Tom Brady: Trying To Be 'As Positive As I Can Be' Despite DeflateGate Suspension
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady put forth a perfect performance during Friday's training camp session, going 25-for-25 in an intrasquad scrimmage. The quarterback was as animated and excited during the practice as he's been all summer, but shortly after the scrimmage ended, Brady was brought back to reality by a series of questions from reporters about his impending suspension.
In his first talk with the media this summer, Brady offered little details about what went into his decision to end his fight and drop his appeal of the four-game suspension issued to him after DeflateGate. He instead opted to speak mainly about his approach to the planned four-game absence.
"I try to come out here and just focus on what I need to do to get better and help our team, and like I said, I'll be excited to be back when I'm back. I'll be cheering our team on, and hopefully we go out and win every game," Brady told the crowd of reporters gathered around him on the Gillette Stadium practice field. "I try to just be as positive as I can be. I think that's kind of always been my motto. I know over the course of my career, I've been faced with different things, and I've tried to overcome them the best way I could or the best way I knew how. And I'll try to do the same thing. I just want our team to go out there and play really well."
When asked specifically by WBZ-TV's Dan Roche why he decided to drop the fight, Brady said it was personal.
"I think it's just personal. I've tried to move on from it," he said. "I try to, like I said, focus on the positive and being here with my teammates and getting better. You don't' want to go out and do anything but try to be a great example for your teammates, and we've got a lot of competitive guys that have been out here on the practice field. And I think that's where the focus needs to be."
Brady didn't offer a yes or a no when asked if he harbors anger toward the league over what's taken place.
"I always approach, you know, I have a job to do it, and I try to approach it the best way I can. I try to do things the same way. Every day's important to me," Brady said. "Certainly as someone who's been around for a long time, I know I've got to bring it every day. I think I just try to go out there and lead by example and try to bring it and let my teammates know that I'm ready to go mentally and physically.
As for how he plans on dealing with being banned from the football field, Brady seemed to indicate that he doesn't have an exact strategy mapped out just yet.
"I'll deal with that when it comes. I could ... you know, I could have a plan and then change the plan. I don't know," Brady said. "These days are important for me, they're important for every guy on this team to get better. It's a long season, and we've got a good competitive team. So I'm just going to be rooting for us to win every game that we're playing I'm not in. And certainly when I'm in, I hope we win every game too."
Brady also expressed gratitude to a number of people for supporting him through the year-and-a-half battle with the NFL.
"My family's been everything to me," he said. "Obviously the support of my teammates and coaches and Mr. Kraft and Jonathan, the whole team, and all our fans. I said the other night we've got the best fans in the world, and we do. Hopefully we give them a lot of reasons to cheer this year."
