Rob Ninkovich Shares Telling Story Of Tom Brady’s Generosity

HOUSTON — What is Tom Brady like in the New England Patriots’ locker room? Apparently, he’s a very generous dude.

Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich shared a story Wednesday about a locker-room interaction he had with Brady. Ninkovich thought a watch the quarterback was wearing looked sharp, so he complimented Brady on it.

The exchange was no big deal to Ninkovich, just a quick mention of a teammate’s fashion choice that he quickly forgot about. But the next day, Ninkovich arrived at Gillette Stadium to find a box sitting in his locker. It was an identical watch — a gift from Brady.

“It was in my locker in a box,” Ninkovich said. “No bow, just wrapped.”

Brady will play in his seventh Super Bowl this Sunday with a shot at earning his fifth championship ring. Regardless of the outcome, he undoubtedly will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

But interactions like this are, in Ninkovich’s opinion, what makes the QB truly special.

“If he was a jerk and we were still winning, yeah, (I’d say) he’s a great quarterback,” Ninkovich said. “But he’s genuinely a nice person off the field. And he wins football games, so we love him.”

Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images