Tom Brady's personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, came under fire over the weekend when Boston Magazine published a scathing article that highlighted Guerrero's troublesome past.
Not only did Guerrero once lie about being a doctor, but he's been investigated at least twice by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In both instances, the FTC went after Guerrero for claiming his products had medical benefits, even though there was no medical evidence that either product could help anyone.
One of the products, Supreme Greens, was marketed as an item that could cure "ailments such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease."
The other product, NeuroSafe, was marketed as a drink that could help prevent concussions.
After being investigated, Guerrero eventually signed a settlement with the FTC that included a $65,000 fine.
The investigation into Guerrero's past raised several questions, namely: Why does Brady work with him?
The Patriots quarterback answered that exact question during an interview with WEEI-FM in Boston on Monday.
"Everything as it relates to that is something that Alex has had to deal with, and he dealt with that," Brady said.
Brady did admit though that he didn't know all the exact details of Guerrero's past.
"I don't know the details of each of those incidences, but I think that it speaks to him as a person, as a friend. There's no better person that I enjoy as much as Alex," Brady said. "He's been an incredible influence in my life. I think we're doing something really special with our business [TB12]."
Brady and Guerrero actually used TB12 to market NeuroSafe. Brady contends that most people just don't understand the way Guerrero works because it's not conventional "Western medicine."
"So much of what we talk about, Alex and I, is prevention. It's probably a lot different than most of the Western medicine that is kind of in a way you -- I'd say in professional sports, or in any sport in general, you kind of just play the game until you basically get hurt," Brady said. "Then you go to rehab and then you try to come back and you try to play your sport again. And I think so much for me and what we try to accomplish with what my regimen is, and what my methods are, and the things of my belief system, is trying to do things proactively so that you can avoid getting injured."
Brady took several hard hits during New England's win over the Cowboys on Sunday and he actually credited Guerrero's regimen as the reason he didn't get injured.
"For example, like that hit that I took yesterday [from Greg Hardy], that I got hit in my back," Brady said. "I think that's really a credit to the work that we've put in over the years so that my body can withstand those type of hits and my structure doesn't take the brunt of those type of hits. That’s all about injury prevention."
The Patriots quarterback also added that he only made it through his ACL tear in 2008 because of Guerrero.
"In the 10 or 11 years we've been working together he has never been wrong," Brady said. "I had doctors with the highest and best education in our country tell us -- tell me -- that I wouldn't be able to play football again [after his 2008 ACL injury], that I would need multiple surgeries on my knee from my staph infection, that I would need a new ACL, a new MCL, that I wouldn’t be able to play with my kids when I’m older. Of course I go back the next year and win Comeback Player of the Year."
As far as Guerrero's methods go, Brady says it's OK to disagree with them because there's a lot of things that Brady disagrees with when it comes to the methods of others.
"When you think about nutritional supplements you think about other types of training methods and training techniques. I think that's a great thing. I think when you talk about a green supplement -- it's vegetables. It's eating better," Brady said. "That's not the way our food system in America is set up. It’s very different. They have a food pyramid. I disagree with that. I disagree with a lot of things that people tell you to do."
The Patriots quarterback then pointed out that things like Coca-Cola are bad for you and he even called it "poison" for your kids, which probably means he shouldn't hold his breath for a Coke endorsement anytime soon.
"You'll probably go out and drink Coca-Cola and think, 'Oh yeah, that's no problem.' Why? Because they pay lots of money for advertisements to think that you should drink Coca-Cola for a living? No, I totally disagree with that," Brady said. "And when people do that, I think that's quackery. And the fact that they can sell that to kids? I mean, that's poison for kids."
Needless to say, Brady isn't bothered by any accusations that have been thrown at Guerrero, which isn't shocking because of how close the two are.
In January, the New York Times wrote that Guerrero serves as Brady's "spiritual guide, counselor, pal, nutrition adviser, trainer, massage therapist and family member."
That's a lot of jobs for one guy and Brady apparently trusts Guerrero to do each one well.
