Former Patriots RB recalls hilarious story of Tom Brady hazing rookies
By Jerry Trotta
It wasn’t always shown during his time with the New England Patriots, but Tom Brady has an incredible likable personality. Since leaving the team in 2020, Brady has expressed himself in ways Patriots fans likely didn’t think was possible.
From becoming a hot commodity on Twitter and being more relaxed in press conferences, it’s fair to say Brady has enjoyed branching out from Bill Belichick, who seems to want to control every narrative surrounding the franchise.
Just because Belichick runs a buttoned-up organization doesn’t mean Brady couldn’t find ways to horse around with his teammates, however.
During a recent episode of “The Pivot Podcast,” co-hosts Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder warned Jets receiver Garrett Wilson about the classic “rookie dinner” where first-year players foot a ridiculously high bill.
Brady’s go-to strategy at these dinners? Make the bill as expensive as possible, as Taylor, who played his final two years with the Pats, put it.
Fred Taylor said Tom Brady liked to run up the tab at rookie dinners https://t.co/aW3yGdG3Sz
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 20, 2022
Former Patriots RB Fred Taylor says Tom Brady used to run up the tab at rookie dinners.
"When I was in New England, the entire team went out on the rookies,” Taylor said. “All I know is that bill comes back like 50, 60 thousand because Tom would come in there and buy a three, four, five thousand dollar bottle of wine, take one sip, quit it, and say goodnight.”"
While rookies fitting the bill for veterans is a long-standing tradition in the NFL, and probably most sports, the real “hazing” aspect usually takes another form, whether it be forcing first-year players to sing in front of the entire team (including the coaching staff), getting a bad haircut or making them carry equipment.
Brady, on the other hand, welcomes them to the NFL by ordering a $5,000 bottle of wine and leaving after taking a sip. That’s a savage move by the 44-year-old quarterback, though he more than made up for it by taking the team to nine Super Bowls and 17 AFC East titles in 20 years.
How many Patriots rookies do you think cashed in on playoff bonuses thanks to Brady? It’s undoubtedly a long list.
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We just hope these players accepted the wine as a gift. It’s the least they deserve for spending a chunk of their first-year salaries on a team dinner. After all, a sip of wine is likely all the famed TB12 diet allows Brady to drink per season.
If this is still Brady’s go-to move, the Buccaneers’ 2022 draft class is in for a rude awakening in the near future. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
