Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was recently on a segment titled “Card Shopping” presented by Complex and Fanatics.
While on the show, the subject of Super Bowl 51 between the Patriots and Falcons came up. He took some time to discuss his mindset when the team was down 28-3 and all hope was lost. Brady even got visible goosebumps during the segment recounting those moments.
Given the game’s score, what he said might be shocking, but if people have learned anything from Brady’s career, quitting is simply not an option for the greatest football player ever.
Tom Brady on His Mindset in Super Bowl 51 Comeback
In the clip, Brady starts by recalling the moment the camera pans to him on the broadcast with his head down and his hands folded.
He then mentioned how people would ask him what he was thinking when the team was down and all hope for the Patriots looked lost.
“You know, I was thinking, ‘You better fight your ass off to the end,'” the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback said.
“Like, regardless of what happens, you’re not to quit. Regardless of what happens, you’re going to f****** fight your way out of this. And I told my teammates, ‘Lock in, laser focus, come on we just gotta go down and score one f****** touchdown.'”
He then goes into what happened next, including a score driving to get some momentum on their side.
“We move down the field in the third quarter and we made it a 28-9 game. And I was like, alright, came off the field, and I said, ‘Okay, at least we’re fighting.’ Got the ball back, went down, and kicked a field goal. 28-12. And I’m like, ‘it’s a two-score game. Come on, D, we need one play,” he said.
Down two scores, Brady then recounts the play made by linebacker Dont’a Hightower that started shifting things in New England’s favor.
“Dont’a Hightower coming off the edge. Strip sacks Matt Ryan and Alan Branch, former [Michigan] Wolverine, jumps on it, throw a touchdown pass to my boy D.A. [Danny Amendola], and we get the two-point conversion, and we need one great stop on defense,” Brady recalled.
“We got it, drove down the field. Some great plays. Julian [Edelman] with one of the greatest catches in the history of the Super Bowl. I get goosebumps—look at me, I’m getting goosebumps telling the story!”
Of course, after that catch, the Patriots would go down the field as James White had a one-yard rushing touchdown. New England converted the two-point conversion with a pass from Brady to Amendola.
Overtime hits. The Falcons have the ball first, but they lasted just four plays before punting.
The Patriots then had an eight-play drive that culminated in White’s two-yard rushing touchdown to complete the greatest comeback in the Super Bowl’s history.