by Tom Brady: An All-Time NFL Great Who Never Pursued Boxing
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Tom Brady is widely considered one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time. Over his illustrious 22-year career, Brady has won 7 Super Bowls, 5 Super Bowl MVP awards, and 3 NFL MVP awards. However, despite his elite athleticism and competitive drive that has led him to dominate America’s most popular sport, Brady has never pursued a career in professional boxing.
On the surface, it may seem strange that Brady never laced up the gloves. After all, he possesses the physical tools, mental toughness, and winning mentality that would seemingly translate well to the boxing ring. But when you take a closer look at Brady’s background and career path, it becomes clear why he has remained firmly planted in the NFL without ever entertaining the idea of boxing.
Early Athletic Career Focused on Football
Brady was born in 1977 and grew up in San Mateo, California. From a young age, it was evident he had natural athletic gifts and a competitive fire. However, his focus was always on football from the start. In high school, Brady starred as the quarterback for Junipero Serra High School. He earned multiple accolades and broke numerous school records during his career there.
After graduating high school in 1995, Brady accepted a partial scholarship to play football at the University of Michigan. Over his four years with the Wolverines, Brady developed into an excellent college quarterback but was still considered a later-round prospect for the NFL draft due to his lack of ideal size and arm strength compared to other top QB prospects.
Brady’s college career culminated with an Orange Bowl victory over Alabama in 2000. He left Michigan holding numerous school records and as the all-time leader in completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes. But still, many NFL scouts and experts questioned if he had what it takes to be a successful pro quarterback.
Drafted in 6th Round, Became Star for Patriots
When the 2000 NFL draft rolled around, Brady’s doubts proved true as he fell all the way to the 6th round before finally hearing his name called. The New England Patriots used the 199th overall pick to select Brady, viewing him as a potential backup and future replacement for starter Drew Bledsoe.
Little did anyone know it at the time, but that 6th round selection would go on to become the greatest draft steal in NFL history. After Bledsoe went down with an injury early in the 2001 season, Brady was thrust into the starting role. He took full advantage, leading the Patriots to an improbable Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams.
From that point on, Brady cemented his status as the Patriots’ franchise quarterback and one of the NFL’s best. He helped transform New England into the league’s dominant dynasty over the next two decades. Brady won 5 more Super Bowls with the Patriots and established himself as the greatest winner and leader in NFL history.
Now well into his 40s, Brady continues to play at an elite level. After briefly retiring following the 2019 season, he reversed course and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. In his first season in Tampa, Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He showed no signs of slowing down at age 43.
Football Was Brady’s One and Only Sport
The sustained success Brady has enjoyed in the NFL makes it clear football was always his true sporting passion and primary focus from a young age. Unlike many elite athletes who often excel at multiple sports in their youth, Brady concentrated solely on developing his football skills throughout high school and college.
Boxing was never a secondary sport Brady dabbled in or showed natural talent for that may have steered him toward a pro career between the ropes. His build, at a relatively slight 6’4″ and 225 pounds, also suggested football quarterback was his optimal athletic position rather than the more physically imposing build generally required for boxing.
While Brady possesses many attributes like hand-eye coordination, footwork, and mental makeup that could translate to boxing, he simply never developed the technical boxing skills or had the inclination to step into the ring in a competitive setting during his formative athletic years. Football was his undisputed love.
Football Career Required Brady’s Undivided Attention
Once Brady reached the NFL, the all-consuming demands of being an NFL quarterback at the highest level made it virtually impossible for him to ever pursue boxing professionally on the side. The year-round training, film study, practice, meetings, rehab and general maintenance needed to play quarterback at an elite level into his 40s left no room for boxing in Brady’s schedule or priorities.
Maintaining peak physical condition and avoiding injuries is paramount for NFL QBs. Boxing would introduce unnecessary health risks that Brady was not willing to take on given his laser-focus on extending his football career longevity. One hard punch could end a boxing career, whereas football allows for gradual physical decline if skills are maintained.
The mental concentration required to dissect NFL defenses from the line of scrimmage also does not leave space for boxing preparation. Top QBs must obsess over the intricacies of offensive schemes, tendencies of opposing players/coaches, and have an encyclopedic knowledge of their own playbook. Boxing demands an equally intense focus on technique, strategy, and opponent study that Brady couldn’t reasonably divide his attention between.
Family and Business Commitments Grew Over Career
As Brady’s NFL stardom and fame increased, so too did his off-field priorities and commitments that pushed boxing further out of the picture. He married supermodel Gisele Bundchen in 2009 and the couple went on to have two children together. Fatherhood responsibilities understandably became a higher priority than any potential boxing aspirations.
Brady also invested heavily in growing his personal brand and business portfolio over the years. He launched apparel and wellness companies, signed major endorsement deals, and became a media personality through his podcast and production company. Juggling the demands of a young family and burgeoning business empire left no bandwidth to train as a professional boxer.
Boxing Is An Individual Sport Without Team Element
While boxing requires many of the same mental attributes Brady displays like competitive fire, toughness, leadership, and clutch performance in high-pressure situations – it lacks the team element that has always driven Brady in football. He has stated many times how much he thrives off the camaraderie, chemistry-building, and collective goal achievement within a football team framework.
Boxing is the most individually oriented major sport. The responsibilities and outcomes rest squarely on one fighter’s shoulders inside the ring. Brady has taken far greater pride and satisfaction from winning Super Bowls and bringing championships to his teammates/coaches/franchises than he likely ever would have from winning boxing titles alone. Leading a football team to the ultimate team achievement has simply been a more fulfilling pursuit for Brady throughout his career.
Age Is Catching Up to Brady But He’s Still Dominant
At 45 years old heading into the 2022 NFL season, Brady is pushing the limits of quarterback longevity more than ever before. The physical toll of playing through two decades worth of injuries and wear-and-tear is starting to show to some degree in Brady’s performance dips and increased reliance on short, quick passes.
However, he remains one of the top QBs in the NFL statistically and continues finding ways to lead his teams to victory more often than not with his unparalleled preparation, experience, and clutch play in high-leverage moments. As long as Brady feels he can still perform at a championship level, he’ll keep answering the competitive bell on Sundays.
A boxing career clearly never fit into Brady’s plans at any point. He’s achieved more than even he could have imagined on the football field and cemented an incomparable legacy as the GOAT. While his arm strength and mobility have diminished from his prime, Brady’s mental acuity and mastery of his position continue carrying him to success that few thought possible this late in his 40s. He’ll probably ride off into the sunset as a football player and nothing more.
In Closing
From a young age, Tom Brady exhibited a singular focus on achieving greatness in football that drove his career path from high school through the NFL. He possessed the right blend of physical and mental attributes to thrive as an NFL quarterback but not necessarily as a boxer.
Brady maximized his football potential through relentless work ethic, study habits, and competitive zeal. But boxing was never part of the equation. His priorities evolved over two decades to include family, business interests, and cementing an unmatched legacy on the gridiron – leaving no time or motivation to box professionally.
At 45, Brady continues defying Father Time and remains one of the best QBs in the game. When he finally calls it quits, likely after the 2022 season, he will go down as the greatest of all time in football history. But boxing fans should not lose any sleep wondering what could have been had Brady ever laced up the gloves – his sporting destiny was always on the football field.
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