Athletes are always talking about money at a time when everyone else is struggling so badly to make it. We all make way more than our fair share. And I just think it reflects poorly on myself and my teammates. I really do just want to win, and that has and will continue to be the reason that motivates me and is the biggest factor in my decision-making process.
Interpretation
Tom Brady emphasizes the importance of winning over monetary gains in sports.
In this quote, Tom Brady highlights a common criticism of athletes who seem overly focused on their earnings while many people face financial struggles. He reflects on how, despite the lucrative nature of professional sports, his primary motivation remains the pursuit of victory, suggesting that true fulfillment comes from achievement and teamwork rather than financial gain.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a sports camp to inspire young athletes.
You can't score if you're turning it over. It's like a punt. If you go out and you punt 12 times, you're not scoring points. That's not good. So, when you turn the ball over and throw interceptions, you're giving the other team more opportunities and your team less opportunities.
I don't go to bed at 1 A.M. and wake up at 5 A.M. and say, 'Let's see if I can get this done today.'
It's a real strength for me that I've never minded the training process. It's something I enjoy. I really like being in the gym or, certainly, on the field.
The true competitors, though, are the ones who always play to win.
I think that at the start of a game, you're always playing to win, and then maybe if you're ahead late in the game, you start playing not to lose. The true competitors, though, are the ones who always play to win.
Mentally, the only players who survive in the pros are the ones able to manage all their responsibilities. Everybody struggles in different ways.
No success or achievement in material terms is worthwhile unless it serves the needs or interests of the country and its people and is achieved by fair and honest means.
Opportunity ... It has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, and often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.
I know it's not the most important thing for me to win the most Grand Slams and be remembered in this world. I certainly don't have to win little tournaments here, there and everywhere, I don't have to win at all. Although I do want to.
I'm proud to be associated with the value system at Berkshire Hathaway; I think you'll make more money in the end with good ethics than bad.
My ultimate goal is for that next generation coming up, who didn't see me play, go, 'Oh, he used to play football?'
Months of preparation, one of those few opportunities, and the judgment of a split second are what makes some pilot an ace, while others think back on what they could have done.
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