With all his accomplishments and numerous records in the NFL, Tom Brady is arguably the GOAT of the league. He is considered one of the world’s greatest athletes, often alongside legends like Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Jordan. However, despite his accomplishments and various accolades, Brady is hesitant to recognize the title.
Fresh off his 13-3 Super Bowl LIII win over the LA Rams in February 2019, Brady revealed he didn’t like being labeled with the title. In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America, he said:
“I don’t even like it, it makes me cringe.”
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Brady believes the title could negatively affect his performance, as he is more motivated by criticism than accolades.
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“I wish you would say, ‘You’re trash, you’re too old, you’re too slow, you can’t do it anymore,'” Brady said. “And I’ll say, ‘Thank you very much; I’ll prove you wrong.’
Brady shined the most during the second half of his career. Over the years, it has aged like a good wine with experience. Alex Guerrero’s flexibility therapy has helped Brady stay fit and injury-free, never letting the age factor catch up with him.
Brady believes he is his own biggest critic and this motivates him to get the best out of himself.
“Personal criticism, I mean, I think I’ll leave the training ground and say to myself, ‘That was the worst day, you know, think about it,'” he said. “Sports have always brought that out in me.”
Tom Brady stands up to silence the doubters
A close observation of Tom Brady’s career trajectory shows that he rose through the ranks whenever he was most doubted. After being drafted 199th overall in the 2000 draft, Brady was benched until an injury to Drew Bledsoe during the 2001-02 season gave him an opportunity. Brady led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI, which marked the start of the epic Brady-Belichick era.
Another instance occurred during the latter part of his career when he left the Patriots. Fans doubted Brady could be the same without Belichick and the Patriots, and he proved them wrong again. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led them to a Super Bowl victory in his first season.
These Super Bowl victories highlight an intrinsic Brady trait that comes back to his doubters.
Edited by Krutik Jain
