Legendary quarterback Tom Brady has been popping up on social media feeds and blogs lately, and the reasons are not football-related. The Roast of Tom Brady aired on Netflix on May 5, 2024, with a range of comedians, athletes, and surprise guests taking hits at the NFL star in the most brutal roasts. The roast was hosted by the effortlessly funny Kevin Hart and Jeff Ross, with fellow roasters including famous faces like Nikki Glaser, Drew Bledsoe, and even Kim Kardashian! The themes included nail-biting jabs at Brady’s divorce from Brazillian model Gisele Bündchen, Spygate, and even more controversial topics that called for some salty side-eye glances.
Brady is a former American pro football player widely recognized as the greatest quarterback in the history of the National Football League (NFL). With a career spanning 23 illustrious seasons, he spent a significant chunk of it as a star quarterback for the New England Patriots for 20 years and the last leg of his NFL career as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his final three seasons. Having dedicated the majority of his life to the game, there’s no doubt that Brady leaves behind an impressive legacy filled with accolades and recognition. His widespread fame has fans privy to a plethora of information about him. Let’s dive into five lesser-known things about the NFL stud.
1. Tom Brady Has Retired Not Once but Twice From the NFL
While the news of Brady retiring from the NFL is common knowledge, the lesser-known fact is that he has retired twice. The star quarterback first announced his retirement from professional football back in February 2022. However, just six weeks into his retirement, he declared that he would be un-retiring to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an additional season. Exactly one year after his first retirement announcement, Brady bid adieu to the sport once and for all in February 2023.
To date, the sportsman has upheld his decision but maintains the stance that he’s always open to returning to the sport. However, it should be noted here that Brady will serve as an NFL commentator as part of a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports and is expected to start in the fall of 2024. Somaybe he doesn’t need to jump into the field again after all.
2. Tom Brady Was Not a Football Protege During His University Days
Brady was not always the golden boy of football. He had humble beginnings during his football days at the University of Michigan and had been warming the bench for two whole years before he was granted a starter position in his junior year. Senior year brought challenges in the form of a position battle but Brady overcame the struggle and facilitated an Orange Bowl win over Arkansas for the University of Michigan.
However, things were less than ideal from there. He was chosen with the 199th pick in the draft — a range where players aren’t likely to last on a team for over two years. Throughout his career, Brady had to work his way up to the top and even played a significant role in facilitating the Patriots’ first-ever Super Bowl win.
3. Tom Brady is So Type-A About His Diet That It’s Popularly Named After Him
Brady isn’t the GOAT of American football and sporting all those chiseled muscles without good reason. The sportsman followed a very specific diet that was named after him, and it was called the TB12 method. Co-developed by the pro football player and alternative medicine practitioner Alex Guererro, a diet so restrictive one will find themselves scouring for green juice to overcome the guilt of scarfing down cajun fries from Five Guys upon hearing about all it entails!
The Tom Brady diet restricted the former quarterback from consuming dairy, coffee, white sugar, and white flour. While these limitations are relatively more coherent, TB12 also prevents him from consuming peppers, mushrooms, eggplants, and tomatoes as they are considered highly inflammatory, and most fruits are also off the table. Brady’s book, The TB12 Method, discusses his diet down to the nitty gritty, from the ridiculous amount of water he consumes daily to the unrealistic level of discipline one must possess to adapt to his lifestyle. The first edition of the TB12 Method was released in 2017 and later revised in 2020.
4. Tom Brady Holds the Record for Playing in the Most Number of Super Bowls in NFL History
During his illustrious NFL career spanning over 20 years, Brady played in a whopping total of 10 Super Bowls and showcased impressive grit and leadership skills. The quarterback has won a record-breaking seven Super Bowls in total. He won six times with the New England Patriots — the first win being from his first season as the starter for them in 2001 and one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
He also holds the record for being named Super Bowl MVP five times! Additionally, Brady is the only quarterback apart from Peyton Manning to have won the Lombardi Trophy while being on two separate teams. With numbers and achievements as impressive as this, one can see why bidding adieu to the sport took him two retirement attempts!
5. Tom Brady’s Training Regime Was Different From That of a Quintessential Athlete
Brady’s trainer and business partner in the TB12 health and wellness brand, Alex Guerrero, is the athlete’s renowned “body engineer,” responsible for managing all his dietary and fitness needs. Planned down to the microscopic details years in advance, Guerrero charted a strict schedule for the QB to stay at the top of his game perpetually. Typically, the day would kick start with a 4-minute long “deep force” massage pre-workout followed by a 40-minute intensive resistance band workout for muscle maintenance.
Brady’s fitness regime avoided the usual trajectory of strength training and focused more on functional strength, conditional training, and pliability exercises to prevent muscle overload or tears. The intense workout is usually followed by another massage to flush out the lactic acid buildup and boost muscle recovery. It’s clear as day that Brady has dedicated his mind, body, and soul to the game, with a legacy that will go down in American football history for many years to come. Also, see how his ex-wife got upset at the divorce jokes during his Netflix roast.
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