TAMPA, Fla. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady spoke glowingly of Coach Bruce Arians on Thursday as the Bucs prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in next week’s Super Bowl, saying, “I think everyone wants to win for him.”
At the age of 68, Arians will be the second oldest head coach in a Super Bowl. He won two as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He’s a great man. A great leader. A great person. A great friend,” said Brady of Arians, whom he met when Arians briefly retired and worked on the broadcast in 2018. “He’s very loyal. just has a great way to communicate effectively with everyone around here. “
Brady developed a fondness for Arians after watching his documentary “A Football Life”. It highlighted Arians’ climb to become a head coach with the Arizona Cardinals for the first time at age 60, his harsh coaching style, his disdain for playing politics, and his desire to keep things real.
“Everyone has a great affection for him, for the person he is,” said Brady of Arians. “No one would ever say anything bad about BA. He’s just so endearing to everyone. And I think everyone wants to win for him. ‘
Some had wondered how Brady handled Arians style, with a totally different attitude from Bill Belichick, including sometimes public shouting from players. Brett Favre and Rob Ninkovich, good friends of Brady, even publicly criticized the Arians for it, with Ninkovich calling for his job.
But Arians has always said, “It’s just fairness,” and Brady has said he can handle tough coaching.
“He puts a lot into it, expects a lot from it,” Brady said. “He has high expectations of us every day during practice. I just think it’s really exciting that he is recognized as he is. I know he is dual. [AP] Coach of the Year, but he has done a really great job with the team in really adverse situations this year. I just love playing for him. “
The feeling is mutual.
Arians of Brady said during the Halas Trophy presentation after the Bucs won the NFC title, “The belief that he believed everyone in the organization that this was possible – it only took one man.”