Behind the Scenes with FOX’s NFL crew: Tom Brady is off and running in the booth

By Richie Zyontz
FOX NFL Lead Producer

Editor’s Note: Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and is in his 23rd season as the lead producer. He has more than 40 years of experience covering the league and has produced seven Super Bowls. Throughout the 2024 NFL season, he is providing an inside look as FOX’s new No. 1 NFL team, including NFL legend Tom Brady, makes its journey toward Super Bowl LIX. Read more behind-the-scenes stories from Richie Zyontz here.

At our first offseason meeting at his Florida home, Tom Brady said something quite interesting.

While munching on steak tacos with very healthy trimmings, Brady told us how simple Bill Belichick made the game for his players. That seemed like a revelation to those of us on the outside who regard the ‘hoodie’ as a football savant perpetually coaching like it’s three-dimensional chess.

Simple is good. It applies to most professions, especially broadcasting. An NFL game is a fast-moving, highly coordinated effort, where seconds feel like minutes to those of us responsible for its choreography. So when Brady mentioned “simple,” it really resonated as we started to strategize about Tom’s first year as FOX’s lead analyst.

We would avoid a laundry list of do’s and don’ts. That creates confusion and a cluttered mind — for the analyst and the producer. Tom had already reached out to all the big names in sports and sports television. I can only imagine the names floating around in his contacts list. When he gets to the J’s he comes up with Michael Jordan. When I go to mine I come up with Jersey Mikes.

But all those outside conversations landed on the same advice — be yourself.

It takes a team …

Within five minutes of our first conversation, the word “team” came up repeatedly. Music to my ears, indeed! As we’ve worked our way through the start of the season, it’s so apparent why all his previous teammates loved him. Despite all the accolades and achievements, Brady is most of all a great teammate. He respects the work every member of our crew does. That is very empowering to our young impressionable production crew.

Tom Brady meets with the production crew during a lunch meeting in Los Angeles in June. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

At a June lunch in Los Angeles, we gathered our crew for lunch. Brady went around the table asking each and every person what their responsibilities were for the broadcast. He then proceeded to ask about our backgrounds and how we all started in television.

He is more interested in “process” than anyone I’ve ever worked with — and that encompasses 43 NFL seasons.

Most broadcasters aren’t concerned with how the sausage gets made. Tom asks lots of questions.

Curiosity is a valuable trait. I suspect it will serve our crew well.

A finely tuned machine …

Luckily for Tom, he’s joining a veteran group. Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi and the combination of Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino have made his transition seamless and painless. Rich Russo has directed five Super Bowls. Our technical crew is second to none, many having been with us for 20 years or more.

Now, I used the word “painless,” but there was some pain as we began ramping up in the spring.

Donning headsets in a studio on the FOX lot, Kevin and Tom began by calling games from last season off a monitor. This helped with their chemistry but proved awkward since we had no control over the pictures or the replays.

Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady worked together to build chemistry heading into the season. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

From there, we graduated to an actual broadcast booth — calling a UFL game and two NFL preseason games.

This proved very helpful. Brady got to work under actual game conditions, learning the mechanics of being an analyst and dealing with the various voices in his ear.

A UFL game proved to be great practice for Tom Brady. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

And we’re off …

Chemistry is everything. Luckily, Brady works next to Burkhardt, whose middle name should be “chemistry.” Kevin has an ease about him not often found in New Jerseyites. He gives Brady the necessary room to comfortably slide into his new role. And that chemistry exists throughout our entire crew.

Saturday night dinners are crucial to team building — at least at our network. That is where a statistician from a farm in rural South Dakota like Jeff Nelson can sit and chat with a seven-time Super Bowl champion from Northern California.

Saturday night dinners are great for team building, where a statistician from South Dakota like Jeff Nelson (left, in blue shirt), can sit and chat with a seven-time Super Bowl champ. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

A few observations after three weeks:

Tom is a quick study who relies on real-time feedback. And he’s not looking for pats on the back. He worked under Belichick for 20 years. Nothing we say could offend him.

His preparation is immaculate — just as it was as a player. He compiles his own research booklet and shares it with our entire crew. At our Saturday night production meetings, he lays out his winning blueprint for both teams. And to no one’s surprise, he’s been on the money each time.

In Sunday’s game, his blueprint said that the Cowboys needed to show toughness — they didn’t. He also indicated that Lamar Jackson needed to spread the wealth around and not be a one-man show — he did.

Tom has become more decisive in his thoughts with each broadcast. And he’s enjoying himself. Cameraman Andy Mitchell found a fan in a shirt emblazoned with the score 28-3; a reference to the Patriots‘ famous comeback win against Atlanta in Super Bowl LI. Brady used that opportunity to describe his mindset at the time and apply it to Dak Prescott’s needed strategy, as the Cowboys were down 28-6 at the time.

In three short weeks, Brady already owns the line of scrimmage as an analyst, much like he did as a player, pointing out the cat-and-mouse game between the quarterback and the defensive signal-callers. All very encouraging signs.

This journey has just started, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Richie Zyontz has been an NFL producer for FOX since 1994 and is in his 23rd season as lead producer. He boasts more than 40 years of experience covering the NFL.