Although Tom Brady never wore fins, a snorkel or an oxygen tank, the New England Patriots quarterback used to be no stranger to pulling scuba gear out of his closet for cold-weather games.
Chicago Bears quarterback Matt Barkley recently wore a wetsuit under his uniform to keep warm during a game against the Green Bay Packers, and it was revealed he learned the tip from Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Cassel, who himself picked up the idea from Brady during their time together in New England.
“I used to,” Brady said earlier this week on WEEI’s “Kirk and Callahan” of wearing a wetsuit under his uniform, per WEEI.com. “I used to have a scuba top that I would wear and I think I first started doing that in 2004 in the freezing cold Tennessee playoff game and I experimented with it then. Matt (Cassel) was here right after that, so I think I probably wore it for like three or four years in the winter and then I think some of the technology in the clothing that we wear has just gotten a little more flexible so I just tend to wear a couple of layers, which are pretty warm at the end of the day.”
Brady, of course, is no stranger to playing in cold weather. And given the success he’s had over the years in cold-weather games, it’s no wonder other quarterbacks have decided to take a page out of TB12’s book, even if he’s since moved on to other means of staying warm.
“It’s not the most comfortable thing, but I don’t think you’re going to be super comfortable when it’s 10 degrees out anyway,” Brady said, per WEEI.com. “You try and insulate your body heat and go from there. I know he did it and I know Matt (Cassel) did it this year when they played at Kansas City with Tennessee because I talked to Matt and he had (Titans quarterback) Marcus (Mariota) do that, too, when they played at Kansas City a few weeks ago. It’s a good tip and a really good thing to use, especially if you’re not used to this climate.”
So, there you have it: arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history leaving his mark on the league in more ways than one.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
