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Tom Brady Jokes On NPR: 'Most Defensive Coordinators Are Not Smart'

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady's offseason media tour continued over the weekend, with the Patriots' quarterback appearing as a special guest on NPR's "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!"

Brady phoned in to the show, which was being recorded in front of a live audience in Hartford. While most of the New England-based crowd cheered Brady's appearance, the hosts noted that there were a few boos scattered when the quarterback was introduced.

"I think that's a badge of honor in our sport," Brady said. "When they don't like you, you're probably doing something pretty good."

In what was a lighthearted conversation, Brady discussed his odd hatred for strawberries.

"I grew up in California, and I had an aunt that lived in central California, and when she'd drive up to see us she would stop at the fruit stands on the side of the road and she'd get this big trays of strawberries and she would bring them up to our house and she would put them in our refrigerator," Brady explained. "And every time the refrigerator door was opened, the smell of strawberries would permeate the room, and I could not stand it. And since then, I've never eaten a strawberry. The thought of a strawberry is terrible for me. And the fact that I actually did it the other night, I couldn't believe it either. So that's what's maybe most surprising for me."

Last week on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Brady ate a strawberry on live TV. When asked on NPR how it tasted, Brady responded with a one-word answer that had to be bleeped out.

At that point, one of the hosts suggested that "there are defensive coordinators who are like plotting right now to douse their team's uniforms with the scent of strawberries."

Brady responded quickly: "That would be smart. But most defensive coordinators are not smart."

Burn!

Brady also insulted his own intelligence, after the host noted that Brady is now a New York Times best-selling author.

"For a C student, that's not too bad," Brady quipped.

Though Brady and the Patriots did lose the Super Bowl in February, the 40-year-old does have the privilege of boasting a little bit. He did, after all, lead the league in passing yards while earning his third career MVP award. And in that losing effort in the Super Bowl, he threw three touchdowns with no interceptions while setting a record with 505 passing yards.

Last season, after completing the miraculous 28-3 comeback against the Falcons, Brady engaged in some similarly braggadocios activity when he told Peter King, "I have the answers to the test now. You can't surprise me on defense. I've seen it all." His play in 2017 backed up those comments.

But defensive coordinators were not the only subjects of Brady's roasts, as the host of the show accidentally talked about Brady scoring "goals" on the field. Brady didn't let it slide.

"Yeah. In football we score touchdowns," Brady answered. "In soccer, they're goals. But um, yeah, when we score a touchdown ... ."

And, because he was slinging his TB12 Method book, Brady did offer some sage advice to anyone who may not be able to live up to every aspect of his meticulous diet and lifestyle.

"I didn't say [tomatoes are] bad for you," Brady said. "Please. Look, if you love tomatoes, eat tomatoes. Everyone's got one life; they should live it and enjoy it."

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