“I treated a preseason game, I treated a regular-season game like it was a Super Bowl,” Brady told the rookies, “so when I got to the Super Bowl, it was just another day for me.”
Before he retired on Feb. 1, 2023, Brady also won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award three times and the Super Bowl MVP Award five times.
Brady offered advice to the rookies – with Brock Bowers, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Malik Nabers and Bo Nix joining Williams – during the luncheon.
“When you have 53 guys on the team and you think it’s about you, it ain’t about you – it’s about us,” Brady said. “And the biggest problem I see with a lot of the young players today: You guys are making it too much about I and me because of social media, because of branding and all that. It’s fine. You’re not going to win. …
“There was a difference between being a star and being a champion.”
A former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn standout, Nix was drafted after two seasons at Oregon by the Denver Broncos with the 12th pick on April 25.
Williams went No. 1 to the Bears. The Washington Commanders picked Daniels, LSU’s quarterback, at No. 2, and the Patriots picked Maye, North Carolina’s quarterback, at No. 3. An LSU wide receiver, Nabers went at No. 6 to the New York Giants, and Bowers, a Georgia tight end, went at No. 13 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“There should be nobody in your life that should have higher expectations for you than you,” Brady told the rookies.
On his Instagram account, Brady posted photographs from the luncheon.
“I had a great morning with Fanatics’ Michael Rubin and some of the future players that will shape our great league,” Brady wrote. “I’ll always cherish the opportunity to talk to these young men who are about to start a monumental chapter of their lives. I would never be in the place I am today without the incredible people and mentors that came into my life at the right time and at the right place. There are too many to mention, but I have been blessed in so many ways. I feel we should always use our experiences to help others and ‘pay it forward’ to see the next generation grow as well, so they can live their dreams and maximize their potential.
“We talked about life and a little football, but from the tape I’ve been watching I think they have a great opportunity ahead. See you all on the road this year, and I can’t wait to watch your progress toward greatness with tremendous determination and discipline!”
The players were among 40 of the NFL’s most “marketable new stars” who attended the Rookie Premiere. The NFLPA’s annual event features seminars on financial planning and brand building and connects the players with business partners that will help them develop their personal brands and careers off the field.
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