Tom Brady spoke publicly for the first time since getting drilled Thursday night in the Patriots’ preseason game against the Bengals. The New England quarterback gave the response all men are conditioned to deliver after getting whacked: “It didn’t hurt.”
Brady, doing his weekly gig on Boston radio station WEEI’s morning show (thanks for the heads-up sportsradiointerviews.com), also said, “I’m glad I got hit. It felt good for me to get hit like that. I’ve taken a lot of hits in my career. They may look bad, but a lot of them don’t feel bad. The awkward ones are the ones that probably hurt. . . . I’ve been hit harder than that before.”
Brady said that anyone blaming right tackle Nick Kaczur (like yours truly) for the hit delivered by Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers was incorrect.
“That was my fault,” Brady said. “I certainly deserved [the hit]. Certainly Nick shouldn’t be looked poorly upon for that play.”
Brady completed four of eight passes for 57 yards against Cincinnati and, on two occasions, he didn’t step forcefully into throws as pressure began to swirl near him.
Brady didn’t address that dynamic, but he did say his reconstructed left knee is no distraction. “I put [the knee] out of my mind. I try, as much as possible [to make it] a thing in the past for me. I’ve been able to participate fully this season and I’ve just been really fortunate. You hear a lot of horror stories of people coming off this type of injury and for me it’s been so smooth.”
As for less physically demanding pursuits like magazine cover shoots, Brady noted that his wife, model Gisele Bundchen, makes sure he’s treated well when he’s in front of the camera.
“She preps all the photographers,” Brady said. “She can put on an ‘m-f” session like Coach Belichick if things don’t go right.”
Mary Frances?