Former college receiver gets call of a lifetime - workout with Tom Brady
Imagine being a just-graduated college football player, on the fringes of the NFL, trying to keep that dream alive, and getting this phone call out of the blue: Tom Brady wants to know if you’re available to run routes for him.
That’s what happened for Ryan McManus, a former All-Ivy League receiver at Dartmouth. One of the most productive receivers in Dartmouth history, McManus was the receiver Brady worked out with over the final couple of weeks of his four-game NFL suspension, helping the quarterback stay as sharp as possible before he was able to return to his team earlier this month.
“It’s hard to find a better throwing partner than that,” the 5-foot-11 McManus told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
McManus was one of several players who was given a tryout at the New England Patriots’ rookie minicamp in May, after a college career that saw him post 172 catches for 2,268 yards and 11 touchdowns. Though he wasn’t offered a roster spot, the Patriots told McManus they’d keep him on a short list and told him to stay in shape.
McManus, who still lives near Dartmouth’s New Hampshire campus, found it hard to find someone to throw to him once the Big Green’s season began. But then a few weeks ago he got a call from Alex Guerrero, Brady’s body guru/right-hand man, asking if he’d be able to work with the quarterback.
“It’s not too glorious of a story,” McManus said. “They just reached out and I was happy to help out.”
McManus and Brady worked together four or five times.
The 23-year-old wasn’t paid for his time (really, Tom? You couldn’t throw the young man gas money at least?), but said he gladly made the two-hour drive for the workouts, staying on a friend’s couch so he wouldn’t be late for the early morning or late-afternoon workouts.
He also made sure to bring his laptop with him – he’s the director of marketing for Mobile Virtual Player, or MVP, a company started by fellow Dartmouth grads that makes and sells robotic tackling dummies. They’re currently being used by several NFL teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.
“Being able to balance both worlds sometimes makes for some long days,” McManus said. “But it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass on. No complaints by any means.”
The throwing sessions were one hour, and usually were just Brady, McManus and Guerrero. One of the workouts, however, was at Dexter-Southfield School, and of course it drew a crowd. Video from that workout ended up on TMZ.
The sessions, McManus said, were “pretty intense,” and since he was the only receiver, he was basically sprinting for an hour.
“We would mix it up between short and long, and usually it would be, I’d run a route, catch it, and then stand where I caught it, then he’d throw another one there and then I’d jog back and then run a different route, and then so on,” McManus said. “I guess it was, stay in the same spot and get two reps out of one route.”
Brady analyzed himself after every rep, McManus said, showing his trademark intensity.
“It was the first time I had met him. He was very nice and cordial and complimentary, easy to work with, very focused, and paid attention to detail very well,” he said.
McManus has returned to his day job, but is still hoping to get a call from the Patriots or another NFL team offering an opportunity to tryout.
“I’m not really one to get starstruck, but that was definitely a cool experience and one I won’t forget,” McManus said.
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