Jimmy Garoppolo: 'You Have To Be Consistently Good, Not Occasionally Great'
FOXBORO (CBS) -- Jimmy Garoppolo has heard all the hype and all the chatter about him coming to New England to one day replace Tom Brady. But the rookie quarterback out of Eastern Illinois knows that you don't just show up at Gillette Stadium and assume you have any job -- let alone that of the starting quarterback.
"I don't know. It's just one of those things where you can't really focus on it," Garoppolo said after Tuesday's minicamp session. "If you focus on that, your focus is on the wrong thing. So my main focus is coming out here and being very consistent day in and day out. It's a grind, and you just have to come out here and do good each and every day, really."
They one-day-at-a-time approach came through in just about everything Garoppolo said, as he said he's trying his best to adjust to the pro game on the fly.
"It's a process, that's for sure. But it's one of those things, you've got to take it day by day," Garoppolo said. "Each day is different and you have to be consistently good, not occasionally great. You have to come out here and do your best every single day and let the coaches see what you can do."
In that regard, it's been largely so far so good, as the 22-year-old has not looked overmatched in the practice sessions thus far. He credited Brady and Ryan Mallett, as well as Josh McDaniels and offensive assistant Jerry Schuplinksi, in helping him get up to speed, and the focus on improving is clearly something that Garoppolo values above all else.
"Not really surprising, but it's very fast," Garoppolo said. "I kind of expected that, and there is a transition from the college to the NFL game. It's just something that you have to get used to, and great athletes do."
Before saying farewell to the large media scrum on the field, Garoppolo was asked if his work is over the day.
"It's not even close to being over," he said with a laugh.
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