On Feb. 1, quarterback Tom Brady officially retired from football. The 44-year-old rides into the sunset as a three-time NFL MVP, seven-time Super Bowl champion, three-time All-Pro and 15-time Pro Bowler. He ends his career as the most decorated player in NFL history.
Brady is walking away with some records that may never be broken. His 84,520 passing yards, 7,263 completions and 624 passing touchdowns are NFL records, with nobody close in sight. Additionally, Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings are the most by any quarterback and are more than any other team in NFL history.
Coming out of college, Brady wasn’t a highly touted recruit, but the California kid ended up at the University of Michigan. In his first two seasons as a Wolverine, Brady played in just six games, but it changed for him during his junior season. Brady started all 12 games for the team, throwing 14 touchdowns. He ended his college career with 33 total touchdowns.
Going into the NFL Draft, there wasn’t much buzz around the 23-year-old quarterback. Despite that, the New England Patriots drafted Brady with pick No. 199 in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. A decision that would change the world. Brady was able to show his worth when starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe left the game due to injury. From that point forward, Brady never looked back. He led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC Championships and 219 regular season wins.
After 20 years as a Patriot, Brady made his way down to Tampa Bay to join the Buccaneers. In his first season as a Buc, he won his seventh Super Bowl, while also having his best season since 2015. His two-year career as a Buccaneer is probably his most impressive feat, as he had back-to-back 40 touchdown seasons, nearly 10,000 passing yards and a Super Bowl victory.
Why would Brady retire at the top of his game? One word: family. As a 44-year-old man that gave his life to football, Brady will spend retirement with his wife and three kids, all aged 14 or younger. During the 2021 season, Brady was asked about his family life, and he said he wished there was more with them. He also said he could play until he is in his 50’s, but he won’t be doing that due to his family.
“I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention,” said Brady in his retirement post. “I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives, just as so many have done for me.”
Brady gave everything he had to the sport and will go down as the greatest of all time to ever play the sport. The once sixth-round draft pick has given hope to everyone that wasn’t a first-round pick or a five-star prospect. Thank you for all you have given to the game. Enjoy your retirement.
