“Too often in life, something happens and we blame other people for us not being happy or satisfied or fulfilled. So the point is, we all have choices, and we make the choice to accept people or situations or to not accept situations.” —Tom Brady Future Hall of Famer NFL quarterback Tom Brady is one of the best athletes in the history of modern sports, having won a record amount of championships while smashing statistical records along the way. Now 40, he is showing no signs of stopping, s0 here are 40 facts about this passionate athlete.
Tom Brady Facts
1. Good Catholic Boy
Tom Brady was born to a Catholic family in San Mateo, California on August 3rd, 1977. He was the only boy of four children, and grew up under three older sisters.
Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2. POW
Michael Buckley Jr. was the first American prisoner of war during World War II. What does this have to do with Tom Brady? Buckley Jr. was Brady's uncle.
3. Loyalty
Growing up, Brady was a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. It sounds like he learned how to hedge his bets at a young age!
4. All He Does Is Win
Now 40, Brady holds the record for most playoff victories by a quarterback with 25 wins and has appeared in the most playoff games of any NFL player in any position. He has started a record 34 playoff games, and that number is seemingly only going to grow—the man apparently doesn’t age!
5. The Champion
Having the most playoff wins means he also has the most Super Bowl victories for a quarterback (5). However, dating back to the pre-Super Bowl era, he is tied with Green Bay Packers legend Bart Starr for most championships.
6. Just The Two Of Us
Brady and head coach Bill Belichick have combined to be the most successful tandem in NFL history, reaching a league record of 7 Super Bowls and 11 AFC Championship Games, all while winning the most regular season and postseason games in history.
7. Company Man
Brady has played his entire nearly 18-year career with the New England Patriots and has never had a losing season as a starting quarterback.
8. First Encounter
When Brady met Patriots billionaire owner Robert Kraft for the first time after being drafted, Kraft cut him off and pointed out that he was the sixth-round draft pick, to which Brady quipped “And I’m the best decision this organization has ever made. ”
9. Brady the Baseball Player
Before heading to the University of Michigan to play football, Brady was drafted into the MLB by the Montreal Expos. Drafted as a catcher, Brady eventually decided to stick to football. Yeah, good idea.
Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
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10. Slow Start
Brady didn’t even get to play in his first two years of college football, as he was a backup. However, he would start in his Junior and Senior seasons, setting multiple records in the process.
11. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
During his first couple of years at Michigan, Brady was struggling. At some point, he decided to get help and hired a sports psychologist to help him through the anxiety and frustration he was having. Brady serves as a perfect example of why one should never be afraid to ask for help when dealing with anxiety or depression. It may even be where he gets his famous confidence from.
12. Down But Never Out
Brady earned the nickname “Comeback Kid” in his senior year after leading Michigan to multiple come-from-behind victories during the final stretch of the season, including a huge overtime comeback victory in the Orange Bowl against Alabama after his team was trailing by 14 points twice in the game.
13. No Death of a Salesman
Despite playing well late in his college career, Brady was not a highly touted NFL prospect, and fell to the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. After sitting with his family watching the draft on television, he became embarrassed by falling so far that he eventually had to leave the house. When he was finally drafted in the 6th round—out of 7 rounds—he proclaimed that he was so grateful that he didn’t “have to be an insurance salesman.”
14. Rookie On The Sidelines
Brady only completed one pass in his rookie season and was a fourth-string quarterback. However, in his second season, he would rise to the backup quarterback, and reach his fate when then-starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe had to leave the game with an injury. Brady would go on to start the rest of the season and bring the Patriots to their first Super Bowl victory.
15. Tuck It Away
During his first playoff game, Brady found himself surrounded by controversy in what has come to be known as the “tuck rule” game. Brady was hit and fumbled while throwing the football, and the opposing Oakland Raiders recovered the ball. However, upon further review, the referees stated that Brady was tucking the ball back into his body when the ball came loose, thus resulting in an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.
16. Vegas Got It Way Wrong
In his first Super Bowl, Brady and the Patriots were deemed by Las Vegas as 14 point underdogs, a ridiculous number; they were going up against one of the best offensive teams the league had ever seen in the St. Louis Rams. Brady, of course, led the Patriots to victory on the last minute drive that culminated in a game-winning field goal as time expired. This would be the first of many times he would do this—he really is the Comeback Kid.
17. Nap Time
Before his first Super Bowl appearance, Brady was so relaxed that he took a 2-hour nap before the game, waking up only a half hour before game time. Sounds like a man at ease.
Michigan10, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
18. Forgotten Season
At the age of 24 years and six months, Brady became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
Darren McCollester, Getty Images
19. Most Valuable Player
Brady is one of only two players to win multiple NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards, the other being his childhood hero Joe Montana. Brady grew up in Northern California and was a diehard 49ers fan. He was even in attendance for one of the NFL and Montana’s most famous games, and witnessed Montana throwing "The Catch" to Dwight Clark.
20. Giant Losses
In the 2007 season, despite playing a perfect regular season, setting the record for most touchdown passes, and winning the MVP award, Brady and the Patriots would suffer their first Super Bowl loss against the team that would prove to be his kryptonite, the New York Giants. They would lose to the Giants again in the Super Bowl in 2011.
21. Not Sure If He Loves Babe The Film But...
A curious dude, Brady apparently refers to his teammates as “Babe.” He is also known for pulling planned-out practical jokes on teammates.
22. Early Bird
Brady believes in a good night's rest and is in bed by 9 pm. He maintains this schedule all year round and is in the weight room by 6 am the next morning. That is some serious, or some would say crazy, dedication. You can’t argue with the results, though.
Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
23. All Games Taken Seriously
It’s safe to say Tom Brady is extremely competitive, and not just in football. He is an avid ping pong player and takes it as seriously as possible. Teammates recount stories about his ping pong table being dented and how he would break paddles when he lost.
Arnie Papp, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
24. High Schools Lows
Though things have turned out pretty well for Brady, it didn’t start out so hot. He only became the starting quarterback for his (losing) high school team after the original starter was injured (sound familiar?).
25. Ad Man
The face of Uggs, Brady graciously gives all of his teammates a pair of Ugg slippers. How nice—and on brand.
Rettinghaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
26. Gotta Make That Cash Somehow
Before making it big, Brady worked as a golf course ranger at a country club. He also worked at the University of Michigan golf course and even interned for Merrill Lynch.
27. I Scream, You Scream, Tom Definitely Screams
His favorite treat is avocado ice cream. Ahh...tastes like trendy hipster.
28. The Money Maker
Brady calls his right arm his “money maker.” Can't say he's wrong about that one.
29. Superlife
Brady has more than just football game. He's been married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen since 2009, and they have two children together. The two of them met when they were set up on a blind date, and they are almost too hot to handle.
30. High School Hero
Brady’s former high school (Sierra High School) named their football stadium “Brady Family Stadium” in his honor.
Jallen8307, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
31. Tom the Actor
Brady doesn’t limit himself, and has appeared in movies and television. His first film appearance was in the 2003 film Stuck On You. His role? “Computer Geek # 1.” We're just not buying it.
32. Baby From Another Mother
Brady has a child out of wedlock with his former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. Around the time of their break up and Brady’s first date with Gisele, Moynahan became pregnant. That's some bad timing.
33. Buy Me
Being a health freak, Brady has begun to make a business out of wellness products. In 2016, he launched a line of vegan snacks. He also has a performance company called TB12 and has opened up a nonprofit foundation to help young athletes recover from injuries.
34. Dr. In The House
Dr. Dre spent $40 million to buy the Brady family mansion in California in 2014, when they relocated to Massachusetts. It's said Brady had to sell the house because Eli Manning’s ghost was haunting it (we kid because we love).
35. If The Hat Fits
In 2015, Brady made visible a Donald Trump “Make America Great Again” hat during a locker room interview.
36. No Future
Despite the support of his relationship Trump, Brady told GQ in 2015 there is "0.0000 chance" that he will run for office after his playing career is finished.
37. InflateGate
In 2005, Brady suffered from a sports a hernia and played several games with inflated testicles. Apparently, he likes his balls inflated as well as deflated.
38. All About Mechanics
Brady does his part in autographing fans' photos, but he once refused to sign a picture because his throwing mechanics looked off in the photo.
Christian Petersen, Getty Images
39. Life Plan
Brady has said he plans to play until his late 40s, 48 to be exact, and has mapped out the next few years of his life. Actually, that's just a thing he does: He plans his life schedule three years in advance. He put in serious, meticulous work to be where he is today, and lives a regimented life full of...well, we’re not sure where the fun is actually. Maybe the winning part?
40. He Always Goes Hard
During an event for disabled children, Christian Fauria was playing a charity football game with the QB and taking it a little too easy for Brady, who proceeded to yell at him to hustle. Fauria hustled too hard, tweaked his hamstring, and got the opportunity to curse out Brady in front of the children. You can take a quarterback out of the game...
