Central Valley AD, ex-Tom Brady teammate says Deflategate doesn’t add up

While many have questioned the integrity of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in light of the recent Deflategate controversy, the athletic director at a Ceres high school and former teammate of the three-time Super Bowl champion stands firmly behind him.

Greg Magni, the AD at Central Valley High, played high school baseball with Brady 20 years ago at Serra High in San Mateo.

Magni, a pitcher and a member of the Class of 1996, was a year behind Brady, a catcher.

“He caught me my junior year,” said Magni, who was the varsity baseball coach at CV for eight seasons before becoming athletic director. “I didn’t pitch all that much, because we were loaded, but he was a teammate. We socialized on weekends, hung out together, that kind of thing. We weren’t best friends, but we were in the same social crowd.”

Nearly all the footballs used by New England in its 45-7 win over Indianapolis the AFC championship game on Jan. 18 were found to be underinflated. Brady and Pats head coach Bill Belichick have become the prime suspects.

Less air in the footballs would make them easier to grip, throw and catch in the cold, soggy conditions of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., back on Jan. 18. The story has dominated the news in the run-up to Sunday’s Super Bowl in Arizona.

Magni isn’t buying any of it.

“When I first read the story I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ They’re always looking for a reason to say that Tom Brady isn’t great,” said Magni, who went on to pitch collegiately at California State University, Stanislaus. “I realize that the track record with the Patriots is not the best, but sometimes I think it’s the sore loser approach. It’s a little frustrating.”

The Patriots were stripped of its first-round draft pick in 2008 and fined $250,000 after it was determined they had videotaped the New York Jets’ defensive signals from a sideline location during a 2007 game. Belichick was fined half a million dollars for his role in the controversy.

Nevertheless, Magni said Brady wasn’t the type to cut corners.

“Tom was a real character guy,”said Magni. “He didn’t do anything he wasn’t supposed to do. He was focused on winning and practicing and getter better and working hard. He was very well respected by his teammates and was a leader even at that age.”

Though Magni and Brady still have common friends, Magni has not kept in touch over the years. But Magni appreciates the fact that Brady has remained close to his roots.

“He does a lot for Serra High School,” said Magni. “The football field … he contributed a significant amount for the FieldTurf there. And he donated the car he got for his second (Super Bowl) MVP to the school. They sold raffle tickets for $100 each and made over, I believe, $250,000.”

During Brady’s weekly radio interview with WEEI in Boston on Monday, the 37-year-old quarterback said he no longer wishes to talk about the NFL’s ongoing investigation, according to ESPN.com/Boston. But he did answer a question about whether he’s ever instructed team personnel to deflate footballs after they’ve been inspected by officials.

“Absolutely not,” said Brady, who will play in his sixth Super Bowl on Sunday against Seattle. “No, I didn’t. And I haven’t. And I never will. I think that’s obviously how I feel and the kind of person that I am.”

That seems right to Magni.

“He’s all about the right things,” said Magni. “He plays the right way. Yes, he’s very competitive but he has no intention to cheat. Competitive is one thing, but I don’t see him being that type of player. He was always the opposite of that.

“It just doesn’t add up.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2015 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Central Valley AD, ex-Tom Brady teammate says Deflategate doesn’t add up."