In an exclusive interview with Patrick Bet-David, the CEO of Valuetainment Media, NFL legend Tom Brady shared insights into his early football journey, revealing that he felt like a fish out of water during his rookie year with the Michigan Wolverines.
When asked about his mindset as a teenager, Brady admitted that he was far from being a prodigy in football. He contrasted himself with child prodigies like Tiger Woods, emphasizing that he didn’t possess such extraordinary skills at a young age.
“I was never. I would say, like a prodigy, you know. I wasn’t like the kid where you see Tiger Woods swinging on the Johnny Carsons show at two or three years old. And you know, his swing looks as good as it did at three years old.”
Brady then recounted his challenging freshman year at the University of Michigan. He vividly recalled feeling like an outsider, facing a steep learning curve as he adapted to the demands of college football.
His honesty shone through as he humorously described his initial struggles, from not knowing how to put on football pads to feeling outclassed by more experienced teammates.
“I remember showing up my first day is freshman year. I didn’t care how much hair I had under my arms and all that. I was like, and these other kids came in shaving, and I’m like, what the hell is this? I didn’t know how to put the pads on in my pants. When I tried out for freshman football. I mean. I had never played until that point, except in the street.”
Brady also touched on his early setbacks.
He recalled being a backup quarterback on a winless team during his freshman year, emphasizing that his lack of playing time indicated just how far he had to go to become a successful player.
“You know, in my freshman year, I didn’t even play. I was the backup quarterback on a team that went 0-8. That says a lot. I couldn’t get on the field and we never won a game anyway. I mean, it’s one thing to be the starting quarterback and lose if they don’t even think you’re good enough to be a starting quarterback on a team that you are on. You must really suck. And, the reason why I played my second year was because that quarterback quit because he’s like, I’m not playing football anymore.”
Despite a challenging start, Brady chose to don the maize and blue, graduating in December 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies.
When he first enrolled at Michigan, he was seventh on the depth chart, far from the starting position he coveted.
Frustration took a toll on him to the extent that he even considered transferring to the University of California, Berkeley to play for the California Golden Bears.
His breakthrough moment came on September 28, 1996, when he appeared in his first collegiate game for Michigan against UCLA. From there, he steadily climbed the ranks, eventually becoming the starting quarterback for the team.
In the two seasons that Brady started at Michigan, he had an impressive 20–5 record, which included victories at the 1999 Citrus Bowl and the 2000 Orange Bowl.
After playing college football with the Michigan Wolverines, Tom Brady was selected 199th overall by the New England Patriots in the sixth round.
He became the team’s starting quarterback in his second season. During his time with the Patriots, Brady achieved remarkable success, leading the team to numerous division titles, AFC Championship Games, and Super Bowl appearances. He played a pivotal role in the Patriots winning their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Brady’s legacy continued to grow as he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early 2020. In his first season with the Buccaneers, he led them to victory in Super Bowl LV.
As per the latest developments, it was announced that starting in 2024, Tom Brady would take on a new role as the lead color commentator for NFL games on Fox.
