The iconic QB and FOX NFL Sunday mainstay talks longevity, Tom Brady, and ostrich eggs ahead of Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.
On the afternoon of Feb. 11 in the Roosevelt section of Phoenix, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback and broadcaster Terry Bradshaw held court in a makeshift greenroom in the very same jovial, twangy manner that has made him a football fixture for decades on FOX NFL Sunday.
The 74-year-old was representing Frito Lay, for whom he shot a Super Bowl commercial for alongside the Manning brothers and a host of other big names that sees the Pittsburgh Steelers legend end up stuck atop a school bus on the way to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.
“They stuck me up there, duct taped me,” Bradshaw told Boardroom, “but I made it.”
In conversation, Bradshaw discussed his career longevity, advice he’d give to future broadcaster Tom Brady, investing in ostrich eggs, his Chiefs–Eagles prediction, and more.
NOTE: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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SHLOMO SPRUNG: What keeps you motivated to keep doing Fox NFL Sunday for as long as you’ve been doing it?
TERRY BRADSHAW: It’s my job. I’m one of those [people] that loves going to work. And I love what I’m doing. Twenty-nine years. I’m 43 years now in broadcasting which, I know, is amazing, but I just love the people I work with. We’ve now been leading the ratings for all 29 years. We’ve been very blessed. The fans like us.
We’re friends and it shows. Just like in Pittsburgh, the guys I work with are so much of a family; so many great moments together. So, when you get up and go to work every day and you’re happy and you enjoy what you’re doing, it’s just hard to give it up. You know that. You’re making the big bucks. You’re behind the camera.
SS: You might be joined by Tom Brady in 2024. What’s the biggest piece of advice you have for him as he maybe begins his broadcasting career?
TB: I don’t think he’ll ask me for advice. I am the original TB, by the way, so don’t forget that, okay?
I’m a studio guy, and he’ll be doing the games, and if he did ask me for advice, I wouldn’t give it to him [laughs]. Have fun with it! People want to hear what you’ve got to saying break it down. We want to see his personality. There’s not another Madden, but there’s a guy like Troy Aikman who’s made a name for himself and I love him. Cris Collinsworth is awesome. Our guy Greg Olsen, who took over and may have to step down because they’re paying the other guy a lot of money. And [Brady] won seven Super Bowls.
Seriously, I’d tell him, look, you’re not talking to the coaches and the players of the National Football League. You’re talking to the fans. Those guys that work hard all week long, six days a week perhaps, trying to make ends meet. And then it’s Sunday, they come back home from church or wherever they’ve been, they want to sit down and root for their favorite team. Talk to them. Make it simple. Paint the picture. Make it enjoyable for them, and they’ll love you for that. If you talk over their heads, if you talk down to them, you’ll lose them and they won’t like you.
The camera captures everything. People will know if you’re real through that lens. Just be yourself, smile, and let us know what you see. And he’ll be just fine. After all, he’s Tom Brady.
SS: Let’s have some fun, Terry. If someone handed you $1 million right now but only if you spent it within 24 hours, what would you do with it?
TB: I’d buy a jet. It’d be a down payment, but I’d buy a jet so I wouldn’t have to fly commercial.
SS: If you could start a business with any current or former professional athlete, who would it be?
TB: Roger Staubach, because he’s a successful real estate guy. If I want to do business with people, I want to do it with people who are successful.
SS: What’s the craziest sales pitch you’ve ever been given?
TB: I bought stuff from people that after I bought it, they kept selling it and then I un-bought it. Know what I mean by that? For instance, I’m in the horse business and a guy had a horse for sale and wanted $7,500 for it. So I call him and he goes, “He’s this and that or she’s bred like this, going to foal this, and she’s raised two world champions.” And I say, alright, I’m buying her. She’s mine. Then he continued, “I’m telling you she can do so many things.” I said, “Hey, Bub, I bought the mare. Enough. We’re through.” And he goes, “Boy, you ought to see her, she can really move.” And then you go, “Okay, enough. You keep her.” [laughs]. You buy it and then you unbuy it.
SS: What’s the craziest business you’ve been asked to invest money in?
TB: Ostrich eggs. Bad deal. Lost $7,000. Egg cracked early. Hey, that’s bad. Lost the baby. Seven grand down the drain.
SS: What’s a better investment, cars or jewelry?
TB: Jewelry. Cars only depreciate; jewelry appreciates — not to mention the fact that my wife appreciates it. Get it? That’s good. I like that. That’s pretty good.
SS: Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday. What’s the most money you ever spent on a valentine?
TB: Maybe $20. Not much. It was on roses. I’m not big on Valentine’s Day because every day that I spend with my wife is a Valentine’s Day for me.
SS: Who’s your favorite athlete to watch right now in a different sport?
TB: Rory McIlroy. Absolutely love him.
SS: Finally, what’s your prediction for Super Bowl LVII?
TB: I’m picking the Eagles by two, which means it’s a toss-up, really.
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