The TB12 method isn’t for everyone.
Tom Brady suggested last month during an interview with Westwood One’s Jim Gray that his “brain is wired for contact” and that it’s helped keep him healthy throughout his 19-year NFL career. But former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, who played 10 seasons with New England (1995-2004), including five alongside Brady, is calling B.S. on the quarterback’s comments.
“I’ll be honest, and I love Tom, it made me throw up in my mouth a little bit,” Johnson said Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Felger & Mazz” of Brady’s comments, per NBC Sports Boston. “It was very irresponsible for Tom to talk like that. ‘My brain’s wired for contact.’ So, what, Kevin Turner’s wasn’t? Junior Seau’s wasn’t? Justin Strzelczyk’s brain wasn’t? Andre Waters’ brain wasn’t wired for contact? But yours is (wired for contact)? It was very insensitive and I thought irresponsible to talk like that.”
Brady’s durability and longevity are impressive, no doubt. He missed the entire season after tearing his ACL in Week 1 in 2008 but otherwise has stayed on the field for the better part of two decades and remains an excellent quarterback at age 41. Clearly, he’s doing something right.
But can we really credit Brady’s good health to his brain knowing how to absorb hits, as he claims? Johnson certainly isn’t buying it despite his seemingly good relationship with the Patriots signal-caller.
“I haven’t seen it in the medical journals, right? It’s in his book, right? But I haven’t seen any other scientists back it up and validate it,” Johnson said. “(If) that happens, maybe I’ll start taking it serious. But until that time, it just seems very irresponsible.”
Brady and the Patriots will host the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday at Gillette Stadium in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
