Each offseason, professional athletes get time to be with their families and take some time off. However, they still have to stay in form for the season, and that’s how Ben Affleck helped Tom Brady one summer.
Brady, widely regarded as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, was at Baker’s Bay in the Bahamas and needed somebody to play catch with to keep his arm in form for the upcoming season.
It just so happened that Affleck, an actor, writer, and director who grew up in Massachusetts as a Boston sports fan, was at Baker’s Bay on vacation as well.
Tom Brady Reflects On Training with Ben Affleck
The two celebrities had known each other for a while, with each having strong roots in Boston.
Brady joined the “New Heights” podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce and explained what went down in his training with Affleck.
“We were getting ready for football season … it was summer. It was quiet. And I’m like, ‘Hey, can you catch?’ And he’s like, ‘I can catch.’ So I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s go.’ So I got all these balls, and we’re on the big field,” Brady said. “They got it painted, and I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s see what you got.’ He’s obviously a big Patriots (fan), loves the Red Sox, and I had known Ben for a while.
“And finally we were getting to the end, and I wanted to put a little pressure on him and see what the hell will happen.”
That’s when Brady said he switched from playing catch with Affleck to testing the celebrity’s actual skills.
“I’m like, ‘Alright, fourth down, Super Bowl’s on the line. I’m calling your number and this is the route we’re running.’ I think it was a flag route I gave him. ‘I’m gonna throw it, see if you can catch it.’ And he got running,” Brady said. “I put one up there and he stretched his arm out, and he caught it.”
After the experience, Affleck called it the second greatest memory of his life, behind the birth of his children.
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When Brady heard that, he reflected on his journey from growing up playing in the backyard to getting to live his dream of being paid to play football.
“Can you imagine us as kids, just thinking we’re gonna get paid to play football and throw passes? And then think about Ben,” Brady said. “He’s thinking I’m gonna make movies, but then he’s out there with this Patriot player. I don’t know, man, life is crazy for all of us.”
Sports have a special way of connecting people, and while this was a short, silly story, it shows how much of an impact professionals and stars can make on others.
Affleck has won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, among others, but playing catch for an afternoon with Brady will live in his memories forever.
