Tom Brady's Legacy

Brady was born on August 3, 1977, in San Mateo, California. While he was growing up, his dad would bring him to many San Francisco 49ers games to watch the amazing quarterback Joe Montana, who quickly became his idol. Brady went on to play football in high school and then at the University of Michigan. After 4 years with Michigan, he led them to victory in the 1999 Orange Bowl and gained a reputation as a skilled and determined player.

Brady then entered the 2000 NFL draft and was picked in the sixth round by the New England Patriots. Initially being a backup quarterback, he watched the starting quarterback (Drew Bledsoe) closely and worked to improve his strength and technique so that he may eventually start in the far future.

But in a sudden turn of events at the beginning of the 2001 season, Bledsoe became injured, and Brady was unexpectedly chosen to fill his position. He stunned the country by leading the Patriots to an 11-3 record and a Super Bowl, of which he was the MVP. After that, his career took off.

Throughout his 22-year career, Brady set national records in almost every category. He had a record of 243-73-0 and completed 7,263 of his 11,317 passing attempts. He also had the most passing touchdowns (624) and the most passing yards (84,520) in NFL history.

In the Super Bowl alone, he owns the record for rings (7), MVPs (5), passing yards (2,838), pass attempts (392), touchdown passes (18), and completions (256). Even at the end of his career, he was breaking records for being the oldest player to be in a Super Bowl, the oldest player to win a Super Bowl, and the oldest player to be a Super Bowl MVP, all at the age of 43. For more of his career stats, visit https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00.htm.

But Brady was more than just a spreadsheet on the field; he was an inspiration. Young fans around the country admired him for his determination, his ambitiousness, and his relentless pursuit of victory. His teammates (most notably Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and Wes Walker) and his coach for most of his career (Bill Belichick) all described him as a symbol of hope, a sign that they could pull away victorious.

The Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, reinforces this idea. “You didn’t have to be a Patriots fan to respect and appreciate his competitiveness, determination, and will to win that fueled his success,” said Kraft. “As a fan of football, it was a privilege to watch. As a Patriots fan, it was a dream come true.”

Off the field, Brady was a great person in the community. He often joined and encouraged his teammates to join the Best Buddies Challenge, where they would talk to and play a friendly game of football with people who had intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Brady has also helped grant more than 50 wishes for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization that makes life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Lauren Cotter, the director of the Make-a-Wish program in New England, says that “the kids just look up to him as a hero and an idol, and to know that he's right in front of them, I think it's just a moment they'll never forget.”