Tom Brady knows being a young athlete in today's media landscape means being more prone to scrutiny.
That is the case for Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who has been in the spotlight throughout his amateur football career. Being the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning comes with its own set of expectations.
Regarding how fans and media should treat young athletes like Manning, a redshirt sophomore, Brady gives a reminder that players need to be allowed time to develop.
"Before, [players] had the kind of ability to fail when people weren't watching, to build that resiliency within themselves," Brady told Sports Illustrated in an interview promoting the SharkNinja Crispi Pro. "So I think it's a real challenge these days for these young kids because Arch Manning, you know, seems like a great kid and great player."
Brady calls back to the era he grew up in without media attention that allowed him to develop at his own pace before getting drafted to the NFL.
"Peyton [Manning] had a lot of years to develop," Brady said. "Eli [Manning] had a lot of years to develop and, you know, I was a college kid once, too, and I wasn't the best quarterback at that time. And how people remember me after my pro career was a lot different than I remember me after my college career, which is a lot different than me how they remember me after my high school year. So give people a chance to learn and grow and develop and put them in the right situation."
Ultimately, Brady hopes fans can build young players like Manning up in this age of access and increased scrutiny.
"It's just a very interesting media environment with the negativity associated with people," Brady said. "And I'd love to see some of these young players not have their confidence broken, you know, because they're not their uncle... as a 17- or 18-year-old kid."
Now retired from his playing career, Brady has had the opportunity to observe the game of football as both a fan, owner and analyst. Among his latest ventures, Brady is allowing fans to "roast" him for a second time while announcing himself as an ambassador of the SharkNinja Crispi Pro.
Whatever comes his way, Brady will be ready.
"I can certainly take a joke," Brady said. "I think the partnership is all about bringing some of that roast energy back. And I do believe that we should never take ourselves too seriously. So, you know, fans get to have fun with me, I think, and we get to highlight a great product. So it all works well together."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tom Brady Calls Out 'Negativity' Surrounding Arch Manning, Young Athletes.