FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was booed during pregame ceremonies honoring past Super Bowl MVPs, said in a radio interview before the game that he doesn't consider himself one of the game's all-time greatest players at his position.
Asked by host Jim Gray of Westwood One Radio about his place among the game's best, Brady said, "That is a helluva question and I wouldn't put myself in there.
"I think there are some incredible players that have played the position and a lot of guys do things differently to get the job done. You see different styles, different techniques," Brady said.
"When you look at me being a fan of Joe Montana; nobody ever did it better than Joe Montana. In a way, he was like the Michael Jordan of football. The style and the grace and the beauty of what Joe's style was, it never looked hard for Joe."
Brady also said in the interview that he would be happy for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning if he won the Super Bowl but also jealous.
The Broncos went on to beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 on Sunday.
As for the topic of Brady among the all-time greats, he said in the radio interview that he views himself as a player who has "to think my way through the game, understand coverages, anticipate things. I have to work my butt off all week and work really hard to get to the game feeling confident with what I am trying to accomplish and get down the field to score some points.
"I guess for me because I have to work so hard at it and try so hard at it, that's part of enjoying it for me. But I look at other players and say, 'Gosh, I wish I could make it look as easy as they make it look.'"