Thomas Edward Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots NFL franchise.
Brady graduated from Junipero Serra High School, the same school that produced baseball slugger Barry Bonds and NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann. He played college football for the University of Michigan, starting every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when Brady started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998. In the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady was selected by the New England Patriots in the 6th round (199th overall).
NFL career
Initially, Brady served as the backup to the starting quaterback, Drew Bledsoe. This changed on September 23, 2001, when the Patriots were playing against their AFC East division rivals, New York Jets at Foxboro Stadium. During that game, Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding after colliding with Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. New England not only lost the game but Bledsoe, too. Soon after Brady was named the starting quarterback, he led the Patriots to an 11-5 record and into the playoffs.
During a 2001 divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders (played in January 2002), Tom Brady had been ruled as having fumbled on a pass attempt, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. Invoking the "tuck rule," where a ball is ruled an incomplete pass after the quarterback starts any forward throwing motion, the referee overturned the decision after reviewing the instant replay, calling the drop an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. The Patriots would eventually tie the game and win it in overtime. After defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots were considered 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots won the Super Bowl and Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI, after leading the Patriots on a game-winning drive with less than two minutes left in the game.
Interestingly enough, this was the first year in which fans had a say in the vote for the Super Bowl MVP. By garnering 29.02% of the online vote, which was 0.28% ahead of the second-best total, Brady was awarded all 4 'fan votes.' These 4 votes were enough to push Brady's MVP vote total ahead of the official panel's choice, Patriot cornerback Ty Law, who had scored on a 48-yard interception touchdown return, and make Brady the second-youngest MVP ever, after Lynn Swann.
In the 2003 NFL season, after a 2-2 start, Brady led the Patriots to 12 consecutive victories to finish the historical season and win the AFC East division championship.
In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots shut down the MVPs, Tennesee's Steve McNair and Indianapolis's Peyton Manning.
On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII, being named Super Bowl MVP for the second time.
With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 29, Brady engineered a clutch drive, which is becoming one of his trademarks, to put the Patriots in position for a Vinatieri field goal, which won the game for the Pats.
During the 2004-2005 season, Brady helped lead the Patriots to a record-setting 21-game consecutive winning streak, including 12 regular season games and three post-season games from the previous year. The Patriots 14-2 record matched that of of the season before and matched the best regular season record for defending Champions, winning the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years as well. The Patriots made it to the playoffs and defeated powerhouse AFC rival Indianapolis and revenged themselves upon Pittsburgh, the elite team who had ended the record winning streak earlier in the season. Brady is looking for his third Super Bowl title in three years.
On February 3, 2005, Tom Brady's grandmother died at the age of 94. Three days later, the Patriots, under Tom Brady, won Super Bowl XXXIX, Brady's third Super Bowl victory in four years.
Professional skills
Brady's style of play is most noted for his ability to make quick, effective decisions, especially in clutch situations, and throwing short, accurate passes throughout the game to minimize interceptions and fumbling. He is not considered to have great running speed or arm strength, but he compensates with his poise, leadership, and aplomb in the clutch. In Week 14 of the 2004 season, Brady demonstrated his improvisational skills when he completed a 9-yard pass while sitting on the ground.
Other information
People magazine listed Tom Brady as one of their Most Beautiful People of 2002.
On January 26, 2004, Tom Brady attended the annual State of the Union Address as a guest of President Bush. Brady declined to discuss his political views with the media. According to The Smoking Gun as of 2004, Tom Brady is a registered voter, but has not voted in any political election so far.
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