Bart Scott, a former NFL All-Pro linebacker, said that he would much rather face Tom Brady every day of the week than play against Peyton Manning in his heyday. Scott, who was a star linebacker for the Jets and Ravens, said that only one quarterback kept him awake the night before a game, and it wasn’t Tom Brady.
Total Anxiety Before Facing Manning
The 2006 All-Pro linebacker made a guest appearance on ESPN Radio and made it clear that he wasn’t alone when he said that Manning and not Brady was the scariest NFL quarterback for most opposition players. Scott was adamant that, in the heyday, players would never think “I’m so afraid of Tom Brady.”
However, when one knew that he was going to be up against Manning the next day, the feeling was that of total anxiety. “Like, you sleep at night, like – damn.” – Scott said.
With Brady, It Was More About the Patriots
When Scott was scheduled to play Brady, it was different. With Brady, it wasn’t just the quarterback that he would be thinking about, but the whole team, Bill Belichick, and the execution of the Patriots’ game plan.
So, for Scott, it wasn’t Brady that he would obsess with, but the Patriots. However, when the Indianapolis Colts came to town, it was always about Manning.
Scott joked that Manning made his head hurt and compared preparing a game plan to stop him to getting ready for an SAT test.
Still at the Top of His Game
The now 41-year-old might have feared Manning more, but Brady’s achievements speak for themselves. After all, Scott retired in 2012, whereas Brady, three years his senior, is still playing some of his best football.
And as for fearing the Patriots more than fearing Brady – After leaving the New England Patriots as a six-time Super Bowl winner, Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won his seventh in his first season in Florida. The Patriots didn’t fare nearly as well after the star quarterback left.
The fact that he is still going strong and will soon be 45 puts him in a league of his own even if, for players like Scott, he might not be the most feared NFL quarterback ever.
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