Troy Aikman gets honest about Tom Brady's advantage before calling first Super Bowl clash

Tom Brady has played in 10 Super Bowls. However, this year, he’ll be in a new role. The former Patriots quarterback will be in the booth calling the action on the field. As he gets ready to call Super Bowl LIX for FOX, former QB and experienced broadcaster Troy Aikman shared some important advice.

Aikman, who has called many Super Bowls, says that being in the booth is a completely different challenge. Speaking on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast, he explained that the Super Bowl isn’t just another game. The excitement, long halftime and pressure make it unique. Even experienced broadcasters can find it overwhelming.

"For anyone who's played in a Super Bowl, to say, 'Well, yeah, it's like any other game,' - they've not played in it because it's not," he said.

Aikman stressed that preparation is key. Thus, he advised Tom Brady to study the teams carefully. Not just their biggest stars but also lesser-known players who might have a breakout moment.

Aikman added that Brady has a unique advantage. He has played in more Super Bowls than anyone else. Aikman said:

"I always said as a player that - as you know, I played in three, I don't think you can ever play in enough Super Bowls to where all of a sudden it just becomes another game. Tom Brady might be that one guy, who can say that."

Besides, Troy Aikman explained how a broadcaster's job is to help the audience understand what a quarterback feels during a Super Bowl. Aikman furthermore shared that he likes watching the beginning of the game because he knows how nervous players are and how they try to stay calm.

Next, he compared it to how broadcasters feel when they go live on air. At first, there is pressure to avoid mistakes, but just like players, broadcasters get more comfortable as time goes on.

Tom Brady admits he didn’t understand Super Bowl’s importance early in his career

For most players, making it to the Super Bowl is a dream. But for Tom Brady, it became a regular thing. The seven-time champion shared that in the early years of his career he didn’t fully understand how special the Super Bowl was until he lost.

Talking to Colin Cowherd on The Herd, Brady admitted that after winning three Super Bowls in his first four seasons with the New England Patriots, he thought winning was normal.

He said:

"For me, what I realized early in my career about Super Bowls was 'man, we won my first year. What's the big deal? ... Now I'm in the Super Bowl, we won. We didn't have a great season in 2002, we won in 2003. What's the big deal? We won in 2004, what's the big deal?"

Then, everything changed. After winning in 2004, the Patriots didn’t win another Super Bowl for 10 years. During that time, they made it to two more Super Bowls but lost both to the New York Giants. That’s when Tom Brady realized how tough it was to win.

After that, Brady changed the way he prepared. He studied every detail about his opponents, learning their strategies better than they knew them.

By the time he played his last Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, he was completely prepared. This deep focus, which he calls his “superpower,” helped him win a record seven Super Bowls.