(Tampa) Todd Bowles smiled when asked if the Bucs were preparing a special gift for Tom Brady’s 45th birthday on Wednesday.
Posted yesterday at 9:26 p.m.
The head coach didn’t say if the seven-game Super Bowl winner would get the day off.
“We’re getting him to stand up and be able to walk, which is good enough,” Bowles said. As they say, what to give to the man who has everything?. »
Brady spoke to the media for the first time since camp began on Monday, addressing among other things the passing of basketball legend Bill Russell.
Winner of 11 titles in 13 seasons with the Celtics, Russell died Sunday at age 88.
“I knew him well. I spent a lot of time in Boston and got to know him, said Brady, who won the Super Bowl six times in a Patriots uniform, in 20 seasons with them.
“He had a huge impact. He came to talk to us at my second training camp. He was very imposing, with a very strong presence. It’s amazing what he has overcome during his career. It’s sad to see him leave us. »
In January, Tampa Bay lost in the second round to the Super Bowl-winning Rams. After the setback, Brady announced his retirement, but it only lasted a month.
When asked if the choice to step down came from the outcome on the pitch, Brady shrugged his shoulders a bit, saying, “I’m not sure…. It seems like an eternity ago to me. »
He also tempered any credit he might be given in the signings of offensive players Julio Jones, Russell Gage and Kyle Rudolph.
“Being one of the older players, I get to know a lot of guys,” Brady said. But they make their choice based on a team, not one person. Football is the ultimate team sport. »