Tom Brady entered training camp bulked up in hopes of better absorbing hits.

"I wanted to get a little bigger this year and put on a few more pounds and try to absorb the hits a little bit more," he said Wednesday, addressing local reporters for the first time. "I worked pretty hard at that."

Brady turns 42 on Saturday.

"Football, I love the sport. I've loved playing it since I was a kid. It's hard for me to imagine doing anything else in life," he said. "I love playing ball, so to still be out here at 41 -- soon to be 42 -- it's a pretty great thing for me."