There are many things that have helped make New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady such a great player for nearly two decades, and his ultra competitiveness certainly is near the top of the list.
In the latest NFL 100 roundtable, legendary defensive backs gathered to talk about Brady, and some of the attributes that have made him so great for so long.
Darrelle Revis had a unique perspective as the only player on the roundtable who had played against and played with Brady. Revis signed a one-year contract with the Patriots in 2014 and went on to win Super Bowl XLIX with the veteran quarterback that season.
The future Hall of Fame cornerback had an up close view of Brady's competitive fire in 2014, and he came away quite impressed.
"I had an opportunity to actually play with Tom," Revis said. "(We were) rivals for six years. I was on one side, playing for the New York Jets, competing against him and studying against him. Then also team up with him, and actually win a Super Bowl. When you're on the rival side, you're always studying and trying to figure this guy out week in and week out. You play them twice per year. Same conference -- you're trying to figure this guy out. What does he have that I don't have? What is driving him more than my drive? When I had the opportunity to team up with him and I was around him every day, I was like, 'Yeah, this guy is the ultimate competitor.'"
Part of Brady's competitive edge comes from different points in his career when few people believed in him. He always had to battle for his starting job at the University of Michigan, and then every NFL team passed on Brady several times during the 2000 draft before the Patriots finally selected him with the 199th overal pick.
Even after winning multiple Super Bowl titles and building a resumé worthing of GOAT status, Brady still receives a ton of criticism from certain members of the media. The chip on Brady's shoulder isn't likely to go away until he retires, and that drive will certainly help the Patriots in 2019 as they attempt to win what would be a record-breaking seventh Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
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