Raiders News: Jimmy Garoppolo Says Tom Brady’s Competitive Spirit Is Still Inside Him

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
3 Min Read
Sep 17, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New England Patriots quarterbacks Tom Brady (12) and Jimmy Garoppolo (10) run our onto the field before their game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

When he first came into the NFL with the New England Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo learned under the greatest quarterback to ever play the game in Tom Brady. Now as he takes over in his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady is still around to give Garoppolo a little extra motivation.

Brady is in line to be a minority owner of the Raiders, though a new rule change has put a bit of a roadblock in front of that bid. Even still, Brady was in the Raiders’ locker room prior to the team’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, and he went viral after he told the Raiders to go ‘ruin’ the Cowboys’ night.

And as Garoppolo told Scott Thompson of Fox News, that was proof of Brady’s competitive spirit still being inside of him, and being in the locker room prior to the game brought it out:

“His competitive spirit, it still comes out even just getting ready for the Dallas preseason game,” Garoppolo said. “He was in the locker room with us. You can feel it — that competitive spirit was coming out a little bit. He was getting a little fiery.”

The energy and spirit that it takes to be a professional athlete is unlike anything else, and it is hard to move on from that when it’s been a part of your life for so long. Just a few months ago Brady was suiting up so being back in the Raiders locker room undoubtedly brought back those feelings and emotions as a competitor.

Now Brady will have to transfer all of that energy and fire into the business world and trust that Garoppolo can carry this mantle for the Raiders. The team has a ton of potential to make a run to the playoffs with plenty of offensive firepower and a young, hungry defense looking to prove a lot of people wrong.

But the key to everything will be Garoppolo who signed with the team this offseason. He has always been a winner when he has been on the field, but injuries have hampered him throughout his career, including a foot injury that ended last year and kept him off the field for much of the offseason.

Brady’s fire is what set him apart from the rest, and for the time being, he still looks to be part of this Raiders organization so he wants nothing but success from Garoppolo and this franchise.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.