The Tenacity of Tom Brady: The All Star American Quarterback
With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Tom Brady has proven himself year after year that he’s the top quarterback in the NFL. Despite competing with contemporaries like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady has managed to stand out from the crowd. It could be argued that Brady was as dominant in football as Michael Jordan was in basketball – accumulating winning streaks and titles in their wake.
Born in San Mateo, California, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (August 3, 1977) led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl title wins in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, and 2018 . His contributions to the team won him the Most Valuable Player title four times in his career in 2002, 2004, 2015, and 2017.
Growing up, Brady always had an affinity for football at a very young age. He often attended the San Francisco 49ers games with his family every Sunday when the team was in their hometown. His favorite player was Joe Montana – the man he would eventually surpass.
Brady did exceptionally well in both football and baseball during his high school years. He completed 236 of 447 passes (at an impressive 52.8%) for 3,702 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was drafted into the 1995 Major League Baseball by the Montreal Expos, but instead, decided to play football for the University of Michigan.
Brady led his college team to victory in the 1999 Orange Bowl and earned a reputation for being an exceptional player . At the end of his college career, Brady won 20 of the 25 games he played in. Unfortunately, this didn’t translate into an automatic selection to the NFL. Brady was the 199th player chosen and was picked up by the struggling New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft .
But Brady was determined to prove his mettle at the sport. His University of Michigan coach, Lloyd Carr, had this to say about him, “The more he gets knocked down, the harder he competes. You can’t underestimate Tom.”
He was the 4th string quarterback for the Patriot – but Brady didn’t complain. Instead, he used the time to hit the gym and bulked up from 204 pounds to 220 pounds. He would pose questions to veteran teammates about improving his on-field strategy.
Brady’s big break came on September 23, 2001, when Drew Bledsoe received a tremendous injury to his chest and was decommissioned for the season . Brady filled in for Bledsoe, and things began to change as he led the Patriots to a streak of wins, leading to an AFC Division title. The Patriots were going to the Super Bowl.
With Brady as their starting QB, the Patriots went on to register an 11-3 record and upset the St. Louis Rams on February 3, 2002. Brady earned his first Super Bowl MVP in 2002 . Brady also created a new record as the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl at only 24 years old. The fact that the previous record-holder was his childhood idol, Idol Montana, was just the icing on the cake.
The exposure into the limelight only reinforced Brady’s position with his team as a leader, earning the admiration and respect of his teammates and fans alike.
Brady and his team returned to the Super Bowl in 2004, defeating the Carolina Panthers in a nail-biting contest. With this victory, the Patriots entered into NFL’s upper-echelons, and Brady secured another Super Bowl MVP. Brady proved himself to be a strong leader with a powerful arm. Any doubters only had to look at his impressive record: 32 completions in 48 attempts for 354 yards and three touchdowns. He also became the youngest quarterback at age 26 to win two Super Bowls.
Following the Super Bowl win, Brady’s popularity instantly skyrocketed to meteoric levels as everyone – from Hollywood to corporations – wanted to associate with the fresh-faced quarterback. Brady was made judge for the Miss USA Pageant, was named one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People of 2002”, and starred in the famous “Got Milk?” ad campaigns. He even got invited to the White House at President George W. Bush’s 2004 State of the Union address.
The team carried their streak through to the next season, as the Patriots won 21 consecutive games, breaking the record of 18 by the Miami Dolphins over 2 decades ago. Brady and the Patriots clinched their third Super Bowl, this time beating the Philadelphia Eagles on February 6, 2005 .
Brady posted a then-record 50 touchdown passes to win his career’s first MVP award and the Patriots went unchallenged into the Super Bowl XLII, before losing to New York Giants, the underdogs of the time .
A 2008 injury resulted in several injuries and extensive rehabilitation, forcing Brady out of the entire season. However, 2011 was Brady’s strongest year in terms of performance, scoring 39 touchdowns, throwing for 5,235 yards, and a rating of 105.6. As a result, the Patriots would secure their spot at the Super Bowl XLVI.
2016 proved to be a good year for Brady as he helped the Patriots secure their fifth Super Bowl title against a 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons. With this victory, Brady surpassed his idols Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, who both have four Super Bowl rings.
Tom Brady Biography—Life Outside the Field
Tom Brady – Family Life
Tom Brady was born in San Mateo, California, to Galynn Patricia and Thomas Brady, who runs a financial planning business. His mother is of Polish ancestry, and his father is of Irish descent. He attended Junipero Serra High School.
Brady broke up with his longtime partner Bridget Moynahan in 2006. Later that year, she welcomed their son, John Edward Thomas. Brady married model Gisele Bundchen on February 26, 2009. The couple has a son Benjamin (2007) and a daughter, Vivian (2012).
Tom Brady – Philanthropy
Tom Brady uses his brand image to help his community out in various ways. He serves as an honorary co-chair for an annual bike, running, and walking event. He also took up a new role as a global ambassador in December 2019. He raised $46.5 million for Best Buddies International in the past 20 years.
He also traveled to Ghana and Uganda with debt AIDS trade Africa (DATA) where he visited schools and medical clinics to raise more awareness about poverty in African communities. He started his own organization called the TB12 Foundation in 2015. The group provides economic resources to athletes who want to realize their performance goals.
Tom Brady also participates in the Make-A-Fish foundation, where he meets critically ill children and treats them to dinner.