Behind the Scenes with FOX's NFL crew: Tom Brady's return to Tampa

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.

Only Mother Nature could overshadow Tom Brady’s return to Tampa, and through most of last week, that’s exactly what happened.

As Gulf Coast residents evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Helene, the FOX crew strategized how to arrive for Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It takes a village to make a broadcast. And in reacting to a major weather event, it’s often the unheralded parts of the network that move to the forefront. Travel, scheduling, operations, truck drivers — they pave the way for us to slide in to produce and announce these games.

The mobile units, our traveling control rooms, were unable to park at the stadium on Wednesday. That space was needed to stage emergency vehicles for the impending storm. Hotels were shut down, so our travel folks scrambled to find rooms. Canceled flights needed to be rebooked. Yet the obstacles we faced paled in comparison to those faced by Florida residents in general, and the Tampa Bay Bucs in particular.

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Our production call with Baker Mayfield featured cameo appearances by his wife and five-month-old daughter as they were holed up in a hotel, riding out the storm. By Friday, the storm had passed, and the expected theme reemerged — Tom Brady was back in Tampa.

Tom Brady chats with Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen before Sunday's game. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

The Pied piper …

Brady had a busy Sunday morning. As he made his way down to the field for pre-game preparation, he was quickly surrounded by former coaches and teammates. He cherished his time in Tampa, and the mutual affection was evident. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Baker Mayfield, and others offered handshakes and hugs.

It’s never hard to find Brady when he visits the field. Just follow the parade of cameras and boom mics that tail him everywhere.

Everyone wanted to share a Brady anecdote — even the visiting Eagles. In our meeting with Philly defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, a 40-year coaching veteran, he revealed Brady’s first career start in 2001 came against him and the Indianapolis Colts. More interesting than the story itself was the joy with which Fangio told it. The twinkle in his eye revealed a sense of pride at being part of Brady’s history.

It's easy to find Tom Brady before a game — just follow the cameras and boom mics. Here, Brady speaks with Bucs assistant Tom Moore. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

It’s not the heat, but the humidity …

The vicious storm from earlier in the week gave way to a broiling sun and unbearable humidity. Field temperatures soared way above 100. Our sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi, battling the elements themselves, kept us alert to the steady stream of players heading to the locker room for IVs. Rich Russo’s camera crew repeatedly found shots of the visiting eagles exhausted on the field and on the bench.

Hand-held cameramen Corey Alberty, Tony Gambino, Kyle Hagan, Phil Jacques, and Craig "Crash" Vanden Heuvel, lugging 20-40 pounds of equipment up and down the sidelines, never missed a beat, and provided stirring images throughout the game.

There’s nothing like weather to add to the drama of a sporting event. Sometimes it’s rain, later on it will be cold and snow. But on Sunday, it was the heat taking center stage.

The heat in the wake of Hurricane Helene took its toll on players like Jalen Hurts on Sunday. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Brady nuggets …

The transition from field to broadcast booth can often be a bumpy one, as understanding the game and communicating the game are completely different.

Athletes rely on instincts, so do broadcasters. Brady is learning not to overthink and to just let his commentary rip. He is critical when necessary and is focused on answering the "why" — as good analysts must.

But most importantly, he is being honest and having fun.

Tom Brady waves to the crowd after he was honored on the video board during Sunday's game. (Photo by Richie Zyontz)

He noted at the beginning of our broadcast that the Bucs needed to get their top receiver Mike Evans involved early. It took one play for that to happen. He addressed the kerfuffle over Baker Mayfield’s comment that the team felt stress during Brady’s tenure. Brady’s response essentially was he was there to win: "If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids."

He also made news by revealing that the Bears were interested in signing him as a free agent — I imagine that made headlines in Chicago on Monday morning.

In describing first year Tampa offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Brady said: "It’s a skill set and the more you do it, the better you’ll be at it."

No truer words could be applied to our first-year analyst.

Now our truck drivers are off on the long haul from Tampa to Palo Alto, California, for next Sunday's game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers. It will be an opportunity for Brady to study the offense of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, one of the NFL’s truly brilliant minds. We can’t wait.

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.