Tom Brady shows there’s more to football than perfect life
HOUSTON — Tom Brady appears to have everything: wealth, fame and a treasure-trove of football prizes, a famous wife, good looks, respect from teammates and peers, and a close-knit family.
What more could a guy want?
Sometimes, things aren’t always as they appear. Sometimes, you want more than another shiny hunk of handcrafted silver. Or another glossy NFL passing record.
Sometimes, you just want your mother. Yes, even Tom Brady.
Brady’s life seems to engender envy and resentment in many quarters, particularly so after he mentioned his friendship with President Donald Trump. His “haters’’ might be more distraught when the quarterback has the opportunity to possibly experience the perfect Sunday in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. That would be particularly so if Brady’s ailing mother, who has not seen her son play in person this season, makes it to the game as expected.
If the Patriots triumph as oddsmakers believe, Brady, 39, will vault past his childhood hero, the San Francisco 49ers’ Joe Montana, with a record five Super Bowl victories.
A triumph in Brady’s seventh Super Bowl also would put him on the world’s biggest postgame sports stage with Roger Goodell. Imagine that moment of awkwardness as the commissioner hands the Super Bowl trophy to the quarterback that he suspended for the first four games of this season for “Deflategate.’’
But what would please Brady more is the thought of Gaylnn Brady sitting in the stands.
It was revealed this week that she has an undisclosed illness, which the three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player confirmed. CSN New England reported she has been sick for 18 months. Brady’s father, Tom, only has attended one game this season.
This weekend, the entire Brady bunch expects to be at NRG Stadium, including Brady’s three sisters, Julie, Maureen and Nancy. They will join Brady’s supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen, and the couple’s children, Jack, 9, Benjamin, 7, and Vivian, 4.
“It has been a challenging year for my family for some personal reasons,’’ Brady told reporters. “It will be nice to have everyone here watching us this weekend. My mom and dad, they have been so supportive my entire life, and it is nice to be here to show them and try to make them proud.”
Brady, adept at sidestepping blitzes, takes life head on, along with the game he cherishes.
No one challenges Tom Brady more than Tom Brady.
He is a passionate player with a positive attitude who strives to help the Patriots locker room brotherhood reach its potential.
“He’s an amazing teammate,’’ said Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount. “He’s (supportive) and very energetic. He can get anybody going in a matter of seconds. If he needs to light that fire, he knows exactly what to do and what to say.’’
Brady’s leadership skills at the most demanding of NFL positions are unparalleled. His teammates look up to him every day. He makes average-to-good Patriots produce beyond expectations. He makes everyone’s job easier because he is prepared and cool under intense pressure. He treats practices as if they are real games.
If the Patriots have a collective chip on their shoulder pads — and they are supremely motivated as “America’s Most Hated Team’’ — their otherwise even-keeled teammate is the guy who chisels it into a rapier-like point.
Those qualities are a primary reason, along with Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s leadership and football genius, that the franchise has captured 14 division titles and 11 conference championship games during the quarterback-coach tenure. Brady’s record as the Patriots’ starting quarterback in regular-season and playoff games is an astounding 207-61.
It has been pointed out countless times that Brady’s underdog status entering the league as a sixth-round draft choice in 2000 likely fueled his ultra-competitiveness. Whatever the reasons, Brady is on the precipice of establishing a new standard of Super Bowl excellence. He is the Super Bowl’s all-time leader in yardage (1,605), completions (164) and touchdowns (13).
“The guy’s a true winner – he brings it every day,’’ said Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan. “He challenges me daily. … (His leadership) makes us go out there and not be afraid of anything.’’
Legacy? It is not a Brady imperative. Gaining the respect of his co-workers is paramount.
“The best times are when you’re hanging with your friends on the bus rides, when you’re in the locker room, when you see old teammates and talk about all the great years you’ve had,’’ Brady said. “It wasn’t ever to be a discussion about where you rank with somebody else. Those have never been important to me.’’
One of those current teammates, James Develin, describes Brady as “just an everyday guy.’’
“A lot of times Tom gets put on this pedestal because of the success he’s had, and the status he has achieved, (but) he’s just a true gentleman,’’ said the Patriots fullback.
As Patriots’ defensive end Chris Long remarked, “Tom’s just a good dude.’’
“What a team player he is,’’ Long said. “What a good locker room guy he is. He pays attention to everybody. He’s a great teammate. He’s fun. He brings out the best in his teammates.’’
For that reason alone, the Falcons should be worried. Very worried.
Brady is amped. For a lot of reasons, professionally and personally.
This has been an emotionally charged week for him, on and off the field. The quarterback permitted some well-concealed emotions to publicly spill out, a rarity. On Monday night after the Patriots’ arrival, a 7-year-old boy was given the opportunity to ask him a question, and it was a good one.
“Many people think you’re their hero. But who’s your hero?’’ asked the grade-schooler.
“I think my dad is my hero because he’s someone I look up to every day,’’ Brady said.
The quarterback gulped, the eyes teared. Brady inhaled, smiled and reconfirmed: “My dad.’’
What more could a guy want?
Jon Mark Saraceno can be reached at jsaraceno@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jonnysaraceno on Twitter.