Emmitt Smith Sends Motivational Message to Tom Brady on Instagram Following Bucs Move

It can sometimes be tough to imagine an athlete who has become renowned with one team finishing his or her career elsewhere, but here we are. Images of Peyton Manning on the Denver Broncos and Joe Montana on the Kansas City Chiefs are still odd to look at, but they were naturally phased out by the Colts and 49ers respectively until they were forced to take their household names elsewhere.

The same can be said of Tom Brady, who announced he would be joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season. With the contract finalized and the move now official, another Hall of Fame player with experience moving teams late in his career gave his advice. Emmitt Smith, who played his last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, spoke on Instagram about how Brady should carry himself with his new team.

Even now, it's weird looking at Brady in a jersey that has been photoshopped to portray his new threads. So one can only imagine what it will feel like when Brady reports to camp for the first time under a head coach that isn't Bill Belichick. Smith's message of "don't forget your roots" will resonate well with Patriots fans, who are still struggling with the new realities of their football team.

Brady may already be the most prestigious quarterback to ever play for the Buccaneers. If he can translate his wealth of experience to success on the field, and get his teammates to buy in to his competitive mindset, fans of a team that has been mired in mediocrity for years can finally get excited for the upcoming season.