Tom Brady: The Journey Of A Football Legend And His Upcoming Netflix Roast

Tom Brady has been a household name in the world of sports for decades. With a career spanning over two decades, he has achieved remarkable milestones, including an unprecedented seven Super Bowl championships. As he becomes the subject of a Netflix roast, it's a perfect moment to reflect on his storied journey both on and off the field.

Latest News: Tom Brady Subject of Netflix Roast

Tom Brady’s competitive streak is seemingly alive and well ahead of his roast on Netflix. The quarterback is the man of honor at The Greatest Roast of All Time—or GROAT, a play on Brady’s nickname as the GOAT—airing at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 5, and hosted by Kevin Hart.

While most of the fun will be at Brady’s expense—former teammates Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are set to skewer the seven-time Super Bowl champ, and longtime head coach Bill Belichick will reportedly appear as well—the quarterback has prepared his own “ruthless” set of jokes for all of the special guests, according to comedian Jeff Ross. “I think he, at his own roast, might have the set of the night,” Ross said on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Because I watched him rehearse last night—not rehearse, but running some material. And he’s ruthless. He wants to win his own roast.”

Ross also promised “a few giant surprises” during the night. However, if Brady’s adaptability on the football field were any indicator, he’d be ready for anything.

Who Is Tom Brady?

American football player Tom Brady won a record seven Super Bowl championships as a former NFL quarterback. Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, Brady won three NFL MVP awards and five Super Bowl MVP awards before his final retirement after the 2022 season.

In an incident known as “Deflategate,” Brady was suspended after an investigation into the charges that he knew about the illegal deflation of footballs before a vital playoff game in 2015. Despite sitting out the first four games of the 2016 season, Brady led the Patriots to a Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons. After 20 seasons in New England, Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020 and won his final Super Bowl with the team in February 2021. He is also known for marrying supermodel Gisele Bündchen; the couple divorced in 2022.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.
BORN: August 3, 1977
BIRTHPLACE: San Mateo, California
SPOUSE: Gisele Bündchen (2009-2022)
CHILDREN: Jack, Benjamin, Vivian
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Leo

Early Life and College Career

Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. was born on August 3, 1977, in San Mateo, California; Brady excelled at both football and baseball at Junipero Serra High School. After graduating in 1995, Brady passed up a chance to play professional baseball to attend the University of Michigan.

Although a member of the school’s football team, Brady did not spend much time on the field in his first two college seasons. In his junior year, however, he served as the starting quarterback. That season, Brady threw 350 passes for 2,636 yards. He helped lead his team to an Orange Bowl victory in his final season.

NFL Star with New England Patriots

Moving on to the NFL, Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Initially, he served as a backup quarterback and played only one game during his first season. The 2001 season was different: After starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured, Brady took over, proving himself a strong leader with a mighty arm.

Anyone who doubted his abilities only had to look at the team’s record, an impressive 11 wins to 3 losses in the 14 games that Brady started. In the postseason, he helped the team secure a win over the St. Louis Rams at Super Bowl XXXVI, and Brady received the game’s MVP award. Two years later, Brady led his team to another win at Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers, for which he earned a second Super Bowl MVP award.

And in the 2004 season, Brady again led the team to Super Bowl success, taking down the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. In 2005, Brady signed a new six-year contract with the Patriots, and for the 2006 season, the team had a 12-4 record in the regular season.

Near-Undefeated Season and Injury

With star wide receiver Randy Moss in the fold, the Patriots developed one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history in 2007. Brady passed for a then-record 50 touchdowns to pick up his first MVP award, and the Patriots ran roughshod over the rest of the league en route to an undefeated regular season before suffering a gut-wrenching loss to the New York Giants at Super Bowl XLII.

During the first game of the 2008 season, Brady was quickly sidelined with a knee injury. He had several surgeries and extensive rehabilitation to repair the damage, forcing him to sit out the entire season. While some wondered whether the injury would be a career-ender, Brady returned to prove the doubters wrong. He signed a new contract with the team in 2010.

In the 2011 season, Brady pulled out all the stops, helping the team secure their place at Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots once again battled the New York Giants in football’s ultimate game. Before the big event, Brady’s then-wife, model Gisele Bündchen, emailed friends and family. She asked them to pray for Brady and to “envision him happy and fulfilled, experiencing with his team a victory.” Unfortunately, these prayers went unanswered as the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17.

Deflategate and Super Bowl XLIX Win

After the 2014 season, a new word entered the lexicon of Tom Brady lore: “Deflategate.” After Brady’s Patriots trounced the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, it was discovered that several of the 12 game balls used by the Patriots were underinflated, one measuring 2 pounds per square inch below the minimum mark allowed by the NFL. Accusations of cheating followed, with Brady saying, “I didn’t alter the balls in any way, [and] I would never have someone do something that was outside the rules.”

Amid the media frenzy that accompanied the cheating accusations, Brady kept focused on preparing to play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. En route to setting a Super Bowl record with 37 completions, Brady led his team back from a 10-point deficit to notch a thrilling 28-24 victory. With the win, he became the third quarterback to win four championships and the second to earn three Super Bowl MVP awards, cementing his standing as one of the greatest ever to play his position.

The subject of Deflategate returned to the headlines in May 2015, when a report released by investigator Ted Wells revealed that Brady was “generally aware” that a locker room attendant had tampered with footballs before the AFC Championship game. The quarterback was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, and Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the punishment in July following an appeal. Brady and the NFL Players Association then filed a lawsuit to have the suspension overturned, their efforts proving successful in early September when a federal judge ruled in the quarterback’s favor on the grounds that the suspension was premised upon legal deficiencies.

Historic Super Bowl LI Victory

Despite missing the first four games of the 2016 season, Brady helped the Patriots clinch another spot in the Super Bowl, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. Before the championship game, Brady told reporters that he wanted to win the game for his mother, who was suffering from an undisclosed illness. “She’s the one I want to win for,” Brady said.

With his mother in attendance at the NRG Stadium in Houston and millions of fans watching, Brady did not disappoint. In a thrilling game, the first that went into overtime in NFL history, Brady led the Patriots to a 34-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. With this historic win, Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to take home five Super Bowl rings.

He surpassed quarterbacks Joe Montana, one of his idols, and Terry Bradshaw, who both have four Super Bowl wins. He also was awarded his fourth Super Bowl MVP for leading a 25-point comeback and throwing a Super Bowl-record 466 passing yards. Super Bowl LI marked Brady’s seventh appearance in the big game, and it was also an NFL record.