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Hoyer knew Brady was staying in

Print | Comments () Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff December 8, 2009 08:20 PM

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When Tom Brady jogged off the field Sunday afternoon, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer did not scurry on the sidelines to find his helmet. Hoyer has come to know Brady well, and he knew it wouldn’t be necessary.

“There wasn’t a question in my mind that he was going to go back in,” Hoyer said. “He’s a very tough guy. He’s going to battle through it and play. He threw for [352] yards. Obviously, it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to. But he battled through some stuff, and you have to admire him for that.”

Hoyer spoke tonight at the Reebok Store in Patriot Place, where he signed autographs alongside Sebastian Vollmer. (Vollmer, who has not played in two weeks with a head injury, did not speak to a reporter because of a team mandate.)

On Friday in practice, Brady hurt a finger on his throwing hand. While concerns – and some conspiracy theories – arose about Brady’s injured finger hours before the game, Hoyer never worried. Coaches, Hoyer said, did not involve Hoyer in any extra preparation to guard against Brady not playing.

“I didn’t even know [on Friday],” Hoyer said. “On the way down [to Miami], I knew there was something going on. It must not have been too serious. We just kind of went along. It was like a normal weekend for us.”

But on the first drive of the game, Brady was hammered by two defenders on a touchdown pass and then ran off the field and into the locker room.

“After he throws a touchdown, I always go out to congratulate him,” Hoyer said, “He kept running. I saw him running in, and I was like, ‘He’s fine. If something was seriously wrong, he would have come over [to the sideline].’ He just kept running, and then he came back out.”

In his first season, Hoyer has forged a bond with Brady. Or, maybe more aptly, Brady has forged a bond with Hoyer. Since the day they met in training camp, Hoyer has been grateful for the way Brady treated him.

“He walked in, and he was like, ‘Hey, I’m Tom.’ ” Hoyer said. “I was like, ‘Yeah. No [stuff].’ He’s been great. He’s been very helpful. Anything that I need to ask him, he doesn’t hesitate to help me out, or even, he’ll just give his opinion on something. For a guy like that to do something – I don’t want to say go out of his way, because we’re always together. But he doesn’t really have to do that. He can just do his thing and move on. But he’s really helped me out a lot.”

I asked Hoyer what has surprised him about Brady after observing and working with him for almost an entire season.

“His passion for wanting to get better and his passion for the game,” Hoyer said. “He always takes practice like it’s a game. That’s something that I’ve always taken from him – go out there and practice like it is a game. If you go out there and prove yourself in that situation, then when the time comes, you’ll be even more ready.”

Hoyer’s status now is a far cry from where he was after the draft. Coming out of Michigan State, Hoyer went undrafted. The Patriots signed him, and by the end of training camp, he had outlasted every quarterback on the roster to become Brady’s backup.

“I think every thing happens for a reason,” Hoyer said. “If I could pick where I wanted to go, I think New England would have been the place, because it’s a good organization from the top down. I’ve been blessed to be here, and I’ve taken advantage of it every day. I wake up every morning, and I’m like, ‘I’m play for the New England Patriots. It can’t get better than this.’ ”