News broke recently that Fanatics owner Michael Rubin hosted a meeting alongside Tom Brady and rapper Jay-Z with every 1st round quarterback this past weekend. Caleb Williams was in attendance and had the good fortune of sitting beside Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer discussed football and business with the young men. What he told them wasn’t known when the news first came out, but that has changed.
A video surfaced from Rubin’s Instagram account of Brady giving a passionate speech on what separates great quarterbacks from everybody else. It starts with understanding that you are nothing without the team. Individual stats and personal branding are OK, but they don’t get you the recognition you desire. Only winning does that. There is a difference between being a star and being a champion. One quote stuck out the most. It was Brady’s secret to winning so many championships.
“When I was on the Patriots and we had 20 years of winning, every day was a big day. I treated a preseason game, a regular season game like it was the Super Bowl. So when I got to the Super Bowl? It was just another day for me.”
Teammates and coaches said the #1 overall pick had a competitive streak that was borderline obsessive. This is good. That is what separated Brady from most of his peers. Everybody wants to win. He needed to win. He treated it almost as if it were life or death. Michael Jordan was the same way. Having talent is important, yes. The true greats are ferocious competitors. Nobody disputes Williams’ ability. He has all the tools necessary to go far in the NFL. Does he have the mental drive and emotional toughness to handle the obstacles ahead?
The Bears seem to think so. One thing that has become clear about Williams is he has an open mind. He is willing to learn from anybody and everybody if he feels it will make him better. Tom Brady certainly qualifies as the best possible teacher. He may not be able to impart the personality that made him great, but his advice is still excellent. What Williams does with it will determine how far the Bears going moving forward. If it sticks, this organization could be set to enter a new golden age.
