Fred Taylor, the former RB of the New England Patriots, knows a thing or two about the Patriots and its talismanic former QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. Brady was at the Patriots when Taylor was a part of the club. The GOAT seems to leave a powerful impression on everyone in whichever club he plays. 

Having played there for two seasons, Taylor knows that the culture at the Patriots or the Patriot Way is an integral part of the team, the very core of how the team functions. However, he has a different take on who propagated that culture. 

Do Tom Brady and the Patriot Way go hand in hand?

Taylor believes that just as the Patriot Way was the center of the Patriots, Tom Brady was the man responsible for ensuring it.

He said, “But this is the perfection part of it. When you talk about the Patriot Way, it starts with Tom Brady. It’s just a sense of urgency. How he is in his preparation that carries over to the game and eventually results in success.”

With this comment, Taylor downplayed the role of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in the development of the Patriot Way. Despite many considering Belichick’s coaching philosophies to be the real foundation of the Patriot Way.

Taylor praised Brady when he said, “Brady practices the exact same way as he plays, and he demands that sense of urgency from everyone.”

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Taylor’s assessment of Brady’s role in the Patriots Way shows how highly he regards Brady. But it is not just Taylor who believes that Brady is the Patriot Way.

Why do TB12’s former teammates consider him synonymous with the Patriot Way?

The Patriot Way is at its crux, putting the needs of the team before the self. According to LB Rob Ninkovich, Tom Brady epitomized what the Patriot Way stood for, for 20 years “putting the team first, not being selfish, doing what’s best for the team, and putting the team’s goals in front of your own personal goals.”

Other teammates also have similar opinions on the abilities and team spirit of the GOAT QB. WR Danny Amendola said, “When you see ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s going to have Tom Brady’s pic next to it.. None of those coaches threw any passes… But Tom Brady is the ‘Patriot Way,’ and that’s the reason why Tom Brady’s in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t.”

One common trend emerges from all that former Patriots players aligned to what Taylor has to say. The Patriot Way may have begun as coaching philosophy, and Belichick may have been its progenitor. But it is Brady epitomizing what the way stood for over the longest period.

Such has been Brady’s influence over the team/game that players, fans, and analysts alike have associated it only with TB12.

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