Thomas Edward Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots NFL franchise.

Brady graduated from Junipero Serra High School, the same school that produced baseball slugger Barry Bonds and NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann. He played college football for the University of Michigan, starting every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when Brady started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998. In the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady was selected by the New England Patriots in the 6th round (199th overall).


NFL career
2001 season
Initially, Brady served as the backup to the starting quaterback, Drew Bledsoe. This changed on September 23, 2001, when the Patriots were playing against their AFC East division rivals, New York Jets at Foxboro Stadium. During that game, Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding after colliding with Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. New England not only lost the game but Bledsoe, too. Soon after Brady was named the starting quarterback, he led the Patriots to an 11-5 record and into the playoffs.

During a 2001 divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders (played in January 2002), Tom Brady had been ruled as having fumbled on a pass attempt, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. Invoking the "tuck rule," where a ball is ruled an incomplete pass after the quarterback starts any forward throwing motion, the referee overturned the decision after reviewing the instant replay, calling the drop an incomplete pass rather than a fumble. The Patriots would eventually tie the game and win it in overtime. After defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots were considered 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

With less than two minutes left in the Super Bowl, and the score tied, sports caster John Madden famously said that he thought that the Patriots should let the time run out on the clock, and look to win the game in overtime. Instead Brady led the Patriots offense on an offensive passing barrage, driving down the field and winning the game by a field goal as time expired. The Patriots won the championship and Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI.

Interestingly enough, this was the first year in which fans had a say in the vote for the Super Bowl MVP. By garnering 29.02% of the online vote, which was 0.28% ahead of the second-best total, Brady was awarded all 4 'fan votes.' These 4 votes were enough to push Brady's MVP vote total ahead of the official panel's choice, Patriot cornerback Ty Law, who had scored on a 48-yard interception touchdown return, and make Brady the second-youngest MVP ever, after Lynn Swann.

2003 season
In the 2003 NFL season, after a 2-2 start, Brady led the Patriots to 12 consecutive victories to finish the historic season and win the AFC East.

In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots shut down the NFL regular season co-MVPs, Tennessee's Steve McNair and Indianapolis's Peyton Manning. On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32-29 victory over the surprising NFC champion Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time.

With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 29, Brady engineered a clutch drive to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning field goal.

2004 season
During the 2004-2005 season, Brady helped the Patriots set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year. New England's 14-2 record matched that of the 2003-04 season and equalled the best record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years. In the AFC playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to victories over the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Against Pittsburgh, Brady played admirably despite suffering from a high pre-game fever.

On February 6, 2005, the Brady-led Patriots won Super Bowl XXXIX for their third NFL championship in four years.

Professional skills
Brady's style of play is most noted for his ability to make quick, effective decisions, especially in clutch situations, and throwing short, accurate passes throughout the game to minimize interceptions and fumbling. He is not considered to have great running speed or arm strength, but he compensates with his poise, leadership, and aplomb in the clutch.

There is considerable debate, both among casual football fans and among sportswriters as to whether Brady is a truly great quarterback or merely a very good one in the right place at the right time. This debate is exemplified by the frequent "Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady" arguments that crop up both in pieces by major football writers (such as Pete Prisco) and inevitably dominate many internet messageboards.

Brady's detractors have argued that he is a "system quarterback" who is "asked not to lose", and believe that many other QBs could have enjoyed the same level of success had they been with the Patriots. His detractors frequently compare him to Trent Dilfer. Brady's defenders argue that he is a clutch player who has shown the ability to play controlled football when warranted, and to take over a game when required to. They frequently compare his success and circumstances to Joe Montana while recognizing that it is premature to make that comparison in a direct way.


Notable accomplishments

Statistics
- 13,925 passing yards
- 97 passing touchdowns
- 52 interceptions
- 57-14 record as a starter
- 7-0 in overtime games

Postseason records
- 9-0 in the postseason
- 1951 postseason passing yards (216.7 ypg)
- 11 postseason touchdowns
- 3 postseason interceptions
- 101.3 passing attempts per INT in the postseason
- 2 Pro Bowls
- 2 Super Bowl MVP awards
- 3 Super Bowl rings