FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady became just the fourth player in NFL history to throw for 400 career touchdowns, a milestone that had an added twist when receiver Danny Amendola -- who caught a 1-yard touchdown pass at the end of the second quarter Sunday to give Brady his 400th passing TD -- initially gave the football to a fan.
Oops.
"I didn’t realize it until halfway back to the sidelines, that I gave the 400 ball away. But we got it back and he got it, so it’s good," Amendola said after the game.
Brady had laughed at the turn of events Sunday, saying the football wasn't important to him. He elaborated on those thoughts during his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI Monday.
"I wouldn't expect anybody to know [about the milestone]," he told hosts John Dennis, Gerry Callahan and Kirk Minihane with a chuckle. "I think the statisticians [know] things like that."
Asked if he wanted to give the football to his family members, Brady said, "They have so much memorabilia at this point. I mean, it's a great accomplishment, don't get me wrong. To be able to play with the same team and the same organization, and to have the level of success that we've had, is incredible. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought we could have accomplished this. I just know the kind of work that it takes from everybody. The great part of football is that it's a team sport and you can enjoy it with everybody. In order to have an individual accomplishment, you need the entire team to do everything that they're asked to. We as quarterbacks get so much attention and so much focus that you try to make sure that everyone knows that it's everyone playing their part and doing their job. ... I think that's why I enjoy the game so much and why I chose football over baseball and over other sports because I really love the team aspect of the game."
As for the milestone or record that means the most to him, Brady said, "I think the thing that probably means the most is consecutive starts. I think that's something is a reflection of the commitment that you make. I think that's a pretty amazing thing, like what Brett Favre has been able to do, what Peyton [Manning] did over his career. Just being available to your team. You're no help to the team if you're on the sideline. To be available to play. To be durable and consistent. That's what I focus on more than a touchdown or yards per attempt. All those things are great, and I think you can probably pull any stat and make it into whatever you want. But being available to the team when they're counting on you, and then playing at your highest and best when your team needs you the most is what I think a quarterback's job is all about."
Brady has now started 111 consecutive games, including both the regular season and playoffs.
Prior to missing 15 games in the 2008 season with a torn ACL, he had a consecutive starts streak of 128.
