Biographies > Tom Brady

When second-year quarterback Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, it ranked among the all-time upsets in NFL history. However, it was hardly a case of beginner’s luck. The 24-year-old had been preparing his whole life for this moment. That’s why, when instructed by New England coach Bill Belichick to go for the win with 81 seconds left in regulation, Tom was—quite literally—ready, willing, and able. This is his story ...

Tom Brady was born on August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California, an affluent city of more than 90,000 residents located 30 minutes south of San Francisco. His parents, Tom Sr. and Galynn, were big sports fans, and raised their four children to share their passion. Tom’s three older sisters—Maureen, Julie, and Nancy—were all athletic. He followed in their footsteps.

Tom was crazy about the 49ers. Over the years, his parents took him to many games at Candlestick Park. One of his earliest childhood memories, in fact, was going to the 1981 NFC Championship Game between the Niners and Dallas Cowboys. The 3-year-old cried for the entire first half because his mom and dad refused to buy him an oversized foam “#1” hand.

In the second half, as the drama increased and the energy began to build, Tom started paying attention to the action on the field. He did not understand everything that was happening, but he knew his favorite player, Joe Montana, was up to something special. When Montana found Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone to pull off an incredible comeback, the stadium exploded. That play sent San Francisco to its first Super Bowl, and permanently shifted the balance of power in pro football. It also got Tom thinking it would be pretty cool to be a pro quarterback.

The early days of Tom’s sports career did not hold much promise of attaining such a lofty goal. He was not particularly big or strong or coordinated, and was undistinguished even among the other boys on his block. What he did have was a competitive nature and an innate understanding of how to improve.

Tom would find the fastest kid around and challenge him to a footrace. Not gifted with much natural speed, he was blown away time and again. Yet he never gave up, analyzing his performance after each loss and thinking of things he could do to get better. Finally, he began beating the other boys. Looking back, he remembers feeling like the tortoise who triumphed over the hare.

This blend of intelligence and a never-say-die attitude served Tom well in youth sports. He flourished at positions where these qualities mattered most, most notably as a baseball catcher. He could hit, run, throw, and handle pitchers as well as anyone around. Though a football career still occupied his thoughts, he did not play in an organized league until his freshman year at Junipero Serra High School, an all-boys Catholic school in San Mateo that produced superstars Lynn Swann and Barry Bonds.

Tom made the JV as a backup quarterback, then ascended to the first-string role after an injury felled the starter. He advanced to the varsity, and by his junior year he was starring for Serra in two sports. Known for his incredible work ethic, Tom was a coach’s dream. Dissatisfied with the football team’s training regimen, he devised his own. Included was a jump rope routine that quickly became part of team workouts. Over the summers, only the most dedicated Padres joined Tom in his torturous training program.

By his senior season, Tom was seeing the fruits of his hard work. He gained national attention in 1994 as a quarterback, including All-America recognition by both Blue Chip Illustrated and Prep Football Report. He ended his prep career with 3,702 yards and 31 touchdowns. Tom was also honored as an All State and All-Far West performer. In baseball, he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round of the 1995 draft.

By this time Tom had decided his future lay in football. It was a smart choice—two players drafted ahead of him by the Expos (Michael Barrett and Brian Schneider) would become the team’s catching tandem. Though recruited by colleges closer to home, Tom chose to accept a scholarship from the University of Michigan.

Tom arrived on campus in Ann Arbor in 1995 with no real shot at playing time. The program was under extreme pressure to produce a conference champion (it had been two years since the Wolverines last went to the Rose Bowl) and the coach, Gary Moeller, was fired before the season started following a drunken incident at a local restaurant. His replacement, defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr, faced high expectations and a murderous schedule.

Carr red-shirted Tom and went with freshman Scott Dreisbach and sophomore Brian Griese at quarterback. Though the team finished the regular season 9-3, they never developed much of a rhythm. The year ended with a 22-20 loss to Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl.

Tom spent the 1996 season as the Wolverines’ number-three quarterback. He saw mop-up duty in just a couple of games, but made great strides in other ways. He developed a firm grasp of the team’s playbook and got to practice with the first-stringers, which helped his timing and bolstered his confidence. Michigan, meanwhile, began to reassert itself as a Big Ten powerhouse. Its defense, led by linebacker Jared Irons and cornerback Charles Woodson, did solid work. The Wolverine offense was piloted by Dreisbach, who beat out Griese for the starting job in the preseason.

Disappointing losses to Northwestern and Penn State cast a pallor over an otherwise good season, and made many Michigan fans wonder whether Dreisbach was the right man for the job, When Carr played Griese against Auburn in the Outback Bowl—and the Wolverines won 41-14—the quarterback job was once again up for grabs heading into the following season.

Tom played third fiddle once again in 1997. He pouted when Griese won the starting job in camp, and briefly considered transferring to Cal, where he’d have a better chance to play. But with Michigan dominating its opponents, Tom got snaps in three of the first four games. Though he yearned for a bigger role on the team, Ann Arbor suddenly seemed like an okay place to be. The campus was in the throes of a national title run, and Tom realized that there were worse things than being a back-up on a championship-caliber team. He also heeded advice from Carr, who told him to concentrate on improving his game.

Unfortunately, Tom’s year ended early when he underwent an emergency appendectomy in October. During his recovery, he made up his mind to stop brooding and win the starting job at Michigan. Tom watched from the sidelines as Griese led the Wolverines to a share of the national title with a 21-16 win over Washington State in the Rose Bowl. He hoped to bring the team back to the big game himself one day.

With Griese graduated, Tom was a leading candidate for the starting quarterback job in 1998. His main competition came from Dreisbach and freshman Drew Henson. After a strong camp, Tom was anointed the starter by Carr.

Things started badly for the Wolverines. They lost a road game to Notre Dame and then were beaten by Syracuse at home. Unwilling to heap all the blame on his quarterback, Carr decided to stick with Tom, and things started turning around. His teammates gained confidence in his playmaking ability, the offensive line began to gel, and running back Anthony Thomas began to rack up big yards. The improved rushing attack opened up the field for Tom, who picked apart Indiana and Penn State to even Michigan’s record at 2-2.

Tom saved his best for the Wolverines’ biggest rival, Ohio State. He completed 31 of 56 attempts against the Buckeyes for 375 yards and one touchdown, setting school records for completions, attempts, and yardage. Michigan fell 31-16, however, the team’s only loss in its last 11 games. Tom ended the season by lifting the Wolverines to a 45-31 come-from-behind triumph over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl. An Academic All-Big Ten selection, Tom finished the year with 2,636 yards and 15 touchdowns. Only Jim Harbaugh had thrown for more yardage(1986) in a season for Michigan.

Despite Tom’s stellar campaign—and the fact he was voted one of Michigan’s team captains—he was not a lock to start in 1999. The reason was Henson. The sophomore was considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Among those who agreed were the New York Yankees, who drafted him as a third baseman in June of 1998. Henson played a few minor-league games that year before heading off to Ann Arbor. In 1999, he flourished in A ball, slugging 13 homers in just 69 games before returning to Michigan in August, eager to supplant Tom as the Wolverines’ first-string passer.

The quarterback battle intensified as the opener against Notre Dame approached. Coach Carr, unable to make up his mind, announced that both players would see significant time under center. Tom wasn't happy about splitting time, his coach’s indecisiveness, or being snubbed, but kept his mouth shut and trusted things to work out. He had learned in 1997 that the smartest way to handle this kind of disappointment was to keep his head clear and be ready to make plays when called upon.

In the first quarter of the Notre Dame game, Tom spearheaded a pair of drives that resulted in Michigan field goals. In the second quarter, Henson led the team to a third field goal. The Fighting Irish, however, were scoring touchdowns against the Wolverine defense. At halftime, it was clear to Coach Carr that he had to pick one player and go with him the rest of the way. He chose Tom, who erased a 14-point deficit and led the team to a stirring 26-22 win with a late touchdown. He finished the day 17 of 24 for 197 yards.

Though still sharing the job with Henson, Tom continued toestablish himself as the team’s true starter. He threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns against Purdue, then lit up Michigan State with 285 yards and two more scores. Against Illinois, he amassed 307 yards in another two-touchdown performance, which finally convinced Carr to end his rotating quarterback system. With Tom at the helm, Michigan closed out the regular season with four straight wins and an Orange Bowl bid.

Tom ended his Michigan career with a flourish in Miami, completing 34 of 46 attempts for 369 yards and four touchdowns against Alabama. His final pass as a collegian, a 25-yarder to Shawn Thompson, won the game for the Wolverines in overtime, 35-34. The final numbers on his senior year were 2,586 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

Opinions on the pro prospects for Tom Brady were mixed. Scouts had no quibble with his attitude. He was fearless, hard-working, and willing to learn. They also gave him high marks for his accuracy on passes to the flat and over the middle. It was Tom’s body that had many concerned. He stood 6-4, but weighed only 205 pounds. He didn't run well and couldn't throw deep with much effectiveness. Most pegged him as a career back-up—someone who could fulfill a support role, but certainly not a player worthy of a high pick.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick saw a little more upside when he looked at the Michigan quarterback. With Drew Bledsoe ensconced at starter, and veteran John Friesz slated for back-up duty, Tom seemed worth a gamble. He would join former Kansas State star Michael Bishop on the bench. Belichick hoped that one of the two would step into the second-string job by 2001. The Pats selected Tom with their sixth-round pick.

Tom was grateful that someone had taken him. When the draft started, he had envisioned himself going in the first few rounds. As team after team passed him over, he grew increasingly frustrated. According to his parents, he grabbed a baseball bat, stomped out of their home, and did a little backyard “landscaping” to let off some steam.

By the time Tom arrived at training camp, he had worked things out and was ready to start his pro career. His new teammates teased him when they saw his spindly frame, but respected how serious he was about learning his position. Over the course of the season he committed the playbook to memory, added 15 pounds of muscle, and slowly but surely improved the speed and accuracy of his long passes.

At night, Tom would practice his footwork in his apartment. Hardly a moment went by that he was not preparing in some way for the day he would get to play. Although the league viewed him as a fringe type, he was sure he could get the jobdone in a starting role. His mission was to make believers out of just about everyone in pro football.

The Patriots were awful in 2000, and Tom watched all but one game from the bench. His lone appearance came in a 34-9 defeat at the hands of the Lions, one of 11 losses for New England. He completed one pass for six yards.

As training camp broke in 2001, there was little enthusiasm amongst New England fans. Despite a lot of new faces—including corner Terrell Buckley, linebackers Mike Vrabel and Roman Phifer, halfback Antowain Smith and wideout David Patten—it promised to be another gruesome year. The Pats needed impact players, and none of these veterans qualified. A pair of rookie linemen—defensive tackle Richard Seymour and guard Matt Light—added depth in the trenches, but only Seymour had the potential to be a major contributor. As had been the case in years past, the team would go as far as superstar Drew Bledsoe could take them.

Although no headlines were roaring his name, Tom was one of the team’s lone bright spots during the pre-season. He was beefier and faster than in his rookie season—enough so that Belichick decided to release Bishop and go with Tom as the back-up (Friesz having been released the previous February).

The season opened against the hapless Cincinnati Bengals, but it was the Patriots who took the loss, 23-17. In the team’s second game, against the Jets, New York linebacker Mo Lewis put a ferocious hit on Bledsoe, and Belichick was forced to turn to Tom. With time ticking away and a chance to tie the game, he brought the Pats to the 29 yard line, but the drive stalled and New England dropped to 0-2.

Far worse than the team’s winless start was the news that Bledsoe had sheared a blood vessel in his chest. Not only was he badly injured, he could have died. Tom was now the starter, for better or worse, until Bledsoe was cleared to play again. In Week 3, the defense came through against Peyton Manning and the Colts, causing several key turnovers and holding Indianapolis to a single touchdown. Tom played a solid game, and New England got the win, 23-13. The following week, however, he could not move the ball and the Patriots fell to the Dolphins, 30-10.

With the team mired in the cellar at 1-3 and Bledsoe’s recovery going more slowly than anticipated, New England fans were ready to write off the season. Safety Lawyer Milloy was not. After the Miami game, he told Tom that he needed to be a more dynamic leader. He had done it in college, now it was time to do it here.

The following week, Tom brought the Pats back from a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers. Two scoring drives sent the game into overtime, and kicker Adam Vinatieri split the uprights for a 29-26 victory. The following week, Tom beat the Colts again. He threw for three touchdowns, including a 91-yarder to David Patten—the longest play from scrimmage in franchise history.

New England dropped to 3-4 with a loss to the Broncos. In a matchup of former Michigan quarterbacks, Brian Griese prevailed 31-20. Tom felt like the goat afterwards. The Denver defense did a number on him, intercepting four passes on the day. But Tom took some positive lessons from the game, and applied them like a veteran in his next two starts, wins over the Falcons and the Bills.

When the heavily favored St. Louis Rams visited Foxboro Stadium the following week, the Patriots held their own thanks in part to Tom, who did a masterful job of mixing the run and the pass to keep the defense off-balance. A second-quarter fumble by Antowain Smith proved to be the turning point, however, as the Rams won 24-17. No one in the New England locker room felt they had been outclassed. Despite a 5-5 record, the team was starting to believe it could play with anyone in the league.

The Patriots blew out the Saints in their next game, as Tom tossed four TD passes. The following week, in a key game against the Jets, he rallied the Pats from 13 points down to score a 17-16 victory. Tom’s timing could not have been better, for Bledsoe was healthy again and could have played against New York. A potential quarterback controversy was thus averted, and Coach Belichick was able to keep Tom in the starting role without too much second-guessing. His 6-3 mark in the nine games Bledsoe had missed spoke for itself.

Of course, New England owed its stellar record to others besides Tom Brady. The team chemistry was sensational. The offensive line was improving with each game, Smith was running like he had for the Bills in the 1990s, and Troy Brown (the leader of an unexpectedly dangerous corps of receivers) had turned into one of the league’s top game-breakers on special teams.

The defense was just as good. The Pats hit hard and were not afraid to gamble. Milloy and backfield mates Ty law and Otis Smith were having great years, while the linebackers and defensive linemen came up with one big play after another. Vinatieri, one of the few holdovers from New England's 1996 AFC championship team, was one of the game’s clutch kickers. It seemed absurd to think of the Pats as a Super Bowl possibility, but in a conference with no powerhouse they had as good a chance as anyone.

Although Tom felt good about Belichick’s vote of confidence, he was saddened when he realized that it had chilled his relationship with Bledsoe. Drew had been a great help while on the mend, but now believed he should be back in. There is an unwritten rule in the NFL that says a starter does not lose his job to an injury, only to a better player. Obviously, Bledsoe saw himself as the superior player.

Doing his best to ignore the off-field turmoil, Tom led New England to victories over the Cleveland Browns and the Bills again to set up a crucial showdown with Miami. At stake was an opening-round bye in the playoffs and home-field advantage in the first postseason contest. Tom played smart and guided the Patriots to a 20-13 win. A week later New England crushed the Carolina Panthers to wrap up first place in the AFC East. After the game he learned that he and Lawyer Milloy had been picked for the Pro Bowl.

Despite playing in Foxboro, the Patriots were the underdog against Oakland for their first playoff game. The Raiders played like the favorite in a snowy first half, and went into the locker room up 7-0. The Patriot defense, also bolstered by the slippery conditions, stiffened after intermission, limiting the Raiders to a pair of field goals. But Tom, playing tentatively, could not get the offense on track.

Heading into the fourth quarter and down by 10, the Patriots finally put together a big drive, as Tom dove across the goal line to make the score 13-10. With the season on the line, the Patriots got the ball back for one last drive. Tom maneuvered the team through the snowflakes across midfield. The game looked to be over when Tom was sacked, lost control of the ball, and the Raiders recovered. But referee Walt Coleman saw things differently. After consulting the replay, he ruled the play an incomplete pass.

Coleman’s call followed the letter of the law. Tom always gave the ball a light pat with his left hand before letting it go, and Coleman noticed that the New England signal caller been doing this while getting hit. That made what appeared to be a game-killing fumble a harmless incompletion. Moments later, Vinatieri booted the tying field goal to send the game into overtime. After the Patriots won the coin toss, Tom completed eight straight passes to set up the game-winning kick in a controversial 16-13 triumph.

The Patriots next traveled to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to play the Steelers for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Tom sprained an ankle in the second quarter and could not finish the game, but Bledsoe stepped in and connected with Patten on a touchdown just before halftime. The former starter safeguarded a slim lead the rest of the way to give New England a 24-17 win. Believe it or not—and most people didn't—the Patriots were going to the big game.

On paper, Super Bowl XXXVI appeared to be a monumental mismatch. Few doubted the high-flying St. Louis Rams would win. The most interesting question seemed to be how long the Patriots could stay close. Compared to Kurt Warner and his receiving corps, Tom and his pass catchers looked like high schoolers. Throw in do-it-all superstar Marshall Faulk and there seemed to be no way New England could survive. It certainly did not help that Tom’s ankle was still painful and swollen.

In the days leading up to the game, Belichick refused to reveal his starter. New England fans were grateful to Tom for rescuing the season, but some felt that it was time for Bledsoe to reassume command of the team. The Patriot players disagreed. When Belichick announced that Tom Brady would start, there were smiles all around. They wanted to go with the guy who got them there.

If anyone in the New England locker room was concerned about Tom’s nerves, their fears were probably allayed when he was spotted on the trainer’s table before the game...taking a nap.

The Patriots devised a game plan around the few advantages they had. The team did not make many mistakes, so they would not be giving away points to the Rams. More important, they were a more physical team. By tackling hard and making the Rams’ offensive stars pay with their bodies on every play, they hoped to disrupt their timing and wear them out.

This proved to be the key to one of the greatest upsets in football history. From the opening kickoff, the Pats punished Warner, Faulk, Isaac Bruce and the other St. Louis receivers whenever they could. By halftime, Faulk was bruised and battered, the wideouts were hearing footsteps, and Warner was nursing an injured thumb. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the Rams were looking vulnerable.

Still, it would take a great effort to beat this great team. The Patriots came out for the second half with a surprising 14-3 lead. Ty Law had picked off a rare Warner mis-throw and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown, and Tom had connected with David Patten in the back of the end zone right before halftime. Adam Vinatieri added a third-quarter field goal to make the core 17-3, but the Rams came charging back. Warner ran one in from two yards out, then passed to Ricky Proehl for another touchdown to tie the game with a minute and a half left. That’s when Coach Belichick put the game in Tom’s hands.

Few in the Superdome believed he would attempt to move the Patriots into scoring position. After all, this wasn't Joe Montana. Or was it? Starting from his own 17 with no timeouts, Tom moved the offense 53 yards in seven plays. Two short passes to J.R. Redmond got the Pats a first down on the 30. An incompletion followed by an 11-yarder to Redmond gave new England another first down, on the 41, with 41 ticks left.

After an incompletion to stop the clock, Tom found Troy Brown on a crossing pattern, and connected for 23 yards. A quick 6-yarder to Jermaine Wiggins brought the ball into field goal range at the St. Louis 30 yard line. Tom stopped the clock with a spike as it reached 0:07.

Tom trotted off the field and watched wide-eyed as Vinatieri split the uprights to win the game, 20-17. Tom’s final numbers were 16 completions on 27 attempts for 145 yards and a touchdown. He was named the game’s MVP.

Tom’s life was a whirlwind after the Super Bowl, which made preparing for the 2002 season even more difficult. The Patriots returned much the same squad from the year before, particularly on defense and special teams. The most notable change came on offense at tight end where Christian Fauria and Cam Cleeland were signed to give Tom more receiving threats, particularly in the red zone. Another welcome addition was speedy receiver Deion Branch.

Early in the campaign, Tom had no problem getting everyone involved in the offense. The Patriots won their first three games, lighting up the scoreboard at nearly 40 points a contest. The defending champs crowed that they’re victory over the Rams in the Super Bowl hadn't been a fluke.

But New England ultimately showed itself to be a flawed team. The running game was inconsistent at best, enabling opponents to drop more defenders into pass coverage. After starting 3-0, the Patriots dropped their next four in a row, then struggled the rest of the way to stay above .500. All too often the club found itself playing catch-up, able to move the ball only when it went to the hurry-up offense. Though Tom usually flourished in these situations, he had only so many comebacks stored in his right arm. And there were times, as well, when he was New England’s biggest problem. Tom was criticized for lacking fire at various points during the season, and some questioned his health when the accuracy of his throws dipped. To his credit, he took the hits from the media and fans in stride, and never concocted excuses for his uneven performance.

For all the questions raised about Tom, however, his numbers were impressive. He finished the year with 3,763 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air, connecting on more than 60 percent of his passes. On the final Sunday of the regular season, he engineered a stunning rally at home against the Dolphins, leading the Patriots to a 27-24 overtime victory that kept New England’s slim playoff hopes alive. But Tom and teammates wound up on the outside of the playoff picture looking in when the Browns staged a fourth-quarter miracle of their own to overcome the Falcons and the Jets beat the Packers. Though they ended the campaign at 9-7, the Patriots felt completely dissatisfied with how they followed up on their Super Bowl championship.

As Tom learned in 2002, life as a Pro Bowl quarterback and Super Bowl MVP is challenging in ways he never imagined. The demands on his time—whether he was receiving an ESPY Award or serving as a judge in the Miss USA pageant—never seemed to end. Focusing on what he deemed most important was extremely difficult. Tom found ways to stay grounded, and for the most part keep his personal life out of the newspapers. But if he had any misconceptions about what people in New England want from him, they were answered in 2002. When the Patriots slumped, Tom realized that fans and reporters sometimes have selectively short memories. How he responds to the disappointment of his first failure in the NFL remains to be seen, though history says that he will come back stronger and more focused than ever.

Tom Brady is not your typical NFL rags-to-riches-back-to-rags story. Unlike other young quarterbacks who have caught lightning in a bottle for a few big games, he came by his success honestly. He does all the things a starting back needs to do, from preparation to practice to execution. He knows the offense as well as the coaches do, and he reads defenses like a veteran.

These are also the qualities that earn the respect of teammates—as witnessed by the reaction of the New England players when Bill Belichick announced him Tom as the Super Bowl starter. He was more than a nice story in 2001; he proved himself to be a leader.

In addition to the all-important “intangibles,” Tom also has NFL-caliber passing skills. He may never crank it down the field like Dan Marino, but he is a consistent and highly accurate passer. He hits his receivers when they are open, and when he makes a mistake he learns from it. That has opened the eyes and earned the respect of defenders, which is something he’s smart enough to build on.