On Jan. 31, Tom Brady, arguably the greatest football player of all time, retired from the game.  Brady’s decision was because of his age, personal reasons, and his desire to spend more time with his family.  He played 22 seasons in the NFL—20 with the New England Patriots and his last two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He garnered countless accolades throughout his career, including seven Super Bowls, and has broken many records and had a major impact on football.  

Brady was born in San Mateo, California, on Aug. 3, 1977.  He has three siblings with whom he was very close growing up.  Brady started his career in football by playing for his high school team at Junipero Serra High.  He quickly became a rising star at his high school, and received offers from colleges like UC Berkeley,  USC, UCLA, Illinois, and Michigan.  

Brady was drafted by the Patriots in 2000 after playing at Michigan, but was the backup quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe.  His first full season as starting quarterback was in the following year, when he led the team to his first Super Bowl appearance.  The Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams by a score of 20-17, giving Brady his first Super Bowl victory.   

It was not long before Brady would make his return to the Super Bowl.  In 2004, Brady battled to defeat the Carolina Panthers by a score of 32-29.  The following year, the Patriots had another successful season, resulting in a Super Bowl ring for Brady once again.  They made the playoffs nine out of the ten following seasons.  The Patriots, led by Brady and the great coach Bill Belichick, returned to the Super Bowl in 2014, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.

“I vividly remember that game because of the Malcom Butler incident, but it was also my first time watching a Super Bowl with Brady in it.  I didn’t realize how talented he was until I started to watch him more and more.  As a Patriots hater, I started to love him,” said junior Alec Goodman.  

Two years later, the Patriots returned to the Super Bowl and accomplished one of the largest comebacks in history, overcoming a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter.  Brady passed for 462 yards in that game, and scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team to a 34-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.  In 2018, Brady won his last Super Bowl with the Patriots, as they defeated the Rams by a score of 13-3 in a defensive affair. 

A monumental change happened in Brady’s career when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 alongside his friend and longtime teammate, Rob Gronkowski.  That following season, he won his seventh and final ring by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in a blowout, in which he became the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl in the AFC and the NFC.  

Brady is now 44 years old, and this season, he was the oldest active player in the NFL.  Although he is older than all of his teammates, he still stuns everyone with his impressive performance on the field.

In 2009, Brady proposed to his girlfriend at the time, Gisele Caroline Bündchen.  Since then, they have created a life together, complete with two beautiful children and a home in Florida.

In addition to being a great father, husband, and role model for his kids, he was an outstanding football player and teammate.  Although he has won many awards throughout his career, he continued to stay humble and focus on what is important to him.  He was named the Super Bowl MVP five times throughout his journey in the years 2002, 2004, 2015, 2017, and 2021.

“All that he has done and all the astonishing plays he made look easy time and time again just prove that he is the greatest of all time.  There is no one even close to his caliber,” said sophomore Max Baum.  

To add to his resume, he also won Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year in 2005 and 2021.  He leads the NFL in most games started, pass completions, wins, passing touchdowns, and most playoff game appearances, and the many accolades under his belt.  Brady had an amazing career, and despite his age, people were still shocked to see him hang up his cleats.  He has been the face of the NFL for years, but yet both those who love and hate him are excited to see what he does in the next chapter of his life.