Tom Brady’s block speaks volumes about his football character

Tom Brady may not have thrown the best block against Jets safety Jamal Adams last Sunday, but it’s still highly indicative of the kind of player he is.

Pats Nation surely let out one gigantic worried gasp when 42-year-old quarterback Tom Brady lunged forward and threw his body at Jets safety Jamal Adams early in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game.

New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had called a reverse between Brady, Rex Burkhead, and Phillip Dorsett, a trick play that had New York’s defense moving right to counteract Burkhead while Dorsett came shooting left with the actual football in his hands. Brady somehow found himself (either through design or by accident) as the lead blocker for Dorsett on the play, and he didn’t seem to hesitate in laying out in front of Adams to help Dorsett gain some extra yardage.

The block itself was far from textbook. Even Brady himself later admitted as much on social media, commenting on an image shared by Dorsett via Instagram that he was, “Tryin to spring my guy free!! Need alot (sic) of work in blocking department.”

Brady accompanied the comment with a pair of laughing emojis, so it’s clear that even the G.O.A.T. isn’t above making fun of himself or admitting when he needs to improve at something football-related.

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On the original image Dorsett shared of the play in question, the wide receiver wrote the caption, “Now that’s what you call unselfish.”

He’s really onto something with that sentiment. There aren’t a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL who are willing to throw their body into harm’s way to block for one of their teammates. In fairness, it’s not exactly smart either for coaches to ask them to do that – QBs are simply too valuable to their team to risk their health on such plays.

Still, it speaks volumes about the football character Brady possesses that he’s willing to do anything it takes to help his team win. Critics might poke fun at his blocking “technique,” and New England fans certainly still have every right to wring their hands in anxiety when they see their old-as-dirt quarterback heaving himself into traffic.

For Brady though – and more importantly, for his teammates – it’s this exact kind of unselfish behavior and selfless play that makes him a leader and a role model that younger players can look up to and respect. Imagine how Dorsett must view Brady now after this play; if he didn’t already have an extremely high opinion of his quarterback, he certainly does now.

In turn, Dorsett is probably willing to pay the favor back or pay it forward in the future. If there’s ever a time he’s asked to block for another player, or to do anything mildly undesirable and outside his own wheelhouse, he need only remember Brady’s block as an inspirational reminder that the Patriots’ success comes from their players going above and beyond the call of duty on every single play, every single Sunday.

That lesson is one that’s quickly learned up in Foxborough. And Brady being Brady, he remains the ultimate teacher, and one who leads by example.