FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots[3] begin their voluntary offseason program Monday, and if the past is any indication, quarterback Tom Brady[4] will be present. In turn, so should many (if not all) of his teammates.
For those who believe leadership starts at the top, this time of year is another reminder of how leadership in the locker room starts with Brady. He's the tone-setter, and when teammates see how hard he works and watch the relentless commitment to his craft, many follow his example.
Brady, who turns 39 on Aug. 3, is primed to be the NFL's oldest non-kicker/punter this season, and that commitment is a big reason he's so far been able to fight off Father Time while having some fun connecting with younger teammates along the way.
In one of the social-media highlights of the offseason, Brady channeled his inner Ron Burgundy and called for his receivers to unite[5]. That led to some fun with receivers Julian Edelman[6] and Danny Amendola[7] responding, followed by tight ends Rob Gronkowski[8] and Martellus Bennett[9].
But the work will turn serious today, as players are allowed to be at the facility for up to four hours. The first two weeks of the offseason program are restricted to strength and conditioning drills.
Brady should be there. Naturally.
As has been the case for most of the last decade-plus, he's leading the charge -- both on the field and in the offseason program.
References
- ^ Close (espn.go.com)
- ^ print (espn.go.com)
- ^ New England Patriots (esp n.go.com)
- ^ Tom Brady (espn.go.com)
- ^ receivers to unite (espn.go.com)
- ^ Julian Edelman (espn.go.com)
- ^ Danny Amendola (espn.go.com)
- ^ Rob Gronkowski (espn.go.com)
- ^ Martellus Bennett (espn.go.com)
Source → Leadership starts at top with Tom Brady in Patriots' offseason program
