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 Tom Brady had a pair of distinctly different futures sprawled before him. The Junipero Serra High football star could take a scholarship to Cal, where he would be near his San Mateo, California home and start at quarterback almost immediately. Or he could go to Michigan, 2,300 miles away, where bitter winters and a six way contest for snaps loomed. A no-brainer, right? "To us it seemed an intellectual, practical decision to go to Cal, "his father, Tom Sr., recalls. "But for him it was a career decision." Because he thought the challenges at Michigan would make him a better player, Tom opted to leave behind his parents and three older sisters. " It was an easy decision," the New Endland Patriots' QB says, "but I'm sure my parents were disappointed I wouldn't be just across the [San Francisco] bay." Indeed, Tom Sr. and his wife Galynn struggled with having their son three time zones away. But they had raised Tom to think independently and be his own man, so they respected his righ tto determine his future. Tom Sr., an employee benefits consultant, and Galynn, a homemaker, supported their son in all his activities. They attended as many baseball, football, and basketball games as possible, and father and son spent hours whizzing fastballs and talking strategy with each other. But the Bradys never pressured Tom athletically, urging him only to put a positive spin on obstacles he encountered and to treat others with kindness and decency. Galynn says Tom was well-behaved, but sometimes a competitive streak, inherited from his parents, would take over. "He'd only get fustrated if he didn't do as well as he wanted to," she says.  Mom was a nurturer who kept her son grounded, "what everyone hopes for in a mother, wife and grandmother," Tom says. And Dad inspired him by working long hours to support the family while still finding time for his son and those back yard sessions. "My parents led by example," Tom says. "I've tried to be like Dad by watching how he approaches certain situations." When Tom reached Serr High, it was obvious he had picked up his father's work ethics. Just two years after he tried organized football--his parenst kept him off the gridiron until ninth grade for fear of injury--Tom became Serra's starting varsity quarterback. "We loved watching him play football Saturday then golfing with him Sunday to rehash the game," Tom Sr. says. The Brady's lost that luxury when Tom left for Michigan, but they were at the other end of the phone line when in 1996 when he failed to win the No. 1 QB job and pondered a transfer. They told him he could stay and fight or flee from the difficult situation. Tom refocused and later won 20 of 25 UM games he started. "He was able to growhis wings," Tom Sr. says, "and that's what it's all about." Those wings fluttered when Tom disppointedly fell to the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. But he had learned to battle, and he climbed the Patriots' depth chart, taking over as the starter earlt last season. He led the Pats to the Super Bowl, where the Bradys watched him orchestrate a last-minute, title winning drive to earn game MVP honors. Tom is now as much a dear friend as a son to Tom Sr. and Galynn. He was only home a few days this off-season, but their bond has never been stronger. "There is no one I enjoy seeing and spending time with more than my mom and dad," he says. "They are the reason I am what I am today." -- Jordan Hyman (Sports Illustrated July 15-22 2002 Issue) Sports Illustrated presents AMAZING New England Patriots 2001 Superbowl Champion 6 Quarterbacks who where picked ahead of Brady in the 2000 draft. That group comprised Chad Pennington(Jets), Giovanni Carmazzi (49ers), Chris Redman (Ravens), Tee Martin (Steelers), Marc Bulger (Saints), and Spergon Wynn(Browns). 58 Combined completions in 2001 of the six quarterbacks who were drafted ahead of Brady in the 2000 draft. 264 Completions by Brady in 2001 4 Straight games -week 9 through week 12- in which Brady completed at least 70% of his passes. Only Joe Montana (8) has completed at least 70% of his passes in more consecutive games. 162 Passes thrown by Brady in 2001 before he was intercepted for the first time, an NFL record. 643,750 Dollars, per game, that Drew Bledsoe makes as part of the 10-year, $103 million contract that he signed before the 2001 season. 298,000 Dollars, this season, that Brady made in base salary. *He also became the fifth quarterback since 1970 to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl in only his first year as a starter. And he is the only QB in Patriots history to win 11 of his first 14 starts. *the third-youngest quarterback (24 1/2 years old) to start in a Super Bowl (behind Dan Marino and David Woodley) *Drew Henson, Tom Brady's former competition and pal at Michigan, has exposed Brady to Patriots fans. *"Tom Brady is a huge Yankees fan," said Henson. "You can write that." Brady used to wear Yankee hats around the Patriots locker room until someone told him not to. He now wears Red Sox and SF Giants caps. *Brady is sure to take grief for his SI cover, in which he has his shirt off. "With that body, why would you take your shirt off?" said one teammate. * In 2000, Brady signed a three-year contract, with a signing bonus of $38,500 -- less than the $49,250 sticker price of the Cadillac Escalade EXT he got for being the Super Bowl MVP. * Brady's base salary for 2001 was $298,000. Drew Bledsoe's base salary for 2001 is $3.4 million. Third-stringer Damon Huard made $525,000. * The Patriots' 2001 media guide devotes 26 pages to Bledsoe. Brady has three- quarters of one page. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (24 yrs, 184 days old) was the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. (Previous youngest (tie): Joe Namath in Super Bowl III & Joe Montana in Super Bowl XVI, 25 years, 227 days). Brady is the third-youngest player to win a Super Bowl MVP (Marcus Allen, 23 years, 301 days old at Super Bowl XVIII and Lynn Swann, 23 years, 316 days old at Super Bowl X). Brady is the second quarterback to win the Super Bowl in the year of his first career start (Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV). Brady (24 yrs, 184 days old) was the third-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino (23 yrs, 127 days) in 1985 and David Woodley (24 yrs, 97 days) in 1983. Brady became the 19th quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP, the most of any position. The closest other positions have been running back with seven and wide receiver and defensive lineman with three each. Brady passed for 53 yards on the Patriots game-winning drive, completing five-of-eight passes. Two of his pass attempts were spiked to kill the game clock. He moved the Patriots into field goal position with 1:21 remaining without the benefit of timeouts. Brady set single-game Patriots postseason passing records with 52 attempts, 32 completions and 312 yards against the Raiders in the AFC Divisional game. In the second half alone, Brady completed 26 of 39 passes for 238 yards. Brady also became the first Patriots quarterback to rush for a touchdown in the postseason, when he ran in from six yards vs. Oakland. Bringing Up Brady 15-July-2002, Sports Illustrated Tom Brady had a pair of distinctly different futures sprawled before him. The Junipero Serra High football star could take a scholarship to Cal, where he would be near his San Mateo, California home and start at quarterback almost immediately. Or he could go to Michigan, 2,300 miles away, where bitter winters and a six way contest for snaps loomed. A no-brainer, right? "To us it seemed an intellectual, practical decision to go to Cal, "his father, Tom Sr., recalls. "But for him it was a career decision."Because he thought the challenges at Michigan would make him a better player, Tom opted to leave behind his parents and three older sisters. " It was an easy decision," the New Endland Patriots' QB says, "but I'm sure my parents were disappointed I wouldn't be just across the [San Francisco] bay."Full Story Super Bowl MVP Tm Brady – THE NATURAL – A whirlwind off-season for the new prince of the NFL COOL CUSTOMER 15-April-2002, Sports Illustrated Fresh off a storybook season in which he quarterbacked the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory at age 24, Tom Brady is learning to cope with the blitz of newfound fame.Come fly with me, the brassy billionaire said to America’s newest football star, and soon the two were traversing the friendly skies in a customized Boeing 727, swapping stories, chowing down on sandwiches and preparing to mingle with 51 of the hottest women in the land. This was the usual plane of existence for the aircraft’s owner, a real estate magnet and notorious babe magnet, but the wide-eyed quarterback was having the ride of his life. He sank into the Italian leather couch, stared dumbstruck at paintings that looked as if they might be on loan from the Louvre and thought, My God, how did I get here? Full Story SUPER COOL SUPER HERO 8-February-2002, People Magazine A benchwarmer just last year, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady proves too good for the Rams—almost too good to be true SUPER COOL SUPER HERO...Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady doesn’t get ruff easily. Only an hour before the biggest game of his life he was so relaxed he fell asleep. Even with the game against the St. Louis Rams on the line and only 81 seconds left to win it, the quarterback for the New England Patriots felt “a sense of calm come over me,” recalls Brady, 24, crediting that confidence to his supportive parents. “ I knew my dad was leaning over to the person next to him, saying, ‘Everything’s under control.’” Full Story A day for Patriots San Mateo's Tom Brady leads New England's unlikely victory 4-February-2002, SF Gate Tom Brady often played flag football as a kid on Portola Drive in San Mateo -- an asphalt "field" that stretched from telephone pole to telephone pole, with parked cars as formidable obstacles. Brady played a little game of tackle football yesterday -- on 100 yards of artificial turf at the Superdome in New Orleans, with an estimated 800 million people worldwide watching on television. As his family and friends back home bounced between jubilation and anxiety, Brady guided the New England Patriots to an improbable 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots seized the victory only when Brady led them on a frantic, last-minute drive, culminating in Adam Vinatieri's dramatic 48-yard field goal as time expired.Full Story Bradys are family affair Relatives cheer Pats QB in Raider land 18-January-2002, SF Gate As they have done all season, people will pour into the Brady home in San Mateo tomorrow night. They will fill the family room -- some lying on the floor, others standing against the wall, all with a keen interest in the game on the big-screen television. They, like so many other football fans, will watch the Raiders play the New England Patriots. But nobody will wear a silver-and-black jersey in this house. Nobody will even consider exhorting Oakland's defensive players to nail the quarterback. That's because one pocket of the Bay Area is Brady territory -- as in Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, pride of Serra High School, baby in a family of accomplished athletes, unlikely leader of the team that will meet the Raiders in the AFC playoffs.Full Story N E Patriots QB has family ties to central Minnesota 18-January-2002, Sports Writer BROWERVILLE -- You know who Tom Brady is, don't you? He's the guy who shared time at quarterback with Drew Henson at the University of Michigan, even though Henson couldn't carry Brady's uniform. Still unsure who Brady is? He's the player who was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, the seventh quarterback taken, behind such household names as Marcus Bulger and Giovanni Carmazzi. Still doesn't ring a bell? Brady is the guy who replaced $103 million quarterback Drew Bledsoe as the New England Patriots starter, making their relationship a bit uneasy. Sunday, Brady will quarterback the Patriots as they play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC championship, one victory away from a trip to "The Big Easy" and the Super Bowl. Brady's the guy who, throughout his entire football career, has been doubted, ignored and overlooked. There are a few people who never doubted Brady.Full Story The Brady Hunch 14-December-2001, ESPN The Magazine Whether he's driving around in his pickup, or unseating The Franchise in New England, or resurrecting an 0-2 team into a probable playoff team, Tom Brady always seems to have that toothy grin on his face, the look of someone who's crashed a party. He knows people are always checking him out. Frame: too skinny. Arm: not powerful. Age: too young. Credentials: a sixth-round pick. So when Brady joins Montana, Young, Baugh and Aikman on the all-time list of quarterbacks to connect on 70% of his passes for four games in a row, that grin reappears, smugly, as if to say, "Told you so." Full Story |