Tom Brady Discusses How His Mentality Separated Him from NFL QBs, Idolizing Jordan

Seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady discussed his competitive mindset and drawing inspiration from Michael Jordan in a YouTube video where he hung out with F1 driver Carlos Sainz.

The discussion began at the 4:30 mark, right around when Brady was asked how he was different on the football field.

"I think I was part psychopath. I treated every day like it was the biggest day, like it was the Super Bowl. I treated practice...like it was the Super Bowl. There was never a moment that my teammates didn't feel like it was the biggest day, even if it was relatively unimportant. So I'd say my competitiveness on a daily basis to win was max effort all the time. Everyone in my team felt like when I walked in, I better sit up straight and pay attention (because if not), then they were out. Not out like, cut, but look, they weren't gonna be a part of what we were doing, and all the guys that were competitive like me, they were like, perfect. That's who I want to be my leader.

Sainz then asked Brady when he felt he became a true leader in the NFL.

"I think my first year. But I would say there's a great word that I call it, 'competitive stamina.' You're either competing or you're not. And to me, the competition was every day. It just wasn't on...So I would treat a qualifying day like it was a race. And I would push everyone to treat it, because that's how I wanted to see whether people were gonna do it or not. A lot like Michael Jordan did and Kobe Bryant did...

"Michael Jordan was my idol growing up, because he was so competitive and I always find like, if I push my teammates to succeed, well, they got better. And if they got better, it forced me to get better. And then the better I got, then I pushed them, then they got better. So it was almost like you volleyed the competitiveness. The better you get, the better I have to get. Ultimately, when I got on the field, then I flipped the switch."

Brady had a good model in Jordan, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. His competitive nature knew no bounds as has been documented many times, and it helped lead to six NBA titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, five NBA MVP awards and 10 spots on the All-NBA First Team.

That Jordan-esque mentality clearly worked for Brady, who made 10 Super Bowls and left the game in 2022 as the most accomplished player in NFL history. He's a 15-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL MVP who also won five Super Bowl MVP awards.

Brady also left the game as the NFL's career leader in passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649).