Michigan Wolverines
At the University of Michigan, Tom Brady finished his career ranking 3rd all-time for a Michigan QB in attempts and completions, 4th in yards and completion percentage, and 5th in touchdown passes. Despite this, and his 20–5 record as a starter that included numerous comeback wins, Brady was not a premier prospect entering the NFL draft. As a result, he was not selected until the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, 199th overall, and was the 7th quarterback taken.
The Beginning of an Era
After sitting behind Patriots’ starter Drew Bledsoe for his entire rookie season, Brady only got his first start after Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding from a hit during the Patriots’ Week 2 game against the Jets in 2001. However, Brady refused to squander the opportunity. The Patriots won eleven of the fourteen games Brady started that year with Brady earning a Pro Bowl nomination for his performance. With their record, the Patriots earned a first-round bye in the playoffs; but Brady’s first playoffs were far from uneventful.
The Tuck Rule
Brady’s first playoff game against the Oakland Raiders is notorious. During Brady’s 10-point 4th quarter comeback in that game, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by Raiders cornerback and former Michigan teammate Charles Woodson. However, rather than being ruled a fumble, the play was ruled an incompletion via the “Tuck Rule.” This (now abolished) rule states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to “tuck” it back toward his body. This ruling allowed the Patriots to maintain possession and continue their 4th quarter comeback, as they were still down by 3 points. Ultimately, the Patriots won in overtime thanks to kicker Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal. Today, Brady has jokingly admitted that it was a fumble.
Brady’s First Super Bowl
After being injured in the Patriots’ AFC Championship win against the Steelers, Brady returned to start in the Super Bowl XXXVI against Kurt Warner and “The Greatest Show on Turf” Los Angeles Rams. Again, the game was defined by its final minutes.
After the Rams rallied from a 17–3 deficit to tie the game with 1:30 left, Brady was left with no timeouts on his own 17-yard line. In that short time, Brady drove down the field to the Rams’ 31-yard line and spiked the ball with seven seconds left. Allowing Adam Vinatieri to kick another game-winner and give the Patriots their first Lombardi Trophy. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP and became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
Back To Back
After a wild card tie-breaker forced the Patriots to miss the playoffs in 2002, the 2003 season looked impressively similar to 2001 for Brady. With 1:08 left, Brady ultimately led a game-winning drive capped off by an Adam Vinatieri field goal to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XXXVIII and earn his 2nd Super Bowl MVP. The following season, the Patriots returned to the promised land again. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24–21 to win Super Bowl XXXIX, their third championship in four years and the most recent back-to-back Super Bowl wins in NFL history.
18-1
Brady and the Patriots made the playoffs in both 2005 and 2006 but lost before making it to the Super Bowl. This resulted in an offensive overhaul that brought in Wes Welker and Randy Moss and led to the best season of Brady’s career. Brady led the Patriots to the first 16–0 regular-season record in NFL history (the 1972 Miami Dolphins had a 14-game regular season) and an NFL record 589 points and 75 total touchdowns. During the season, he tied Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach’s record for 76 wins in a quarterback’s first 100 regular-season starts. He also set an NFL record 9 consecutive games with 3 passing touchdowns. He finished with 4,806 passing yards, 50 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and a career-high 117.2 passer rating. His 50:8 touchdown to interception ratio was an NFL record. He became the first quarterback to pass for 50 touchdowns – breaking Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 49. As expected, Brady earned his first NFL Most Valuable Player Award.
During the playoffs, the Patriots’ win streak continued. Brady earned his 100th win and set an NFL record for the fewest games needed by a starting quarterback to do so. However, in Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants, the perfect 19-0 season was ruined. Brady took the lead with a touchdown to Moss with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Eli Manning’s Giants were still to score a last-minute touchdown to upset the Patriots 17–14.
Super Bowl Woes
After Brady suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of 2008, he bounced back to earn 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. However, the Patriots fell short in the playoffs losing their Wild Card matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots’ playoff shortcomings continued in the 2010 season. While Brady earned his 2nd NFL MVP award, the Patriots lost to the New York Jets in the Divisional Round. The 2011 season saw Brady become the fourth quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season. Additionally, the Patriots reached their 5th Super Bowl with Brady at the helm, but it was against a familiar foe. Super Bowl XLVI was a rematch between Brady’s Patriots and Eli Manning’s Giants. But Brady was unable to redeem himself. Again, Eli Manning led the Giants to a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left, giving Brady his second career Super Bowl loss.
Record-Breaking Win
Both 2012 and 2013 saw Brady’s Patriots lose in the AFC Championship. However, in 2014 the Patriots broke through the Conference Championship barrier. Giving Brady an NFL record 6th Super Bowl appearance. But the records didn’t stop there. Brady’s 10-point fourth-quarter comeback in Super Bowl XLIX to beat the Seattle Seahawks gave him his 4th Super Bowl ring. This tied him with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for most Super Bowl victories by a starting quarterback. He was also named Super Bowl MVP for the third time, also tying Montana’s record.
Super Bowl History
Brady’s 2015 season saw continued success but ultimately ended in a loss to Peyton Manning’s Broncos at the AFC Championship. The following year, Brady reached his 7th Super Bowl. In Super Bowl LI, Brady threw for 43 completions on 62 attempts for 466 passing yards—all Super Bowl records at the time. After losing 28-3 midway through the 3rd quarter, Brady and the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game. This resulted in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. After winning the overtime coin toss, Brady led the Patriots down the field to score a touchdown and win the game by a score of 34–28, completing the largest comeback win in Super Bowl history. With the victory, Brady won his 5th Super Bowl, setting the record for most Super Bowl victories by a quarterback. In addition, Brady set another record by winning his 4th Super Bowl MVP award.
Continued Success
Following his Super Bowl victory, Brady’s greatness went uninterrupted. In 2017, he was named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the third time in his career. The Patriots reached the AFC Championship Game for the 7th straight year and won, leading them to Brady’s 8th Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles, led by a resurgent Nick Foles, proved to be too much in Super Bowl LII. Brady and the Patriots lost 41–33. Motivated by the loss, Brady returned to the “Big Game” the following year. Super Bowl LIII remains the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history, but Brady’s Patriots won 13–3 over the Rams. With the victory, the Patriots became the 2nd NFL team to win six Super Bowls – all of them with Brady – making him the 1st player ever to win six Super Bowls. At 41, he also became the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
However, the Patriots dynasty would soon come to a close after the 2019 season. Following a loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card, Brady announced he would not resign with the Patriots. Head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft were unwilling to offer Brady the long-term deal he sought. So after 20 years, Brady’s tenure in New England was over. Suddenly, the most decorated quarterback of all time was a free agent. But where would he land?
Tampa Tom
In his first season as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Brady led the team to Super Bowl LV against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, his tenth Super Bowl appearance. Not only did he appear, he won 31-9. The victory earned Brady his 7th Super Bowl and 5th Super Bowl MVP. It also made him the 2nd quarterback to lead two different teams to Super Bowl wins and the 1st to win Super Bowl MVP with two different teams. To be clear, one man – Tom Brady – has more Super Bowl victories than any NFL organization does in their history.
The following season, Brady finished with an NFL record 485 pass completions and became the oldest player in NFL history to pass for at least 5,000 yards. His career-high 5,316 passing yards were the third-most for a single season in NFL history. During his Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams, Brady led a characteristic comeback of 24 unanswered points to tie the game. However, the Rams scored a field goal in the last seconds to defeat the Buccaneers. Soon after, Brady announced his retirement from football.
The Last Dance
Just 40 days after initially announcing his retirement, Brady announced he would return to the Buccaneers for the 2022 season. In the Buccaneers’ season-opener Brady became the oldest quarterback to start a game in NFL history. Sadly, the 2022 season did not have the fairy tale most expected. The Buccaneers finished 8-9, Brady’s first losing season as a starter, and lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Following the season, Brady announced his retirement “for good,” ending the most historic career in the NFL’s history.
Tom Brady Keynote Speaking
Now finished with his NFL career, Tom Brady is a renowned keynote speaker. His wealth of knowledge on team-building and top-level success make him the most sought-after athlete turned keynote speaker. Organizations hire Tom Brady for his football success, wellness expertise, and impeccable public speaking.
He has also shifted more focus towards his business ventures: TB12, Autograph, BRADY, and 199 Productions.
