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Tom Brady Shares What He Believes To Be The Most Important Trait In A Football Player

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Following the Patriots' training camp practice on Tuesday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady stayed on the field to get in some extra work. It was not at all an atypical scene in Foxboro, where Brady has always been eager to practice long after practice officially ends.

After practice (and the extra practice), when talking with the media, Brady was asked if the extra work on the practice fields is a case of the quarterback trying to lead by example. Brady said the extra practice has more to do with something else.

"I think having the stamina to do whatever it takes is the best trait you could have. And I think you either get the job done, or you don't. And it's very clear to see when you do, and it's very clear to see when you don't," Brady said. "There's a scoreboard at the end of each field, and you get to see what the scoreboard is at the end, and you've gotta do whatever it takes to get the job done."

Many veteran players may groan at the mere idea of practice, let alone extra practice. But the Patriots' quarterback said Tuesday that he was excited to finally get the right kind of weather to really get in a proper post-practice session.

"I love doing it. I love trying to get whatever you can, get a little extra in," Brady said. "We've had so many hot days, really hot days, or really wet days, and neither of those days are good to do that extra stuff. So, gotta take advantage of these days while we can, and try to get a little extra work with the receivers, and the tight ends, and that's what the goal is."

On Tuesday, it was Jacob Hollister -- the second-year tight end who's still trying to establish himself in the NFL -- who did the bulk of the running and receiving with Brady after practice. For Brady, as he enters his 19th NFL season, there is value to be found in these summer practices, the post-practice sessions, and the preseason games.

"They're important. It's good work. Whether it's a walkthrough, practice, a game, it all matters. I think if it was a waste of time, we wouldn't do it," Brady said. "There's a lot of urgency. We're not where we need to be. Got a lot of work to do. These practices are a part of it, and the opportunities that we get in a game – when everything's full, live, the quarterback's getting hit, that provides a little different element. So it's good to get out there and it's good to be out here practicing, and we're going to have to see if we can try to put together a great performance on Thursday."

All of that being said, Brady is not always cheerful when he's out on the practice field. That much was clear at the end of Monday's session, when he punted a football out of frustration. Brady said that type of outburst is consistent with his general demeanor on the football field.

"I think I'm generally frustrated. That's a very …  generally frustrated would be a very typical term for me out here," Brady said. "So, I think there's a lot to do and a lot to get done, and hopefully we can have the urgency. I think, every drill, you gotta get something out of it and you've gotta build toward something. Because the competition is tough, and they're building, and you've gotta keep the pace."

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