Stew Milne-USA Today Sports
The New England Patriots and starting quarterback Tom Brady especially, will be down one of their biggest targets this year and moving forward after an NFL off-season that was highlighted by the arrest of former tight end, Aaron Hernandez.
By now, everyone knows the story — Hernandez was arrested and charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd just last month. Hernandez was subsequently released from the team upon his arrest and is currently being held without bail while awaiting trial.
On Tuesday afternoon, with another NFL season nearing for Brady and the Patriots, the star quarterback spoke in an interview. Brady aced the questions, simply dominating whatever was asked and barely touching upon the Hernandez situation. Brady spoke confidently about “team” and what he has seen in his tenure as a professional football player.
Brady stated that he has “moved on” when asked about Hernandez, going into more detail by saying, “I’ve seen a lot of things over 13 years, and what I have learned is that mental toughness and putting aside personal agendas for what’s in the best interest of the team matters most. My job is to play quarterback, and I’m going to do that the best way I know how, because I owe that to my teammates regardless of who is out there on the field with me.”
Love him or hate him, Brady is a winner. He’s proven himself both on and off the field throughout his NFL playing career, one that will likely end in the Hall of Fame. He dominated his first public statement since Hernandez’s arrest and apparently could care less about his mistakes, remaining focused on the New England Patriots and the approaching 2013 season.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
