Zyon McCollum hadn’t even celebrated his first birthday when Tom Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots.
So it was a surreal experience for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback to be lining up against the GOAT in practice.
GettyBrady won his seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy in Tampa Bay[/caption]
The 25-year-old was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 Draft and has developed into a key figure in Tampa Bay’s secondary, ranking third in the NFL for pass breakups this season.
He has been to the playoffs in every season of his short career, once with Brady and now for a second time with Baker Mayfield.
McCollum sat down with talkSPORT ahead of a wild-card round showdown with the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football.
It took him just one practice session to see the competitive edge that helped Brady win seven Super Bowl rings – the last of which came as a Buccaneer in 2021.
“Going into a team and seeing somebody like that who we know is the greatest of all time, it was just a surreal moment for me,” the 25-year-old said.
“Being in my first year in the league and seeing a guy who we used to talk about at the lunch table in middle school and talk trash about and talk up and talk good about. Now I’m his teammate. It was definitely a surreal moment.
“The type of person that he is and the intensity that he brings to practice every day, I’ve never seen somebody get more angry at not completing a pass on the first day of practice.
“This guy, treats every day like it’s game day. And that kind of helped build our culture to what it is today too. There are guys who still remember him being around this building and the energy that he carries is still, we’re still feeding off of that.
“Just having a guy like that, being able to experience a guy like that, I’m glad that I was there before he retired.”
Brady retired in 2021 before returning for one final season and ultimately calling it a day a year later.
APMayfield plays with a smile but leaves no stone unturned in practice[/caption]
GettyMcCollum is an important part of the Bucs’ secondary[/caption]
GettyHe is not afraid to get physical and break up catches[/caption]
His passage into the Fox Sports booth and becoming a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders opened the door for Mayfield to revive his career in Florida.
McCollum, whose twin brother Tristin plays safety for the playoff NFC rival Philadelphia Eagles, is a big fan of the all-action passer and what he brings to the locker room.
“He’s definitely like a dudes dude for sure,” he said. “I mean, he’s the type of guy who’s going to be loud. He’s going to talk trash. He’s going to be in your face.
“But he backs it up. He backs it all up. And he’s just such a good person too, at the end of the day. Off the field, him and his family, they do so much in the community and he’s always uplifting guys. He’s always got a smile on his face.
“But he can have fun too, and I think that’s what everybody in the locker room loves the most about him is that he just does a good job of making a serious situation seem like it’s just fun.
“We’ve been playing this game since we were kids, and now we play it on a bigger stage. And Baker, he just does a good job of being really, really detailed, but he doesn’t lose that kid inside of him.”
McCollum thinks Mayfield and Brady are a lot alike – but noted some massive differences in how they approach the game.
“They both take really good control over the offense,” he explained. “They’re both super detail-oriented. It’s funny to see two sides of the coin.
“We’re talking about guys that are just detail-oriented, watch a ton of film, are on top of everybody’s jobs.
“But you see one who’s a little bit more strict, a little bit more by the book. And then you see another that’s a little bit more free ranging and, you know, kind of trying to have a little bit more fun.
“They both get the job done and they both do it so very well. So I’m fortunate that I’ve got to see those guys just be themselves because they’re unapologetically themselves all the time. And I feel like as long you’re just being yourself and being authentic that you’re going to get success no matter what.”
Another difference between Brady and Mayfield is draft capital.
The Patriots were somehow able to snag Brady in the sixth round 24 years ago, while the current Bucs starter went first overall to the Cleveland Browns in 2018.
He showed why as he escaped a collapsing pocket and threaded the needle to find Jalen McMillan for a crucial go-ahead score in Week 18.
“The type of throws that he makes, a lot of people do forget, he was the Heisman [Trophy winner]. He was the No. 1 overall pick,” McCollum added.
“He’d been through so much in his career to find a home here now with the weapons that he has, but the plays that he’s also able to make.
“Me seeing him for the first time, I’m like, man, this guy can’t run. He’s running all day, you know, his scramble ability, his ability to make plays with his feet, but also just the intelligence he brings to the game.
“I don’t know if anybody prepares more than he does. You know, he’s always got a script in his hand. He’s always reading his plays out. He’s always watching film. He’s always talking to his offensive guys. He’s really close with the O-line, know, really close with the receivers.
“When a quarterback, your leader, has that type of an impact on the offense and the team at all, like everybody just wants to play for that. Everybody wants to give their all for him.
“And we know that he’s going to be where he has to be and make those type of plays. We see it every day in practice.”
If all goes well, Zyon and Tristan could end up on opposite touchlines in the postseason. Their mom already has a half-and-half jacket.
You can watch Zyon’s full interview, where he discusses going to the same high school as Mike Evans and how the Bucs plan to stop Jayden Daniels via our End Zone YouTube channel
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