More formally known as Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr, some may be surprised to know where the NFL star grew up before he became the powerhouse quarterback we all know today.
Tom Brady was born in San Mateo, California on the 3rd of August 1977. He grew up in San Mateo, attending Junípero Serra High School until graduating in 1995 and moving on to play college football for the University of Michigan.
Known as one of the best NFL quarterbacks in the history of the game, how did Brady become such a renowned player? Let’s dive in and discover how his early life in San Francisco had such an influence on the world-class athlete he is today.
Baseball Beginnings
As the youngest child in his family, Tom grew up with his three sisters, Maureen, Nancy, and
Julie. His entire family were always huge lovers of sport, which encouraged the competitive nature of Tom as he was often pushed around by his siblings.
He frequently went to San Francisco 49ers games from a young age, boosting his passion for the game.
At the time of Brady’s attendance at Junípero Serra High School, he was much more focused on his baseball career than football, regardless of the fact that he became the starting quarterback for the school.
You can see him during his much younger days playing and talking about his love for baseball in the video below.
“I played baseball my whole career growing up – my whole life – and then football was, like really new and it was cool and it was fun. I was a quarterback and I didn’t even know how to put the pads in the pants, all I knew how to do was throw the ball,” he explains.
Although the prep college wasn’t able to get to the state playoffs with Tom, his coaches commended him for his ability to read a defense and make up for his lack of speed with skills and smarts.
Despite his passion for baseball and recruitment offer with the Montreal Expos, he made the decision to take on a scholarship with the University of Michigan to play football.
East Side Underdog
Following his four year career in college football at U of M, Brady was selected 199th in the 2000 NFL draft. He started out as the backup quarterback for the New England Patriots, and played just one game in his whole first season.
Even though he was a late pick in the 2000 draft, Tom managed to push himself and use this ‘underdog’ title to give him the drive and motivation to further his skills and improve his game.
His career really began to take off in 2001, where he replaced injured Drew Bledsoe and established his mesmerising gameplay as a blend of strength, poise, awareness, and sharp decision-making.
Making History
As of December 2019, Brady holds a jaw-dropping 54 NFL records.
Just some of his standout achievements include the record for the most overall touchdown passes at 590, the record for the most postseason victories for a starting quarterback, and he became the first NFL player ever to win six times at the Super Bowl.
Why Did Brady Leave The Patriots?
In early 2020, Brady made the decision to leave the New England Patriots after playing for them for 20 seasons. He revealed his thoughts on the big move in a heartfelt tweet, declaring his lifetime love and thanks for all his supporters.
Brady now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, nabbing a $50 million two-year deal with an additional $9 million in incentives.
He’s still sporting his iconic No.12 jersey, despite the big change. He messaged Mohamed Samu offering up the beloved No. 12 after the wide receiver was traded over to the Patriots, but Samu kindly turned it down.
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