Tom Brady: Nothing to Prove
Normally they give “Busts” to those that make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For those that don’t know a “Bust” is a realistic sculpture of that persons’ upper body that includes only the head and neck. Then there is this one rare case that someone exceeds anything imaginable on a football field, and this is the case for Tom Brady. Tom Brady is a 6-time Super Bowl Champion, 4-time Super Bowl MVP, and 3-time League MVP. Honestly, it’s not an accomplishment Brady hasn’t seen from the Quarterback position, you could’ve put Brady in the Hall of Fame 10 years ago, and he would’ve made it, first Ballot easily. Now, as I sit here, in 2021, watching him on his way to his 10th Super Bowl, I think he is deserving of a Full Body Statue in Canton.
Tom Brady is the living embodiment of “You can’t measure greatness.” The irony of it all is since Brady’s very first day in the NFL, people have tried to measure or project what he could do. The infamous Tom Brady draft combine, with the pictures of him shirtless looking like your average Joe working for Apple, is where it all started for Brady. The draft experts talked about his ridiculously slow 40-yard dash in which he ran a 5.28, which was slower than some lineman. The experts downgraded his physical build, as they assumed because Brady’s body had no real muscle mass, he wouldn’t be able to take the requisite punishment that comes with playing in the National Football league. Critics didn’t think he had elite arm talent either. Brady, who was considered a mid-round pick coming into the draft, went all the way down to the 6th round , being drafted by New England. Thus, the chip on his shoulder was formed in that 2000 draft. He gets to the Patriots and is backing up competent quarterback, Drew Bledsoe. Then, Bledsoe gets hurt, and the rest is history for Brady and “The Patriot Way.” Bledsoe never relinquishes his spot and Tom Brady, in his first full season as a starter, turns the Patriots to Super Bowl champions. Defeating a high-powered offense in the Rams called the “Greatest Show on Turf” 20–17. Brady would also win Super Bowl MVP, throwing for 145 yards and 1 touchdown. This was not the most memorable stat line from Brady in a big game, but you learn to overlook numbers when it comes from Brady, because his greatness far surpasses any stats.
It’s now 2021 and Tom Brady is still playing at an elite level at age 43. He is leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl since 2003. Not only that it will be the first time that a team plays a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Now-a -days any record Brady breaks is most likely accounting for his age. He will be the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl breaking his own record from two years ago. It’s laughable at how much he defies his own odds. Then again, we should have stopped putting numbers or expectations next to Brady probably 15 years ago and just enjoyed what we were witnessing. Now he stands as the all-time leader in everything that’s positive with playing the quarterback position which includes Yards, Touchdowns, and Wins to name a few, all these records from a 6th round pick in 2000. I bet we won’t try to quantify greatness again-whether it’s counting numbers, combine numbers, or age. This applies especially when it comes to Greatness, and that’s What Brady is, Greatness. So when Brady says he would consider playing to age 45, I don’t doubt it one bit because who predicted a 6th round pick, from the year 2000 draft class, would still be playing football in 2021. What you have with Brady is something unmeasurable and incomparable, which at its core defines greatness.
So as Brady takes the field this Sunday, at age 43, in his 10th Super Bowl appearance, going up against the defending Super Bowl Champion, Kansas City Chiefs; remember that Brady is on the opposite sideline, and win or lose, he has met or exceeded everyone’s expectations for this season and has been doing it his entire career. He went to a conference he’s never played in his entire career and became champions and is now representing them in the Super Bowl. I know I won’t be surprised if the Bucs win this Sunday because that’s what true greatness is, defying odds that are in front of you.
Super Bowl Prediction: Chiefs defeat Buccaneers 38–35
