Tom Brady helped a Bucs player get over his Pro Bowl snub by telling him they had a 'bigger bowl' to chase

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Tom Brady helped a Bucs player get over his Pro Bowl snub by telling him they had a 'bigger bowl' to chase
Tom Brady.Brett Duke/AP Images
  • When Buccaneers linebacker Devin White was upset about not making the Pro Bowl, Tom Brady told him they were chasing a Super Bowl instead.
  • White and Bucs coach Bruce Arians have credited Brady for his leadership this season.
  • The Bucs are now in the NFC Championship, preparing to play the Green Bay Packers.
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One of Tom Brady's biggest impacts on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been convincing teammates that team success matters more than individual success.

According to NBC's Peter King, Brady has assumed a mentor role with the Bucs and helped linebacker Devin White get over a Pro Bowl snub.

"Few weeks ago, I was kinda upset I didn't make the Pro Bowl," White told King. "He's like, 'D, there's a bigger bowl I'm chasing. We're all chasing it. C'mon.' I just thought, man, it's a blessing to hear that. I need to hear that. This thing's about us. He's still chasing those bowls in his 40s. I am just so grateful to be able to spend this time with him."

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Tom Brady helped a Bucs player get over his Pro Bowl snub by telling him they had a 'bigger bowl' to chase
Devin White.Mark LoMoglio/AP Images
rady and the Bucs are now one win away from making the Super Bowl, thanks, in part, to White's excellent play in the divisional playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. White had 11 tackles, a pass break-up, and an interception, one of three Bucs' takeaways on the night.

The Bucs needed the defense's help, as Brady completed just 54.5% of his passes for 199 yards. He did throw two touchdowns and added one with his legs.

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"Thing I love about Tom is he's always teaching," White told King about Brady. "Teaching me how to be a great leader. Every single day, every single practice, he puts the team before himself. First few days he's in the locker room, we're all like, We're in the locker room with the greatest quarterback of all time! Like, I wanna talk to him, I wanna get a picture with him. But then, he's your teammate. You're here for a reason."

Brady's influence is apparently what Bucs coach Bruce Arians envisioned when they landed Brady in free agency.

According to King, Arians said in March: "We need Tom to teach these guys how to win, teach these guys how to be pros. I can't wait to see the impact he has on our players."

The NFC Championship is the furthest the Buccaneers have been since 2002 when they won the Super Bowl. Conversely, it's the 14th conference championship game of Brady's career.

The Buccaneers will now play the Packers in Green Bay.

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"It's hard to get to this point," Brady told reporters after the win over the Saints. "There's nothing guaranteed from this point forward."

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