Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has accomplished more success in his NFL career than many other players in the league's history. But even he was nervous in the run-up to his first Super Bowl title.
That insight is drawn from the upcoming ESPN+ docuseries, Man in the Arena, which premieres the first of its 10 episodes Tuesday, Nov. 16. As The MMQB's Albert Breer noted Monday, "It should be a fun watch for anyone who’s rooted for, or against, Tom Brady’s teams for the last 20 years."
Each episode details one of Brady's Super Bowl appearances and the backstory leading up to that game. Ahead of his first AFC title game appearance, which came against the Steelers, Brady, then in his second season with the Patriots, admitted to some jitters.
“That was the first game that I was scared,” Brady says in the first episode of the series, per the Tamba Bay Times. “I was scared. The moment was definitely bigger than I was ready for. From the start of the game, I was confused. I didn’t know what was coming. You know, all their different blitzes.”
The Patriots jumped out to a 14–3 halftime lead over the Steelers in that title game, though, their first score was a result of a 55-yard punt return touchdown by Troy Brown.
Special teams were critical again in the third quarter when New England's Antwan Harris returned a block field goal 49 yards for another touchdown, giving the Patriots a 21–3 advantage that was too much for Pittsburgh to overcome.
New England would go on to win that contest, 20–17, and knock off the Rams in the Super Bowl, 20–17.
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