Brandin Echols surprised by the negative attention after getting Tom Brady to sign ball

Brandin Echols admitted there was probably a better way to get Tom Brady to sign the football that he intercepted last Sunday. But the Jets rookie cornerback isn’t letting the negative attention it received bother him.

"I was just excited to pick off Tom Brady," Echols said. "I’ve been watching him since I started realizing what football was. It was a big moment for me. I was caught up in the moment. I just felt like I needed to do it right then."

Echols said he kept telling himself all week he was going to intercept Brady and he "spoke it into existence." When it happened, Echols decided he wanted to get it signed by the legendary quarterback.

He approached Brady on the field immediately after the game ended and Brady graciously signed the ball as Fox-TV cameras captured it live.

Echols said the little conversation he had with Brady meant a lot to him. Brady has since said he won’t do that anymore, so it’s a pretty valuable piece of memorabilia for Echols.

"Yeah, one of one," Echols said. "That’s definitely how I see it: one of one."

Echols said he was surprised at all of the attention it received on social media and sports talk shows. He thought it was like a jersey swap that happens after games.

"I thought it was like a normal thing," Echols said. "People made it a bigger deal than it was supposed to be."

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