he’s just an incredible player. He’s got so many different styles. He’s won with a lot of guys. It’s impressive the way that he’s able to play quarterback. Every year, like I said, you’ve got to try to find different ways to recover and make sure your body is still good, mentally you’re feeling good. As you get older it’s great because you have more experience. The tough part is trying to find ways to physically feel 100 percent. Ben has never really seemed to have much of a problem with that.”
On nerves of playing very first game of the season:
“It’s been a while, so it’s hard to remember back opening the 2005 season. I think everyone has got opening game jitters, and whether it’s the first game for us on Thursday or it’s your first game on a Sunday, it’s going to come down to execution and discipline and all the things that win football games. Once the ball is kicked off and you’re out there and you take a hit, it feels like football. I think just getting to that point and the buildup, you’ve got to be disciplined and try to get your rest while you can. Certainly there is a lot of excitement, and everyone is anxious to get out there and play. We’ve been preparing a long time for this moment, and I think this is the time where you’ve got to be able to go out there and be at your very best.”
Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images
