How Tom Brady and a pool party made Christmas special for No. 3 TCU

The TCU Horned Frogs arrived in Arizona for their College Football Playoff matchup against Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl a few days earlier than many would’ve expected.

Coach Sonny Dykes made the decision for the football team to arrive in Phoenix on Christmas Eve, eight days before their bowl game. The early schedule meant the team wouldn’t get to spend Christmas with their families.

The Wolverines took a more standard approach. Michigan practiced on campus in Ann Arbor on Monday and then arrived in Arizona later that same night.

While it may have been a bittersweet to be away from family, Dykes’ decision paid off as numerous Horned Frogs said this Christmas was one they won’t forget.

“It’s been a blessing, a blessing in disguise,” cornerback Josh Newton said. “Just being able to get away with the guys and then we’re still on a mission, being able to play football this long. I’m really enjoying it, the guys enjoyed it.”

After arriving Saturday evening, TCU went to their resort, the Princess Fairmont Scottsdale, to relax and unwind.

The Horned Frogs then spent Christmas unwrapping presents, taking a dip in the resort’s pool and attending an NFL game beween the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We started the morning off opening gifts together,” cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson said. “It was different, but it’s an awesome feeling because it’s the first time we’ve done it and been in this position. To be around your brothers all day and just vibe out. It was great.”

The vibes continued after the morning as 30 players gathered for an impromptu pool party at their resor in near-perfect weather.

While Texas and large parts of the country battled cold to frigid temperatures, it’s been around 70 degrees in Arizona.

“When I left (Fort Worth) it was 16 degrees,” defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie said. “The weather is perfect.”

Moments like the pool party only reinforced the bond the team has established since Dykes and the rest of the coaching staff arrived a year ago.

“It was great, hanging out the boys is always a fun time,” linebacker Johnny Hodges said. “It’s kind of a like a big family vacation. Waking up fooling around with your roommate. I’m rooming with Jamoi Hodge and we have a great relationship, so I just mess with him in the morning because I’m a morning guy and he’s not.

“Just seeing each other all the time, it’s fun. I wish we could’ve done it earlier in the year, it would’ve been cool doing this in fall camp or the summer.”

Christmas day concluded with TCU busing to State Farm Stadium to watch the Tampa Bay Bucs and Tom Brady play against the Arizona Cardinals. Along the way the team was outfitted with their own sunglasses and wore them in unison.

Through the lens of those shades, they watched the greatest football player of all-time keep the Bucs in playoff contention as Tampa Bay won 19-16 in overtime.

“Just being able to watch a legend, I was amazed at some of the throws he made,” Hodges-Tomlinson said. “You see it on TV and you come out and see it in person and it just seems like his arm hasn’t lost a beat.”

For the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in college football, the game was actually a scouting trip in a sense.

Hodges-Tomlinson visualized himself on the field going up against Brady which could be a strong possibility as the nephew of LaDainian Tomlinson has molded himself into a legitimate NFL Draft prospect.

“My main thing was coming in and seeing how a legend throws the football,” Hodges-Tomlinson said. “I try to gain knowledge off of it, like how fast the ball is coming out his hands. His dropback during the quick game, all of that. Someday if he’s still in the league, whenever I make it, I’ve got to be ready. I’m taking my notes early on.”

Hodges tried to do the same with Gillespie’s former star linebacker and current Arizona linebacker Zaven Collins, but Brady’s stardom was too much to ignore.

“I’m definitely a Brady guy and love his story,” Hodges said. “I was just watching him really. I was sitting with Dee (Winters) and he was like ‘Oh, you’ve got to watch Devin White, you gotta watch Zay Collins.’ I’m like dude, I’m watching Brady throw it on the sidelines, he’s not playing many more of these games, I’m soaking it in.”

As coaches like Gillespie soaked in seeing their players bond together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it served as a rewarding experience and a reminder of how the Horned Frogs got here and exceeded all expectations.

“This team has been very close and we’re here because these guys love each other,” Gillespie said. “You hear people talk about it, but I think they really live it. They’ve been through a lot together, they had to withstand the transition of a whole new staff. We’re asking to do something they weren’t recruited to do and they’ve still done it.

“When you go through those things, it takes a brotherhood. It takes a group of guys rallying together and locking arms. It’s nice being here. To spend that time with each other and celebrate this time of season and what we’re celebrating, to get to do that with them? What a blessing.”

Now that the festivities are out of the way, the focus turns to business and figuring out the Wolverines. With the bonds of an already close-knit roster stronger than ever, TCU’s brotherhood is ready to make the most of their moment on this big stage.

“The opportunity to be in the College Football Playoff, there’s not a better gift than that,” Newton said.