Tom Brady hasn’t forgotten where he came from.
Brady, the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, has defied the odds since leaving the University of Michigan, winning six Super Bowl titles as quarterback of the New England Patriots and cementing himself as arguably the greatest player in league history. The 42-year-old still wears the same shoulder pads he wore in college, though, and even reaches out to his old equipment manager after each championship victory.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a piece published Wednesday that former Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk, who grew close to Brady from 1995 to 1999, used to tell players that he had 17 Big Ten championship rings and that his favorite was the next one. The message clearly resonated with Brady, who has made similar comments while compiling jewelry of his own, and Falk told Reiss he still keeps in touch with the Patriots QB.
“Tom loved that,” Falk said, according to Reiss. “So every time I’d walk into the locker room after practice, he’d go, ‘Big Johnny, which one’s your best ring?’ And I’d say, ‘Hey, Tom, you know my favorite ring is my next ring. That’s what I’m looking for — my next ring.’
“He picked that up, and every time he wins a Super Bowl, he’ll text me back and say, ‘Big Johnny, you taught me that. That’s the way I live.’ ”
The legend of Brady continues to grow in his 20th NFL season. And with the Patriots in position to contend for another title, Falk might want to keep his phone close by come February, as he just might receive another text message from No. 12 thanking him for his early guidance.
