Written By Chuck Harris
Staff Writer
Dayton, Tenn.- As the day turned to night, and Tom Brady’s fifth Super Bowl ring was slipping away. The New England Patriots were under a 25-point deficit and time was not on their side. Through the chaos, Tom Brady proved his resilience, leading his team to victory. The game that lasted more than four hours, but for Tom Brady, it will last a lifetime.
Success in the Beginning
Oscillation, the word that completely describes the athletic career of Tom Brady and how he has overcome adversity over the years. Brady excelled in both baseball and football in high school. After his senior year of high school (1995), the Montreal Expos drafted Tom Brady to play Major League baseball. Instead of pursuing this once in a lifetime opportunity, Brady decided to receive an education and play football at the University of Michigan. It was there that he confronted the first, of many, athletic obstacles.
Life at the University of Michigan
In 1996, the University of Michigan was known as one of the most dominant teams in the nation, and did not need Brady’s talent as a freshman. Because of this, he had to learn patience and humbleness as he watched his team play from the bench for two years.
His Junior year, Brady was able to win the starting quarterback position for Michigan. After earning his spot, Brady proved his talent and led his team to two bowl games. Everything moved smoothly for Brady, until graduation day.
The 2000 NFL Draft
Tom Brady’s draft stock, which was questioned in the year 2000, began a steady decline in terms of productivity. Most franchises didn’t want to waste their time and money on such an undersized quarterback. One of the only teams that thought they could develop the subpar quarterback was the New England Patriots. The Patriots elected to use their pick in the sixth round on Tom Brady making him the last quarterback taken in the draft.
The New England Patriots
After draft day, the Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick was asked about choosing Tom Brady. He said that Brady was, “the best fit for the [Patriots’] system.” Once making it to New England, Brady learned from a starting quarterback who had led the Patriots to the playoffs. After waiting his time, he once again earned his spot and made the best of it. Since receiving the starting spot in September of 2001, Brady hasn’t looked back. He is the only quarterback to win five Super Bowls. When asked about his performance, Brady says “When I’m out on the football field, I have so much confidence in what I’m doing.”
Tom Brady is now considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He has experienced numerous obstacles and still continues to persevere. The veteran quarterback’s time is coming to an end and it’s only a matter of years before he will be forced to retire. Few quarterbacks in the future will match the talent level that Tom Brady has been able to show.
