Tom Brady - A Short Biography

 By Thomas F. Sullivan

What is that nebulous quality about certain people which produces greatness? Tom Brady, of the New England Patriots, was never expected to achieve such greatness. Yet he has become one of the stars of the NFL. In this article, we will biographically examine the quarterback Tom Brady. But here we will do more then just list his achievements. We will examine how Tom Brady was able to achieve sports greatness. And from this information, possibly understand what is possible for all of us, whatever our endeavor.

The information presented here is solely our opinion, simply because we were not able to talk to Tom Brady directly. But in doing research for this article, we did find some common threads among individuals who have obtained a certain level of greatness. Tom Brady seem to be a good choice for characterizing those qualities. These common threads which are presented here, are the most important elements of this article. Lets start by examining a short biography of Tom Brady.

Tom Brady grew up in San Mateo, California, near San Francisco. He attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he became a star athlete. Junipero Serra is an all male high school noted for it's rich athletic tradition. He regularly attended 49ers games in the 1980s, where he became a fan of quarterback Joe Montana. After high school graduation in 1995, he attended the University of Michigan. When he first came to the University of Michigan, there was six other quarterbacks on the Michigan roster which were better then he was. During this time, teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese led the Wolverines to a National Championship with a win in the 1997 Rose Bowl.

At the University of Michigan, he struggled to get playing time. During this time, he even considered transferring to the University of California, at Berkeley. But he stuck it out, and slowly and surely he worked his way up to the starting position for the Wolverines. He eventually started every game in the 1998, 1999 seasons under head coach Lloyd Carr.

During his Junior and Senior years at the University of Michigan, he started to do very well as a quarterback. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998. In the 1999 season, Brady led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns. The NFL scouts started to display an interest in Tom Brady, but he was never considered a highly sought after quarterback. This resulted in him being drafted 199 in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, by the New England Patriots.

When New England drafted Tom Brady, it was unusual in that they decided to have four quarterbacks on the roster that year of 2000. If it had been any other year, he may have not been drafted, at least not by New England. During Brady's first season at New England, he worked his way up from the number four position, to the number two position, and he completed 1 of 3 passes for six yards.

Tom Brady's opportunity to advance to the starting position came on September 23, 2001, during a Patriots home game against their AFC East rival, the New York Jets. At that time, starting quarterback Bledsoe, went down with an injury, and Brady stepped in to become the starting quarterback. From that point onward, Brady led the Patriots to four Super Bowls, with three Super Bowl victories. He won two Super Bowl MVP awards, and has been selected to four Pro Bowls. He was Sporting News Sportsman of the Year for 2004 and 2007. And he was Sports Illustrated Sports Man of the Year for 2005. Not bad for someone who was a compensatory pick of 199 in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

The New England Patriots saw something in Tom Brady, that most NFL teams did not see. In one word, they saw potential. To put it simply, they saw a diamond in the rough, and they new it. So what is it about Tom Brady that has resulted in his amazing accomplishments. Another words, why has he been able to achieve a certain level of greatness. There does seem to be some common threads which make up the core of any individual who has obtained a certain level of greatness. Lets examine some of these common threads.

Tom Brady has always had a burning desire to become the best at what he does. From working his way up at the University of Michigan, to working his way up within the New England Patriot organization, he knows what it is like to struggle. He obviously has God given talent, but he also had a burning desire to develop his talent. Why did he have such a burning desire? Maybe it was the struggle itself and his desire to prove the naysayers wrong. Maybe it is what was instilled in him during his upbringing. Most likely it is a combination of these factors which has resulted in him becoming one of the great quarterbacks of the NFL. But there is something else that we believe is involved here.

Most of us all have a desire to be the best at what we do. But what is it about Tom Brady, who can carry a team 70 yards down field within the last minute of a game, which results in a come from behind victory? What is it that makes him thrive in must perform clutch situations, while many athletes with similar talent are not able to do so? It is that nebulous quality that some individuals have which undoubtedly has to do with the ability to be one hundred percent focused when it counts, no matter what the situation. Tom Brady has this ability. He is able to get into what many refer to as the groove, for a short period of time, where absolutely nothing can interfere with his focus on the situation. And during that situation of intense focus, he is able to use his talents to achieve the objective.

But there is something else which seems to distinguish greatness from mediocrity. That one entity which seems to exist in most people who have achieved a certain level of greatness, no matter what the endeavor may be, is the realization that we are put here on this earth for a purpose. And each of us must fulfill our own reason for being here. You need to be focused in order to fulfill your purpose.

All of us can develop that ability to be one hundred percent focused on the task at hand. But to have a good reason to do so, is what really makes it happen. I am sure Tom Brady, and others who have achieved a certain level of greatness, feel they are put here on this earth for a purpose. And during the drop of time we are here, we all must fulfill our God given purpose and reason for being here. You get one chance, and I believe it is this basic attitude which in the end, is what ultimately leads to greatness. Something that we all can aspire to.

Thomas Sullivan, the author of this article, is a web publisher and developer who lives in the Boston, MA area. He is the creator and webmaster for the site New England Patriots [http://new-england-patriots-tickets.top-seo-solutions.com/]. He is also an avid New England Patriot fan.

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