Flutie tips Brady to deliver more success for Tampa Bay
Former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie believes that Tom Brady can deliver another Super Bowl for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.
Brady guided the Buccaneers to the title last season having achieved the feat on six previous occasions with the New England Patriots.
The turnaround in the team’s fortunes was truly remarkable given that they had reached the play-offs just twice since their last Super Bowl success in 2002.
Flutie, who spent a year as back-up to Brady with the Patriots in 2005, is confident that the veteran star has another title in him.
“I get really excited about Tom Brady,” he said. “I played one year, my last season, with him in New England. And when he made the move to Tampa, I was really intrigued.
“Of course, he knew what he was doing. He went to a team with a great defense. He had weapons around them, he didn’t have to be the entire show, although he always is. And he goes somewhere to win the Super Bowl.
“So now, I’m just intrigued again. Can he do it again? They’re reloaded. They’ve got all these weapons. That’s pretty exciting for me to see what’s going on there.”
While Flutie is full of admiration for the job Brady has done throughout his career, the year they spent together in New England did not end well.
After returning to the NFL from the Canadian Football League in 1998, Flutie led the Buffalo Bills to the play-offs in successive years.
He subsequently went on to secure a starting role with the San Diego Chargers, before heading to New England for the final year of his professional career.
The Patriots had won the Super Bowl in three of previous four seasons and were strongly fancied to add to their tally in 2005.
However, a series of unexpected mishaps against the Denver Broncos in the Divisional play-offs scuppered Flutie’s hopes of collecting a coveted ring.
“It’s amazing to think that Tom had already won two Super Bowls,” he added.
“Tom was one of the reasons I went to New England. It was home, but I’m thinking ‘I’ve got a shot here. Tom will win me a Super Bowl.’ He was already that guy.”
“But we got beat out in Denver. A guy dropped a punt that never fumbles a punt his life, and Tom actually threw a pick down on the goal line that gets returned 99 yards.
“Stuff that never happened to the Patriots happened in that game.
“I went to New England thinking get the pompoms out, cheerlead for Tom and have him win a Super Bowl ring before I retired. That’s what I was hoping for.
“But it’s amazing to think back in ’05 that Tom Brady was already a legend.”
Flutie was widely expected to return to the Patriots the following season, but eventually announced his retirement from playing in May 2006.
He now commentates on college games for NBC and has his own podcast called the Flutie Flakescast, where he talks about American Football, music and other passions in life.
