Tom Brady
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football
quarterback
for the New England Patriots
of the National Football League
(NFL). After playing college football
at Michigan
, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft
.
He has played in four Super Bowl
s, winning three of them (XXXVI
, XXXVIII
, XXXIX
). He has also won two Super Bowl MVP
awards (XXXVI and XXXVIII), has been selected to six Pro Bowl
s (and invited to seven, although he declined the 2006 invitation), and holds the NFL record for most touchdown pass
es in a single regular season. His career postseason record is 14–5. He also helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons (2003–04), and in 2007 he led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season
since the institution of the 16-game schedule. Brady has the third-highest career passer rating of all time (96.0) among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 career passing attempts.
Brady and Joe Montana
are the only two players in NFL history to win the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Super Bowl MVP awards multiple times (2 NFL MVPs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs). In 2005, he was named Sports Illustrated
's Sportsman of the Year
, and was named "Sportsman of the Year" by The Sporting News
in 2004 and 2007. He was also named the NFL MVP in 2007 and 2010 (becoming the first player to be unanimously chosen as MVP in the 2010 season) as well as 2007 Male Athlete of the Year
by the Associated Press
, the first time an NFL player has been honored since Joe Montana won in 1990.
Brady holds numerous regular season and postseason records, including: most touchdown passes in a regular season (50); highest touchdown-to-interception ratio in a single season (9:1); highest single-game completion percentage, regular season or postseason (26/28, 92.9%); most consecutive pass attempts without an interception (358); most consecutive regular-season home wins (31); highest winning percentage of any quarterback during his first 100 starts (76 wins); most completions in one Super Bowl (32); longest streak of games with 3 or more touchdown passes (10 games); and most career completions in Super Bowl history (100). Brady is the fourth-fastest player to reach 200 career passing touchdowns (he did so in 116 games). He is the first quarterback in NFL history to have reached this mark with fewer than 100 career interceptions (he had 88 interceptions). Considering his many numerous achievements, and his late draft selection (6th round, 199th selection), many analysts, including those at the NFL Network, have called Brady the best NFL draft pick (or draft steal) of all time, as well as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Before the 2011 season, his fellow players voted him the best player in the NFL.
, California
to Tom Sr. and Galynn. He was raised in a Irish American
Catholic family of exceptionally gifted athletes. Brady regularly attended 49ers
games in the 1980s, where he became a fan of quarterback Joe Montana
; since then, Brady has mentioned Montana as one of his inspirations and an idol. One of the games Brady attended was the 1981 NFC Championship, in which Montana threw The Catch
to Dwight Clark
, with Brady only being four-years-old at the time.
Brady graduated from Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California.
Brady was also drafted as a catcher in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft
by the Montreal Expos
.
. He was a backup his first two years, while teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese
led the Wolverines
to a share of the national championship in 1997
in the Rose Bowl
. When he enrolled at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart and had an intense struggle to get some playing time. At one point, Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety and even considered transferring to Cal
. Brady battled for the starting job with Drew Henson
, ultimately starting every game in the 1998
and 1999
seasons under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr
. During his first full year as starter, he set Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season (214). Brady was All-Big Ten (honorable mention) both seasons and team captain his senior year. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference
title in 1998. Brady capped that season with a win over Arkansas
in the Citrus Bowl. In the 1999 season, Brady led Michigan
to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl
over Alabama
, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns.
. According to Michael Holley
's book Patriot Reign
, the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay
, both of whom had received positive reviews from then-quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein
. Ultimately, the Patriots front office chose Brady. Ironically, even though the Patriots drafted a future superstar in the next to last round, the class of 2000 was a mediocre vintage for quarterbacks. Brady, Chad Pennington
and Marc Bulger
were the only ones to see success at the NFL level.
The Patriots made the unusual decision to carry four quarterbacks (instead of three) on the roster. Brady started the season as the fourth string quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe
and backups John Friesz
and Michael Bishop; by season's end
, he was number two on the depth chart behind Bledsoe. During his rookie season, he was 1-of-3 passing, for six yards.
, with Bledsoe as the starting quarterback. Their second game, and home opener, on September 23, was against their AFC East
rival, the New York Jets
. Bledsoe was again the starter, when in the fourth quarter he suffered internal bleeding
after a hit from Jets linebacker
Mo Lewis
. Bledsoe returned for the next series, but was replaced with Brady for the Patriots' final series of the game. New York would hold on to win, 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season.
Brady was named the starter for the season's third game, against the Indianapolis Colts
. In his first two games as starter, Brady posted unspectacular passer rating
s of 79.6 and 58.7, respectively, in a 44–13 victory over the Colts (in their last season in the AFC East) and a 30–10 loss to the Miami Dolphins
.
In the Pats' fifth game, Brady began to find his stride. Trailing the visiting San Diego Chargers
26–16 in the fourth quarter, Brady led the Patriots on two scoring drives to force overtime, and another in overtime to set up a winning field goal. Brady finished the game with 33 pass completions on 54 attempts, for 364 yards, and two touchdowns. The following week, Brady again played well during the rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win. The Patriots went on to win 11 of the 14 games Brady started, and six straight to finish the regular season, winning the AFC East and entering the playoffs with a first-round bye. Brady finished with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns and earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl
.
In Brady's first playoff game, against the Oakland Raiders
, he threw for 312 yards and led the Patriots back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where they won on an Adam Vinatieri
field goal. A controversial play in that game came when, trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by fellow Wolverine Charles Woodson
. Oakland initially recovered the ball, but, citing the "tuck rule
," which states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body, referee Walt Coleman
overturned the call on instant replay
, ruling it an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.
In the AFC Championship Game
against the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game and were immediately instituted by Las Vegas oddsmakers as 14-point underdog
s against the NFC
champion St. Louis Rams
in Super Bowl XXXVI
.
The score was tied with 1:21 left in the Super Bowl and the Patriots were at their own 15—with no timeouts—when sportscaster and Super Bowl-winning coach John Madden said he thought the Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime. Instead, Brady drove the Patriots' offense down the field to the Rams 31 before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. The Patriots won the game on another Adam Vinatieri field goal
as time expired. Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI while throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown
, and no interceptions, becoming the then-youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.
finished the year
at 9–7, tied with the New York Jets
and Miami Dolphins
for the best record in the division; however, the Jets won the division on the third tiebreaker, and the Patriots missed the playoffs.
Although posting a career-low single-season rating of 85.7, Brady threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes and 921 more yards than in 2001, though his fourteen interceptions would turn out to be a career high. However, Brady played much of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, and New England head coach Bill Belichick
has since indicated that if the Patriots had made the playoffs, Brady would not have been able to play in the first game due to that injury.
, after a 2–2 start, Brady led the Patriots
to twelve consecutive victories to finish the season, thus winning the AFC East. Statistically, Brady's strongest game of the season was against Buffalo
, when he achieved a season-high quarterback rating of 122.9. Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, and was second in NFL MVP voting to rival Peyton Manning and Steve McNair
. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans
and Indianapolis Colts
. On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers
in Super Bowl XXXVIII
and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with three touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a QB in a Super Bowl (32). With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 29–29, Brady engineered a drive to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning field goal.
, Brady helped the Patriots
set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year, an accomplishment honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
(though for official records, the NFL considers it an 18-game regular season winning streak; it does not count playoff games). New England's 14–2 record equalled that of their 2003 season, as well as the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years. Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl. In the AFC playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to victories over the Indianapolis Colts
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
. Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103 degrees. Against the NFL's best defensive team, Brady recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season. On February 6, 2005, the Brady-led Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles
to win Super Bowl XXXIX
. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns, most of which went to Deion Branch
, while capturing the Patriots' third championship in four years.
, the Patriots
were forced to rely more on Brady's passing, due to injuries suffered by running backs Corey Dillon
, Patrick Pass
, and Kevin Faulk
. Brady also had to adjust to a new center and a new running back: Heath Evans
. The results were positive; Brady finished first in the league with 4,110 passing yards and third in the league with 26 touchdowns. At 92.3, his 2005 passer rating was the second-highest of his career at the time, although he equalled his career high for interceptions with fourteen. He also rushed for 89 yards and fumbled a career-low four times. Brady and the Patriots finished with a 10–6 record, winning their third straight AFC East title. Some of the highlights of the season included another game with the Steelers
, in which Brady helped lead the team on the game-winning drive. When the Patriots visited the Atlanta Falcons
, Brady achieved a regular season-high rating of 140.3.
In the playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to a 28–3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars
in the wild card round; however, on January 14, 2006, the Patriots lost 27–13 to the Denver Broncos
at INVESCO Field. Brady threw for 346 yards in the game with one touchdown and two interceptions, in the first playoff loss of his career. After the season's end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December. Linebacker Willie McGinest
commented on it and said he knew, but Brady continued on playing. This is the main reason Brady did not go to the Pro Bowl when he was invited.
Despite not playing in the game, Brady was present at Super Bowl XL
, as the official coin tosser and as part of a celebration of Super Bowl MVP Award winners.
to a 12–4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs despite having an almost completely new receiving corps. In the regular season, Brady threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was not among the players initially selected to the Pro Bowl, although he was offered an injury-replacement selection when Philip Rivers
was forced to withdraw (which he declined).
In the postseason, the Patriots first hosted their division rivals, the New York Jets
, in the wild-card round. The Patriots defeated the Jets 37–16, as Brady went 22–34 for 212 yards and two TDs. In the divisional round, the Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers
. This was Brady's first playoff game in his home state of California. Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Chargers, whom many had picked as favorites to win Super Bowl XLI. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down by eight points, Brady and the Patriots started a key drive that would ultimately decide the game. After a 49-yard pass play to Reche Caldwell
, a Stephen Gostkowski
field goal gave the Patriots a 24–21 win.
In the AFC championship, the Patriots faced the Indianapolis Colts
. The Patriots and Colts had faced each other twice in the previous three postseasons at Foxboro; this game, however, was played at Indianapolis. The Patriots led at halftime, 21–6; however, the Colts staged a comeback, resulting in a last minute interception thrown by Brady, and a Patriots loss.
, the Patriots acquired wide receivers Donté Stallworth, Wes Welker
, Kelley Washington
and Randy Moss
; tight end Kyle Brady
; and running back Sammy Morris
—Brady enjoyed what some sports writers have described as the best season ever by a quarterback. Brady, along with Moss, decided to withdraw from the 2008 Pro Bowl
. The average score of a 2007 Patriots regular season game would be 37–17 by the end of the year. Brady not only led the Patriots to a 16–0 record, outscoring opponents by more than a 2-to-1 margin, but attained numerous career, franchise, and NFL records and milestones:
, Brady began the game with an NFL postseason record sixteen consecutive completed passes, and finished the game with 26 completions in 28 attempts, a completion rate of 92.9%. That mark is the highest single-game completion percentage (for passers with at least 20 attempts) in NFL history, regular season or postseason. With the win, the Patriots matched the Dolphins as the only team to win 17 consecutive games in one season.
Statistically, Brady did not fare as well in the AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers, throwing three interceptions (including his first interception in the red zone since the playoff loss to Denver). Nevertheless, the Patriots won their 18th game of the season, 21–12, to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. Brady, with the 100th win of his career, also set an NFL record for the fewest games needed by a starting quarterback to do so: his 100–26 record is sixteen games better than Joe Montana's.
In Super Bowl XLII, Brady was pressured heavily and sacked five times. The Patriots did manage to take the lead with a Brady touchdown to Moss with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Giants were able to score a last-minute touchdown to upset the Patriots 17–14.
at Gillette Stadium
, Brady's left knee was seriously injured midway through the first quarter on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard
; he left the game and did not return. The team later confirmed that Brady would need surgery, and that he had been placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. It is believed he tore both his anterior cruciate ligament
and his medial collateral ligament
. The injury ended Brady's streak of 111 consecutive starts (fourth in the list of most consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback
, behind Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Ron Jaworski). Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the Los Angeles Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic October 6, using Brady's patellar tendon graft to replace the torn ligament, and also repaired his medial collateral ligament, through a separate incision in his left knee. An infection in the wound resulted in further debridement
surgery several times since the original procedure. Brady underwent IV antibiotics for this infection which, at the time, threatened to delay his rehab.
season opener against the Buffalo Bills
. In the final minutes of the game, the Patriots were down 24–13 before Brady and Benjamin Watson
connected on two straight touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25–24 win. Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 13th time in his career for his performance.
On October 18, 2009, in an early season snowstorm, Brady set an NFL record against the Tennessee Titans
for most touchdowns in a single quarter, throwing five (two to Moss, one to Faulk, and two to Welker) in the second quarter. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, tying his career best, and 380 yards, completing 29 of 34 attempts, finishing with a nearly perfect passer rating
of 152.8. The Patriots' 59–0 victory over the Titans tied the record for the largest margin of victory since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger
, and set a record for largest halftime lead in NFL history (they led 45–0). He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week again for his performance. In Week 16, Brady set a Patriots regular season record with an 88.5% completion percentage against the Jacksonville Jaguars; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after the game.
Brady would finish the 2009 regular season with 4,398 yards passing and 28 touchdowns for a 96.2 rating, despite a broken right ring finger and three fractured ribs, all which were suffered over the course of the season. He was selected as a reserve to the 2010 Pro Bowl
and named the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Brady ended the 2009 season throwing 3 interceptions in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 33–14, his first career home playoff loss, and the first playoff loss at home by a New England Patriots quarterback since 1978.
Brady became the quickest to achieve 100 regular season wins by helping his team defeat the Miami Dolphins 41–14 on October 4, 2010.
On November 21, 2010, Brady tied Brett Favre
's record of winning 25 consecutive regular-season home starts, in a 31–28 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Brady's last regular-season loss at home was on November 12, 2006, a 17–14 loss to the New York Jets. On December 6, 2010, Brady set an NFL record by winning 26 consecutive regular-season home starts, in a 45–3 victory over the New York Jets.
On December 19, 2010, in a 31–27 home win over the Green Bay Packers
, Brady had his seventh straight two-touchdown game without an interception, surpassing Don Meredith
's NFL record of six such games. The next week in a 34–3 road win over the Buffalo Bills
, Brady surpassed Bernie Kosar
's 1990–1991 record of 308 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
Brady's 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (36:4) would break his own single-season record of 6.25:1, which he set in 2007. No other qualifying quarterback in NFL history has had a 6:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio for a season. Brady threw for 3,900 yards with 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He had an 111.0 passer rating, giving him two of the top five season ratings in NFL history, and making him the first player to finish with a rating above 110 in two different seasons.
Brady was selected as a starter to the 2011 Pro Bowl
. However, he pulled out of the game (and was replaced by former backup Matt Cassel
of the Kansas City Chiefs
) after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot dating back to 2008. Brady was also the only unanimous selection for the AP All-Pro Team
and was named the 2010 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He also achieved by unanimous decision the MVP award for the second time in his career.
, Brady threw for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns, with one interception, against the Miami Dolphins
, the second time he had thrown for 400 or more yards in a single game. It was the most ever by a Patriots quarterback in a single game (the previous record was Drew Bledsoe
's 426 yards against Minnesota
in 1994), and the fifth-highest total in NFL history, after Norm Van Brocklin
, Warren Moon
, Boomer Esiason
(in an overtime game), and Dan Marino
; Brady's performance was also the first 500-yard. four-touchdown performance since Y. A. Tittle
in 1962. Moreover, Brady and Miami quarterback Chad Henne
combined for an NFL-record 933 passing yards, including a Monday Night Football record for Brady. Brady's interception ended his regular-season streak of pass attempts without an interception at 358; Brady also became the 12th quarterback to complete a 99–yard pass play, to Wes Welker
. Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort.
In Week 2, against the San Diego Chargers
, Brady again threw for over 400 yards, completing 31 of 40 passes for 423 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions, all to second-year tight ends Rob Gronkowski
(two) and Aaron Hernandez
(one). Brady thus became the seventh quarterback in NFL history to pass for 400 or more yards in consecutive weeks, and the second Patriots quarterback to do so (Matt Cassel
was the first, in 2008); the sixth quarterback to accomplish the feat, Carolina Panthers
rookie quarterback Cam Newton
, did so earlier on the same day that Brady did. Brady was again named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, making him the first player in 28 years to win that award in Week 1 and Week 2 of the same season. It also marked the first time a player followed a 500-yard passing game with a 400-yard passing game.
In Week 4, against the Oakland Raiders
in Oakland, Brady tied Peyton Manning
's record of 13 consecutive regular-season games with at least two touchdowns, and moved into ninth place, past his childhood idol Joe Montana
, on the list of most touchdown passes, with 274.
from 2004 until late 2006. On February 18, 2007, Moynahan confirmed to People
magazine that she was more than three months pregnant with her and Brady's child. Brady and Moynahan ended their relationship sometime in early December 2006, around the time Moynahan became pregnant. Brady was present when the baby, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, was born on August 22, 2007 at Saint John's Health Center
in Santa Monica
. The baby has Brady's first and middle names as middle names, though in reverse order (Moynahan's father's first name is Edward, however).
Brady married Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen
on February 26, 2009 in an intimate Catholic ceremony in Santa Monica, California. On June 19, 2009, reports surfaced that Bündchen was pregnant. On September 11, 2009, Brady confirmed to ESPN
that they were indeed expecting, and that Bündchen was due in December 2009. On December 8, 2009, Bündchen gave birth to the couple's first child together, a son. On December 18, 2009, Bündchen posted a message on her website indicating that their son's name is Benjamin. In the April 2010 issue of Vogue
magazine, Bündchen confirmed that his name is Benjamin Rein Brady and that his middle name is a shortened version of her father's name Reinoldo. They christened
their 6-month-old son Benjamin in Santa Monica
on June 22, 2010.
Two paparazzi photographers claim they were shot at by security guards after Brady and Bundchen renewed their wedding vows in Costa Rica on April 5, 2009. Photographs appeared in the Boston Herald
of the shattered rear window of a vehicle belonging to one of these two paparazzi. The photographers, Yuri Cortez and Rolando Aviles, filed a lawsuit in New York against Brady and Bündchen seeking over $1 million in damages over the incident.
Touchdowns
Completions
Yards
Interception-free streaks and interception percentage
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). After playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
.
He has played in four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, winning three of them (XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
, XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
, XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
). He has also won two Super Bowl MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
awards (XXXVI and XXXVIII), has been selected to six Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s (and invited to seven, although he declined the 2006 invitation), and holds the NFL record for most touchdown pass
Touchdown pass
In gridiron football, a touchdown pass is a pass thrown from the passer to a receiver that results in a touchdown being scored. The pass can either be caught in the end zone itself, resulting in an immediate touchdown, or in the field of play, followed by the receiver carrying the ball into the...
es in a single regular season. His career postseason record is 14–5. He also helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons (2003–04), and in 2007 he led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season
Perfect Season
A perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
since the institution of the 16-game schedule. Brady has the third-highest career passer rating of all time (96.0) among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 career passing attempts.
Brady and Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
are the only two players in NFL history to win the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Super Bowl MVP awards multiple times (2 NFL MVPs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs). In 2005, he was named Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
, and was named "Sportsman of the Year" by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
in 2004 and 2007. He was also named the NFL MVP in 2007 and 2010 (becoming the first player to be unanimously chosen as MVP in the 2010 season) as well as 2007 Male Athlete of the Year
Associated Press Athlete of the Year
The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press in 1931. At a time when women in sports were never given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete...
by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, the first time an NFL player has been honored since Joe Montana won in 1990.
Brady holds numerous regular season and postseason records, including: most touchdown passes in a regular season (50); highest touchdown-to-interception ratio in a single season (9:1); highest single-game completion percentage, regular season or postseason (26/28, 92.9%); most consecutive pass attempts without an interception (358); most consecutive regular-season home wins (31); highest winning percentage of any quarterback during his first 100 starts (76 wins); most completions in one Super Bowl (32); longest streak of games with 3 or more touchdown passes (10 games); and most career completions in Super Bowl history (100). Brady is the fourth-fastest player to reach 200 career passing touchdowns (he did so in 116 games). He is the first quarterback in NFL history to have reached this mark with fewer than 100 career interceptions (he had 88 interceptions). Considering his many numerous achievements, and his late draft selection (6th round, 199th selection), many analysts, including those at the NFL Network, have called Brady the best NFL draft pick (or draft steal) of all time, as well as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Before the 2011 season, his fellow players voted him the best player in the NFL.
Early years
Brady was born near San Francisco in San MateoSan Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Tom Sr. and Galynn. He was raised in a Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
Catholic family of exceptionally gifted athletes. Brady regularly attended 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
games in the 1980s, where he became a fan of quarterback Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
; since then, Brady has mentioned Montana as one of his inspirations and an idol. One of the games Brady attended was the 1981 NFC Championship, in which Montana threw The Catch
The Catch (American football)
The Catch refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off a Joe Montana pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers...
to Dwight Clark
Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark is a former American Pro Bowl wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1987...
, with Brady only being four-years-old at the time.
Brady graduated from Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California.
Brady was also drafted as a catcher in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft
1995 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1995 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign-Background:Outfielder Darin Erstad of the University of Nebraska was the first pick in the 1995 Rule 4 Draft. Erstad compiled a career .356 average in three seasons with the...
by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
.
College career
Brady played college football for, and graduated from, the University of MichiganMichigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
. He was a backup his first two years, while teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
led the Wolverines
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
to a share of the national championship in 1997
1997 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was...
in the Rose Bowl
1998 Rose Bowl
The 1998 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1998 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. It was the 84th Rose Bowl Game. The game featured Michigan beating Washington State by a score of 21–16. The ending of the game is controversial...
. When he enrolled at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart and had an intense struggle to get some playing time. At one point, Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety and even considered transferring to Cal
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
. Brady battled for the starting job with Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
, ultimately starting every game in the 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
and 1999
1999 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.Florida State became the first team in history to start out preseason #1 and remain there through the entire season. Their 12-0 season gave them 109 victories in the...
seasons under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
. During his first full year as starter, he set Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season (214). Brady was All-Big Ten (honorable mention) both seasons and team captain his senior year. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title in 1998. Brady capped that season with a win over Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the Citrus Bowl. In the 1999 season, Brady led Michigan
1999 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1999 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1999 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl
2000 Orange Bowl
The 2000 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines on January 1, 2000, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Michigan defeated Alabama 35-34 in an overtime battle...
over Alabama
1999 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1999 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1999 college football season. The team was led by head coach Mike DuBose, who was in his third season with the program...
, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns.
2000 season
Brady was selected with pick #199, a compensatory pick, in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
. According to Michael Holley
Michael Holley
Michael Holley is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Plain Dealer, and Akron Beacon Journal.-Career:...
's book Patriot Reign
Patriot Reign
Patriot Reign is a best-selling book by Boston Globe/New York Times sports writer Michael Holley resulting from two years he was given unprecedented access to the inner sanctums of the world champion New England Patriots football operations as they worked to turn a good luck year into a legitimate...
, the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, both of whom had received positive reviews from then-quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein
Dick Rehbein
Dick Rehbein was a former American football coach in the National Football League.-Playing career:Rehbein attended Ripon College, where he was a Division II All-American center...
. Ultimately, the Patriots front office chose Brady. Ironically, even though the Patriots drafted a future superstar in the next to last round, the class of 2000 was a mediocre vintage for quarterbacks. Brady, Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
and Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
were the only ones to see success at the NFL level.
The Patriots made the unusual decision to carry four quarterbacks (instead of three) on the roster. Brady started the season as the fourth string quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
and backups John Friesz
John Friesz
John Melvin "Deep" Friesz is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots....
and Michael Bishop; by season's end
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, he was number two on the depth chart behind Bledsoe. During his rookie season, he was 1-of-3 passing, for six yards.
2001 season
The Patriots opened the season with a 23–17 loss at Cincinnati2001 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2001 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 34th year in professional football and its 32nd with the National Football League.-NFL Draft: -Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:* * *...
, with Bledsoe as the starting quarterback. Their second game, and home opener, on September 23, was against their AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
rival, the New York Jets
2001 New York Jets season
The 2001 New York Jets season was the 42nd season for the team, and the 32nd in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 9–7 record from 2000. Under new head coach Herman Edwards, the team finished 10–6 and qualified for the final Wild Card position in the American Football...
. Bledsoe was again the starter, when in the fourth quarter he suffered internal bleeding
Internal bleeding
Internal bleeding is bleeding occurring inside the body. It can be a serious medical emergency depending on where it occurs , and can potentially cause death and cardiac arrest if proper medical treatment is not received quickly....
after a hit from Jets linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Mo Lewis
Mo Lewis
Morris "Mo" C. Lewis is a former American football player who played linebacker for the New York Jets from 1991 until 2003.-Career:...
. Bledsoe returned for the next series, but was replaced with Brady for the Patriots' final series of the game. New York would hold on to win, 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season.
Brady was named the starter for the season's third game, against the Indianapolis Colts
2001 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2001 Indianapolis Colts season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League and 18th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 2001 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC East division...
. In his first two games as starter, Brady posted unspectacular passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
s of 79.6 and 58.7, respectively, in a 44–13 victory over the Colts (in their last season in the AFC East) and a 30–10 loss to the Miami Dolphins
2001 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-References:...
.
In the Pats' fifth game, Brady began to find his stride. Trailing the visiting San Diego Chargers
2001 San Diego Chargers season
-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
26–16 in the fourth quarter, Brady led the Patriots on two scoring drives to force overtime, and another in overtime to set up a winning field goal. Brady finished the game with 33 pass completions on 54 attempts, for 364 yards, and two touchdowns. The following week, Brady again played well during the rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win. The Patriots went on to win 11 of the 14 games Brady started, and six straight to finish the regular season, winning the AFC East and entering the playoffs with a first-round bye. Brady finished with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns and earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl
2002 Pro Bowl
The 2002 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 9, 2002 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38, NFC 30. Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders was the game's MVP.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Offense:-Defense:...
.
In Brady's first playoff game, against the Oakland Raiders
2001 Oakland Raiders season
-AFC Divisional Playoff:-References:...
, he threw for 312 yards and led the Patriots back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where they won on an Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
field goal. A controversial play in that game came when, trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by fellow Wolverine Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
. Oakland initially recovered the ball, but, citing the "tuck rule
Tuck rule
The tuck rule is a rule in American football, currently used only by the National Football League .Introduced in 1999, it reads:NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward...
," which states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body, referee Walt Coleman
Walt Coleman
Walt Coleman is an American football official in the National Football League since the 1989 NFL season. He wears uniform number 65.- Personal :Coleman resides in Little Rock, Arkansas and is a sixth-generation family operator of Coleman Dairy....
overturned the call on instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
, ruling it an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.
In the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
against the Pittsburgh Steelers
2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season
In 2001, after 3 mediocre seasons in which they had a combined regular-season record of 22-26, the Steelers returned to the top seed in the AFC, rolling to a 13-3 record in their first season playing at Heinz Field...
, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game and were immediately instituted by Las Vegas oddsmakers as 14-point underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
s against the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
champion St. Louis Rams
2001 St. Louis Rams season
The 2001 St. Louis Rams season was the 64th season for the team in the National Football League and seventh season in St. Louis. The Rams set a franchise record for wins in a season , while also going a perfect 8-0 on the road. Quarterback Kurt Warner would go on to win his second league M.V.P....
in Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
.
The score was tied with 1:21 left in the Super Bowl and the Patriots were at their own 15—with no timeouts—when sportscaster and Super Bowl-winning coach John Madden said he thought the Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime. Instead, Brady drove the Patriots' offense down the field to the Rams 31 before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. The Patriots won the game on another Adam Vinatieri field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
as time expired. Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI while throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, and no interceptions, becoming the then-youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.
2002 season
Brady and the Patriots2002 New England Patriots season
The 2002 New England Patriots season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League and 43rd season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth....
finished the year
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
at 9–7, tied with the New York Jets
2002 New York Jets season
The 2002 New York Jets season was the 43rd season for the team, and the 33rd in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 10–6 record from 2001...
and Miami Dolphins
2002 Miami Dolphins season
The 2002 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 37th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 11–5, instead winning only nine games. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:...
for the best record in the division; however, the Jets won the division on the third tiebreaker, and the Patriots missed the playoffs.
Although posting a career-low single-season rating of 85.7, Brady threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes and 921 more yards than in 2001, though his fourteen interceptions would turn out to be a career high. However, Brady played much of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, and New England head coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
has since indicated that if the Patriots had made the playoffs, Brady would not have been able to play in the first game due to that injury.
2003 season
In the 2003 NFL season2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, after a 2–2 start, Brady led the Patriots
2003 New England Patriots season
The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
to twelve consecutive victories to finish the season, thus winning the AFC East. Statistically, Brady's strongest game of the season was against Buffalo
2003 Buffalo Bills season
The 2003 Buffalo Bills season was their 44th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 8–8, instead finishing 6–10...
, when he achieved a season-high quarterback rating of 122.9. Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, and was second in NFL MVP voting to rival Peyton Manning and Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans
2003 Tennessee Titans season
The 2003 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 44th season and their 34th in the National Football League. At 12–4 the Titans posted the 15th season with at least ten wins in the franchise's history dating to their Houston Oilers days...
and Indianapolis Colts
2003 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2003 Indianapolis Colts season was the 51st season for the team in the National Football League and 20th in Indianapolis.-Roster:-Schedule:- Division standings :...
. On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers
2003 Carolina Panthers season
-Regular season:-Postseason:-NFC Wild Card playoff:The Cowboys' turnaround season under coach Bill Parcells came to a crashing halt. The Panthers outgained the Cowboys in total yards 380-204 and held the ball for 34:23. Dallas Quarterback Quincy Carter threw for only 154 yards and an...
in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with three touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a QB in a Super Bowl (32). With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 29–29, Brady engineered a drive to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning field goal.
2004 season
During the 2004 season2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, Brady helped the Patriots
2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year, an accomplishment honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
(though for official records, the NFL considers it an 18-game regular season winning streak; it does not count playoff games). New England's 14–2 record equalled that of their 2003 season, as well as the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years. Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl. In the AFC playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to victories over the Indianapolis Colts
2004 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs...
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games....
. Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103 degrees. Against the NFL's best defensive team, Brady recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season. On February 6, 2005, the Brady-led Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to win Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns, most of which went to Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
, while capturing the Patriots' third championship in four years.
2005 season
During the 2005 season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, the Patriots
2005 New England Patriots season
The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....
were forced to rely more on Brady's passing, due to injuries suffered by running backs Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
, Patrick Pass
Patrick Pass
Patrick Pass is an American football running back and fullback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, and Kevin Faulk
Kevin Faulk
Kevin Troy Faulk is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.As of 2010, Faulk is the longest-tenured current member of the Patriots,...
. Brady also had to adjust to a new center and a new running back: Heath Evans
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. The results were positive; Brady finished first in the league with 4,110 passing yards and third in the league with 26 touchdowns. At 92.3, his 2005 passer rating was the second-highest of his career at the time, although he equalled his career high for interceptions with fourteen. He also rushed for 89 yards and fumbled a career-low four times. Brady and the Patriots finished with a 10–6 record, winning their third straight AFC East title. Some of the highlights of the season included another game with the Steelers
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 15–1 record from 2004 in which they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Steelers, with the sixth and final seed to the playoffs, became just the second team ever to win...
, in which Brady helped lead the team on the game-winning drive. When the Patriots visited the Atlanta Falcons
2005 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Preseason:-Regular season:-Awards and honors:* Michael Vick, Pro Bowl selection-References:...
, Brady achieved a regular season-high rating of 140.3.
In the playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to a 28–3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars
2005 Jacksonville Jaguars season
After a 9–7 season in 2004 the Jaguars came out of the gates prepared to become a dominant force in the AFC. They achieved that task, going 12–4 in the regular season, but did not manage to win their own division, getting swept by the Indianapolis Colts as they went 14–2...
in the wild card round; however, on January 14, 2006, the Patriots lost 27–13 to the Denver Broncos
2005 Denver Broncos season
In 2005 the Denver Broncos ended the 2005 regular season with a 13–3 record, the franchise's second-best number of wins of all time and their third best win percentage ever. They won their first playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXIII in the 1998 season...
at INVESCO Field. Brady threw for 346 yards in the game with one touchdown and two interceptions, in the first playoff loss of his career. After the season's end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December. Linebacker Willie McGinest
Willie McGinest
William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:...
commented on it and said he knew, but Brady continued on playing. This is the main reason Brady did not go to the Pro Bowl when he was invited.
Despite not playing in the game, Brady was present at Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, as the official coin tosser and as part of a celebration of Super Bowl MVP Award winners.
2006 season
Brady led the Patriots2006 New England Patriots season
The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs....
to a 12–4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs despite having an almost completely new receiving corps. In the regular season, Brady threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was not among the players initially selected to the Pro Bowl, although he was offered an injury-replacement selection when Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
was forced to withdraw (which he declined).
In the postseason, the Patriots first hosted their division rivals, the New York Jets
2006 New York Jets season
The 2006 New York Jets season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2005. The season marked the first for rookie head coach Eric Mangini, who replaced Herman Edwards after the latter left the Jets to coach the Kansas City Chiefs...
, in the wild-card round. The Patriots defeated the Jets 37–16, as Brady went 22–34 for 212 yards and two TDs. In the divisional round, the Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers
2006 San Diego Chargers season
The 2006 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005. They finished the campaign as the #1 seed in the AFC ending the season at 14–2, best record in the NFL...
. This was Brady's first playoff game in his home state of California. Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Chargers, whom many had picked as favorites to win Super Bowl XLI. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down by eight points, Brady and the Patriots started a key drive that would ultimately decide the game. After a 49-yard pass play to Reche Caldwell
Reche Caldwell
Donald Reche Caldwell, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for six seasons in the early 2000s...
, a Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
field goal gave the Patriots a 24–21 win.
In the AFC championship, the Patriots faced the Indianapolis Colts
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs....
. The Patriots and Colts had faced each other twice in the previous three postseasons at Foxboro; this game, however, was played at Indianapolis. The Patriots led at halftime, 21–6; however, the Colts staged a comeback, resulting in a last minute interception thrown by Brady, and a Patriots loss.
2007 season
Playing with a dramatically overhauled receiver corps—in the 2007 offseason2007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
, the Patriots acquired wide receivers Donté Stallworth, Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
, Kelley Washington
Kelley Washington
James Kelley Washington is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
and Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
; tight end Kyle Brady
Kyle Brady
Kyle James Brady is a former professional American football player. He played tight end for 13 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. He was the Jets' first round draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft...
; and running back Sammy Morris
Sammy Morris
Samuel "Sammy" Morris III is an American football running back who is a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
—Brady enjoyed what some sports writers have described as the best season ever by a quarterback. Brady, along with Moss, decided to withdraw from the 2008 Pro Bowl
2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
. The average score of a 2007 Patriots regular season game would be 37–17 by the end of the year. Brady not only led the Patriots to a 16–0 record, outscoring opponents by more than a 2-to-1 margin, but attained numerous career, franchise, and NFL records and milestones:
- Week 6: Visiting Dallas2007 Dallas Cowboys seasonThe 2007 Dallas Cowboys season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League. The Cowboys finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NFC , and earned a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs...
, he had a career-high five passing touchdowns in a 48–27 win. The win tied him with Roger StaubachRoger StaubachRoger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
for the most wins ever by a starting quarterback in his first 100 regular-season games, with 76. - Week 7: In a 49–28 win at Miami, he had yet another record day, with six passing touchdowns, setting a franchise record. He also had the first perfect passer rating of his career.
- Week 8: In a 52–7 rout at home against Washington2007 Washington Redskins seasonThe 2007 Washington Redskins season was the team's 75th season, and saw the team achieve a record of 9-7 and a playoff appearance. This was an improvement over the 2006 season in which they went 5-11 and finished last in the NFC East....
, he threw three touchdowns, giving him a career-best 30 for the season; his previous best was 28—in an entire season—in 2002 and 2004. The win also gave Brady a victory over every NFL franchise except New England. - Week 9: In a come-from-behind 24–20 victory at Indianapolis2007 Indianapolis Colts seasonThe 2007 Indianapolis Colts season was the 55th season for the team in the National Football League and 24th in Indianapolis. The 2007 Indianapolis Colts improved upon their 12–4 record from 2006 as well as winning their 5th straight AFC South Championship. They finished the season 13–3 and lost to...
, he threw for another three touchdowns, for a total of 33 on the season; his 32nd touchdown of the season, to Wes Welker, broke Babe ParilliBabe Parilli-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
's Patriots record of 31 touchdowns in a season—in five fewer games. It was also the ninth consecutive game in which he had thrown three or more touchdowns, breaking Peyton Manning'sPeyton ManningPeyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
NFL record of eight. - Week 11: Following the Patriots' bye week, Brady threw for another five touchdown passes in a 56–10 rout of Buffalo2007 Buffalo Bills seasonThe 2007 Buffalo Bills season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 48th season overall. They finished their 2007 season with a record of 7–9 and tied their 7–9 record in 2006 but failed to qualify for the playoffs, and continues a playoff appearance drought...
, breaking Steve GroganSteve GroganSteve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
's franchise record for career touchdown passes with 185. - Week 12: In a 31–28 win over Philadelphia2007 Philadelphia Eagles seasonThe 2007 Philadelphia Eagles season marked the 75th anniversary of the Eagles franchise. The team compiled an 8–8 record and a last-place finish in the NFC East....
, he only threw for a single touchdown, ending his streak of three-touchdown games at ten, but reached 25,000 regular-season passing yards. - Week 13: In another come-from-behind win, a 27–24 win against the Baltimore Ravens, he became the fourth quarterback—after Kurt WarnerKurt WarnerKurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
, Peyton Manning, and Dan MarinoDan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
(who did it twice)—to throw 40 touchdown passes in a season. - Week 14: In a 34–13 victory against Pittsburgh, he threw four touchdowns, putting him third all-time for touchdown passes in a single season with 45, behind Peyton Manning in 2004 and Marino in 1984. It was his eleventh game with at least three touchdown passes, beating Marino's 1984 record of ten. He also reached the 4,000 yards passing mark for the second time in his career.
- Week 15: Brady, making his 108th consecutive regular-season start at quarterbackMost consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)This is a list of the most consecutive starts by a quarterback in the NFL. Only six quarterbacks in NFL history have been able to achieve regular season streaks of at least 100 games, with only two of those with a regular season streak of at least 200 games....
, surpassed Joe FergusonJoe FergusonJoseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history, after Brett FavreBrett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, Peyton Manning, and Ron JaworskiRon JaworskiRonald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
. - Week 16: Brady's third touchdown of the day was the Patriots' 71st total touchdown of the season, breaking the NFL record of 70 set by the Miami Dolphins in 1984. This was his twelfth game of the season with three or more touchdown passes, extending his own NFL record. This was also the Patriots', and Brady's, 18th consecutive regular-season win, tying the NFL record they set in 2003 and 2004.
- Week 17: Brady threw two touchdown passes; his second touchdown was his 50th, breaking Peyton Manning's 2004 record of 49. The pass was also Randy Moss' 23rd touchdown catch of the season, breaking Jerry RiceJerry RiceJerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
's record of 22 in a season. The win finished off the first 16–0 season in NFL history, and was the Patriots' 19th consecutive regular season win, breaking their own 2003–2004 league record of 18. Brady finished 398/578 for 4,806 yards (#3 all-time) and 50 touchdowns (#1 all time) versus only eight interceptions, and a 117.2 passer rating (#2 all-time). His 398 completions were fifth all-time. Brady was named the NFL MVP for this season, as well as Offensive Player of the Year.
2007 playoffs
In the Patriots' first playoff game, an AFC Divisional game against Jacksonville2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season
-Final roster:-Schedule:The Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season schedule was announced on April 11, 2007.-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans:-Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons:-Week 3: at Denver Broncos:-Week 5: at Kansas City Chiefs:...
, Brady began the game with an NFL postseason record sixteen consecutive completed passes, and finished the game with 26 completions in 28 attempts, a completion rate of 92.9%. That mark is the highest single-game completion percentage (for passers with at least 20 attempts) in NFL history, regular season or postseason. With the win, the Patriots matched the Dolphins as the only team to win 17 consecutive games in one season.
Statistically, Brady did not fare as well in the AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers, throwing three interceptions (including his first interception in the red zone since the playoff loss to Denver). Nevertheless, the Patriots won their 18th game of the season, 21–12, to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. Brady, with the 100th win of his career, also set an NFL record for the fewest games needed by a starting quarterback to do so: his 100–26 record is sixteen games better than Joe Montana's.
In Super Bowl XLII, Brady was pressured heavily and sacked five times. The Patriots did manage to take the lead with a Brady touchdown to Moss with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Giants were able to score a last-minute touchdown to upset the Patriots 17–14.
Awards
Brady won numerous NFL awards during the season: he was voted FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week (an award for quarterbacks) four times (in Weeks 6, 7, 11, and 17), selected as AFC Offensive Player of the Week five times (in Weeks 3, 6, 7, 14, and 17), and AFC Offensive Player of the Month for both September and October. On 2008-01-05, Brady was named the NFL MVP, garnering a record-tying 49 of 50 possible votes (the other vote went to Brett Favre), making him the first Patriot to ever win the award. He was also named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2007 and 2010.2008 season
Brady did not play any of the 2008 preseason due to a right foot injury from the previous AFC Championship game. In the Patriots' 2008 season opener against the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
, Brady's left knee was seriously injured midway through the first quarter on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard
Bernard Pollard
Bernard Karmell Pollard is an American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
; he left the game and did not return. The team later confirmed that Brady would need surgery, and that he had been placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. It is believed he tore both his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and his medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
. The injury ended Brady's streak of 111 consecutive starts (fourth in the list of most consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback
Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)
This is a list of the most consecutive starts by a quarterback in the NFL. Only six quarterbacks in NFL history have been able to achieve regular season streaks of at least 100 games, with only two of those with a regular season streak of at least 200 games....
, behind Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Ron Jaworski). Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the Los Angeles Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic October 6, using Brady's patellar tendon graft to replace the torn ligament, and also repaired his medial collateral ligament, through a separate incision in his left knee. An infection in the wound resulted in further debridement
Debridement
Debridement is the medical removal of a patient's dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue...
surgery several times since the original procedure. Brady underwent IV antibiotics for this infection which, at the time, threatened to delay his rehab.
2009 season
In his first official game back from injury, Brady threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns in the 20092009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
season opener against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the final minutes of the game, the Patriots were down 24–13 before Brady and Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South...
connected on two straight touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25–24 win. Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 13th time in his career for his performance.
On October 18, 2009, in an early season snowstorm, Brady set an NFL record against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
for most touchdowns in a single quarter, throwing five (two to Moss, one to Faulk, and two to Welker) in the second quarter. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, tying his career best, and 380 yards, completing 29 of 34 attempts, finishing with a nearly perfect passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 152.8. The Patriots' 59–0 victory over the Titans tied the record for the largest margin of victory since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
, and set a record for largest halftime lead in NFL history (they led 45–0). He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week again for his performance. In Week 16, Brady set a Patriots regular season record with an 88.5% completion percentage against the Jacksonville Jaguars; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after the game.
Brady would finish the 2009 regular season with 4,398 yards passing and 28 touchdowns for a 96.2 rating, despite a broken right ring finger and three fractured ribs, all which were suffered over the course of the season. He was selected as a reserve to the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
and named the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Brady ended the 2009 season throwing 3 interceptions in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 33–14, his first career home playoff loss, and the first playoff loss at home by a New England Patriots quarterback since 1978.
2010 season – Second MVP
On September 10, 2010, Brady signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension making him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The extension includes $48.5 million in guaranteed money and will likely keep Brady with the Patriots through the 2014 NFL season. The news of the contract occurred on the same day Brady escaped uninjured from a 6:30 a.m. car accident with what the Boston Herald called, "a road scofflaw".Brady became the quickest to achieve 100 regular season wins by helping his team defeat the Miami Dolphins 41–14 on October 4, 2010.
On November 21, 2010, Brady tied Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
's record of winning 25 consecutive regular-season home starts, in a 31–28 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Brady's last regular-season loss at home was on November 12, 2006, a 17–14 loss to the New York Jets. On December 6, 2010, Brady set an NFL record by winning 26 consecutive regular-season home starts, in a 45–3 victory over the New York Jets.
On December 19, 2010, in a 31–27 home win over the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Brady had his seventh straight two-touchdown game without an interception, surpassing Don Meredith
Don Meredith
Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
's NFL record of six such games. The next week in a 34–3 road win over the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Brady surpassed Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
's 1990–1991 record of 308 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
Brady's 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (36:4) would break his own single-season record of 6.25:1, which he set in 2007. No other qualifying quarterback in NFL history has had a 6:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio for a season. Brady threw for 3,900 yards with 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He had an 111.0 passer rating, giving him two of the top five season ratings in NFL history, and making him the first player to finish with a rating above 110 in two different seasons.
Brady was selected as a starter to the 2011 Pro Bowl
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
. However, he pulled out of the game (and was replaced by former backup Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
) after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot dating back to 2008. Brady was also the only unanimous selection for the AP All-Pro Team
2010 All-Pro Team
The 2010 All-Pro Team consists of National Football League players named to the Associated Press , Pro Football Writers Association , and Sporting News All-Pro teams in the 2010 NFL season. The Associated Press named first and second-team selections. The AP team was selected by a national panel...
and was named the 2010 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He also achieved by unanimous decision the MVP award for the second time in his career.
2011 season
In Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
, Brady threw for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns, with one interception, against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the second time he had thrown for 400 or more yards in a single game. It was the most ever by a Patriots quarterback in a single game (the previous record was Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
's 426 yards against Minnesota
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in 1994), and the fifth-highest total in NFL history, after Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
, Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
, Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
(in an overtime game), and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
; Brady's performance was also the first 500-yard. four-touchdown performance since Y. A. Tittle
Y. A. Tittle
Yelberton Abraham Tittle , better known as Y. A. Tittle, is a former football quarterback in the National Football League and All-America Football Conference who played for the Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and the New York Giants...
in 1962. Moreover, Brady and Miami quarterback Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
combined for an NFL-record 933 passing yards, including a Monday Night Football record for Brady. Brady's interception ended his regular-season streak of pass attempts without an interception at 358; Brady also became the 12th quarterback to complete a 99–yard pass play, to Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
. Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort.
In Week 2, against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Brady again threw for over 400 yards, completing 31 of 40 passes for 423 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions, all to second-year tight ends Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
(two) and Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez
-New England Patriots:Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Shortly after he was drafted, The Boston Globe reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college, causing his draft stock to drop...
(one). Brady thus became the seventh quarterback in NFL history to pass for 400 or more yards in consecutive weeks, and the second Patriots quarterback to do so (Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
was the first, in 2008); the sixth quarterback to accomplish the feat, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
rookie quarterback Cam Newton
Cam Newton
Cameron Lemark Newton is a former American football safety. He played college football at Furman University, then played two seasons in the NFL, one each for the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. He was cut from the Panthers before the 2007 season...
, did so earlier on the same day that Brady did. Brady was again named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, making him the first player in 28 years to win that award in Week 1 and Week 2 of the same season. It also marked the first time a player followed a 500-yard passing game with a 400-yard passing game.
In Week 4, against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Oakland, Brady tied Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
's record of 13 consecutive regular-season games with at least two touchdowns, and moved into ninth place, past his childhood idol Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, on the list of most touchdown passes, with 274.
Regular season
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | |Sacked | |Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sack | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||||
| 2000 2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000... | NE 2000 New England Patriots season The 2000 New England Patriots season was the 31st season for the team in the National Football League and 41st season overall. They finished with a 5–11 record and in last place in the division.... |
1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33.3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 42.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 2001 NFL season The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day... | NE 2001 New England Patriots season The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI.... |
15 | 14 | 413 | 264 | 63.9 | 2,843 | 6.9 | 18 | 12 | 86.5 | 36 | 43 | 1.2 | 0 | 41 | 216 | 12 | 3 |
| 2002 2002 NFL season The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each... | NE 2002 New England Patriots season The 2002 New England Patriots season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League and 43rd season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good enough for second in the division but not a playoff berth.... |
16 | 16 | 601 | 373 | 62.1 | 3,764 | 6.3 | 28 | 14 | 85.7 | 42 | 110 | 2.6 | 1 | 31 | 190 | 11 | 5 |
| 2003 2003 NFL season -Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *... | NE 2003 New England Patriots season The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII.... |
16 | 16 | 527 | 317 | 60.2 | 3,620 | 6.9 | 23 | 12 | 85.9 | 42 | 63 | 1.5 | 1 | 32 | 219 | 13 | 5 |
| 2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... | NE 2004 New England Patriots season The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl... |
16 | 16 | 474 | 288 | 60.8 | 3,692 | 7.8 | 28 | 14 | 92.6 | 43 | 28 | 0.7 | 0 | 26 | 162 | 7 | 5 |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... | NE 2005 New England Patriots season The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos.... |
16 | 16 | 530 | 334 | 63.0 | 4,110 | 7.8 | 26 | 14 | 92.3 | 27 | 89 | 3.3 | 1 | 26 | 188 | 4 | 3 |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... | NE 2006 New England Patriots season The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.... |
16 | 16 | 516 | 319 | 61.8 | 3,529 | 6.8 | 24 | 12 | 87.9 | 49 | 102 | 2.1 | 0 | 26 | 175 | 12 | 4 |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... | NE 2007 New England Patriots season The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.... |
16 | 16 | 578 | 398 | 68.9 | 4,806 | 8.3 | 50 | 8 | 117.2 | 37 | 98 | 2.6 | 2 | 21 | 128 | 6 | 4 |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... | NE 2008 New England Patriots season The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team... |
1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 63.6 | 76 | 6.9 | 0 | 0 | 83.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... | NE 2009 New England Patriots season The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.... |
16 | 16 | 565 | 371 | 65.7 | 4,398 | 7.8 | 28 | 13 | 96.2 | 29 | 44 | 1.5 | 1 | 16 | 86 | 4 | 2 |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... | NE 2010 New England Patriots season The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets... |
16 | 16 | 492 | 324 | 65.9 | 3,900 | 7.9 | 36 | 4 | 111.0 | 31 | 30 | 1.0 | 1 | 25 | 175 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 145 | 143 | 4,710 | 2,996 | 63.6 | 34,744 | 7.4 | 261 | 103 | 95.2 | 336 | 607 | 1.8 | 7 | 244 | 1,539 | 72 | 32 | |
Playoffs
| Year | |G | |Passing | |Rushing | |Sacked | |Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Sack | Yds | Fum | Lost | ||||
| 2001 | NE 2001 New England Patriots season The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI.... |
3 | 3 | 97 | 60 | 61.9 | 572 | 5.9 | 1 | 1 | 77.3 | 8 | 22 | 2.8 | 1 | 5 | 36 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | NE 2003 New England Patriots season The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII.... |
3 | 3 | 126 | 75 | 59.5 | 792 | 6.3 | 5 | 2 | 84.5 | 12 | 18 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | NE 2004 New England Patriots season The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl... |
3 | 3 | 81 | 55 | 67.9 | 587 | 7.2 | 5 | 0 | 109.4 | 7 | 3 | 0.4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 | NE 2005 New England Patriots season The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos.... |
2 | 2 | 63 | 35 | 55.6 | 542 | 8.6 | 4 | 2 | 92.2 | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 | NE 2006 New England Patriots season The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.... |
3 | 3 | 119 | 70 | 58.8 | 724 | 6.1 | 5 | 4 | 76.5 | 8 | 18 | 2.2 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | NE 2007 New England Patriots season The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.... |
3 | 3 | 109 | 77 | 70.6 | 737 | 6.8 | 6 | 3 | 96.0 | 4 | −1 | −0.2 | 0 | 8 | 52 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 2009–10 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 2009 season began on January 9, 2010 and led up to Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida... | NE 2009 New England Patriots season The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.... |
1 | 1 | 42 | 23 | 54.8 | 154 | 3.7 | 2 | 3 | 49.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 2010–11 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011 and led up to Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.... | NE 2010 New England Patriots season The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets... |
1 | 1 | 45 | 29 | 64.4 | 299 | 6.6 | 2 | 1 | 89.0 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 5 | 40 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 19 | 19 | 682 | 424 | 62.2 | 4,407 | 6.5 | 30 | 16 | 85.7 | 44 | 70 | 1.6 | 2 | 29 | 184 | 9 | 3 | |
Personal life
Brady dated actress Bridget MoynahanBridget Moynahan
Kathryn Bridget Moynahan , best known as Bridget Moynahan, is an American model and actress. After graduating from Longmeadow High School in 1989, Moynahan pursued a career in modeling. She was signed by a modeling agency, which led her to appear in department store catalogs and the covers of...
from 2004 until late 2006. On February 18, 2007, Moynahan confirmed to People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine that she was more than three months pregnant with her and Brady's child. Brady and Moynahan ended their relationship sometime in early December 2006, around the time Moynahan became pregnant. Brady was present when the baby, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, was born on August 22, 2007 at Saint John's Health Center
Saint John's Health Center
Saint John's Health Center is a hospital in Santa Monica, California, United States. The hospital was founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.-List of famous patients:*Former US President Ronald Reagan, 2001, taken to St...
in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. The baby has Brady's first and middle names as middle names, though in reverse order (Moynahan's father's first name is Edward, however).
Brady married Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...
on February 26, 2009 in an intimate Catholic ceremony in Santa Monica, California. On June 19, 2009, reports surfaced that Bündchen was pregnant. On September 11, 2009, Brady confirmed to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
that they were indeed expecting, and that Bündchen was due in December 2009. On December 8, 2009, Bündchen gave birth to the couple's first child together, a son. On December 18, 2009, Bündchen posted a message on her website indicating that their son's name is Benjamin. In the April 2010 issue of Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine, Bündchen confirmed that his name is Benjamin Rein Brady and that his middle name is a shortened version of her father's name Reinoldo. They christened
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
their 6-month-old son Benjamin in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
on June 22, 2010.
Two paparazzi photographers claim they were shot at by security guards after Brady and Bundchen renewed their wedding vows in Costa Rica on April 5, 2009. Photographs appeared in the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
of the shattered rear window of a vehicle belonging to one of these two paparazzi. The photographers, Yuri Cortez and Rolando Aviles, filed a lawsuit in New York against Brady and Bündchen seeking over $1 million in damages over the incident.
NFL records
Wins- Fewest starts to achieve 100 regular-season wins as a starter (131 starts)
- Most wins with one head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
(119, Bill BelichickBill BelichickWilliam Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
). - Most consecutive wins, postseason: 10 (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005)
- Most consecutive wins, regular season and postseason: 21 (2003–2004)
- Most consecutive wins in regular-season home games: 31 (2006–2011)
- Most seasons finishing 8–0 at home: 5 (2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010)
- Only quarterback to start and win 3 Super Bowls before his 28th birthday
Touchdowns
- Most passing touchdowns, regular season: 50 (2007)
- Most passing touchdowns, regular season and postseason combined: 56 (2007)
- Most touchdown passes, month: 20 (October 2007)
- Most passing touchdowns, quarter: 5 (second quarter vs. Tennessee, October 18, 2009)
- Largest touchdown to interception differential: +42 (2007)
- Highest touchdown to interception ratio, season: 9.0 to 1 (36 TD/4 INT, 2010)
- Highest touchdown pass–interception ratio, career: 2.52-1 (260 TD/103 INT)
- Most games with 3+ touchdown passes, regular season: 12 (2007)
- Most consecutive games with 5+ touchdown passes: 2 (2007) (tied with Daunte CulpepperDaunte CulpepperDaunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
) - Most consecutive games with 3+ touchdown passes: 10 (2007)
- Most consecutive games with 2+ touchdown passes: 13 (tied with Peyton Manning)
- Most consecutive games with 2+ touchdown passes and no interceptions: 9 (2010, October 24 – 2011, September 12)
- Most games with 1 touchdown pass and no interceptions, season: 14 (2010)
- Most games with 2 touchdown passes and no interceptions, season: 11 (2010)
- Most games with 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions, season: 8 (2007)
- Most games with 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions, season: 5 (2007)
- Most games with 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions, career: 12 – tied with Brett Favre
- Most games with 5 touchdown passes and no interceptions, season: 3 (2007)
- Most games with 5 touchdown passes and no interceptions, career: 4 – tied with Peyton Manning
- Most games with 6 touchdown passes and no interceptions, career 2 – tied with Peyton Manning
Completions
- Highest single-game completion percentage, postseason: 92.9% (vs. Jacksonville, January 12, 2008)
- Most completions in a Super Bowl: 32 - tied with Drew Brees (XXXVIIISuper Bowl XXXVIIISuper Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
) - Most career Super Bowl completions: 100 (XXXVISuper Bowl XXXVISuper Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
, XXXVIIISuper Bowl XXXVIIISuper Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
, XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIXSuper Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, XLIISuper Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
) - Largest completion–interception ratio, season: 81.0-1 (324-4) (minimum 150 completions), 2010
- Most games with 20 completions and no interceptions, season: 10 (2007)
- Most games with 30 completions and no interceptions, career: 9 – tied with Drew Brees
- Most games with 30 completions and no interceptions, season: 5 (2007)
- Most games with 50 pass attempts and no interceptions, career: 3
Yards
- Largest passing yards–interception ratio, career: 337.3-1 (34,744-103) (minimum 20,000 passing yards)
- Largest passing yards–interception ratio, season: 975.0-1 (3,900-4) (minimum 2,000 passing yards), 2010
- Most games with 300 yards passing and no interceptions, season: 8 (2007)
Interception-free streaks and interception percentage
- Most consecutive pass attempts to start a career without an interception: 162 (2000–2001)
- Most consecutive pass attempts without an interception, regular season: 358 (2010, October 24 – 2011, September 12)
- Third-lowest interception percentage (interceptions per attempt), career: 2.19% (Aaron RodgersAaron RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
ranks first @ 1.99%; Neil O'DonnellNeil O'DonnellNeil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
is second @ 2.11%)
Personal bests
Excluding the list of NFL records above:- Highest single-game quarterback rating: 158.3 (at Miami, October 21, 2007 and at Detroit, November 25, 2010) Perfect Rating
- Highest single-season quarterback rating: 117.2 (2007) 2nd highest all-time
- Most passing touchdowns, game: 6 (at Miami, October 21, 2007 and vs. Tennessee, October 18, 2009)
- Most passing yards, game: 517 (at Miami, September 12, 2011)
- Most passing yards, season: 4,806 (2007)
- Lowest interception total, season (minimum 2 starts): 4 (2010)
21-game win streak statistics (including post-season)
- 690 passes attempted
- 412 passes completed
- 4,953 passing yards
- 34 passing touchdowns
- 13 passes intercepted
- 20.29 passing attempts per touchdown
- 53.07 passing attempts per interception
- 59.71 completion rate
- 90.3 passer rating
Career
- 119–35 (regular season), 133–40 (career) as a starter
- 8–1 (career) in overtime games
- 36–7 (career) vs. NFC teams
- 33 game-winning drives after a Patriots' fourth-quarter tie or deficit
Post-season records and statistics
- NFL record for most consecutive wins in post season: 10 (broke record of Green Bay's Bart StarrBart StarrBryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
). - Most consecutive post season wins (college and professional combined): 12
- 3 Super Bowl victories
- 2 Super Bowl MVP awards
- Most completions in a Super Bowl (32 in Super Bowl XXXVIII)
- Most career Super Bowl completions (100 in four games)
- Highest completion percentage in a single game, minimum 20 attempts (26 of 28, 92.9%, against Jacksonville in 2007 AFC Divisional round)
See also
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards in a game
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football passing leaders
- Most career 300-yard passing games by NFL quarterbacks
- Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)This is a list of the most consecutive starts by a quarterback in the NFL. Only six quarterbacks in NFL history have been able to achieve regular season streaks of at least 100 games, with only two of those with a regular season streak of at least 200 games....
- Most wins by a starting quarterback (NFL)Most wins by a starting quarterback (NFL)In the National Football League the quarterback is the only position player to be credited with a record of wins and losses as a starter. At the time of the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, Johnny Unitas held the record for most regular season wins as a starting quarterback with 103. He retired after the 1973...
- NFL starting quarterback playoff records
- Saturday Night Live hosts
- 2006 Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode Patriot GamesPatriot Games (Family Guy)"Patriot Games" is the twentieth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on January 29, 2006, around the time of Super Bowl XL, which fit the sports theme of the episode. In it, Peter goes to his high school reunion and meets Tom Brady... - 2005 SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode Homer and Ned's Hail Mary PassHomer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass"Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" is the eighth episode of Season 16 of The Simpsons. It is a Super Bowl themed episode that was broadcast after Super Bowl XXXIX.-Plot:...