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FRI.| 4-12-24 | ENTERTAINMENT
Vick highlights a football victor
SUN. | 03-20-22 | SPORTS
Tom Brady, a 22-year football veteran, shocked the world by announcing his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) on Feb. 1. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, all-time passing yard and touchdown leader, has proved his greatness as the best quarterback to ever live.
After his senior year at the University of Michigan, Brady was eligible for the NFL draft. Brady was by no means a superstar athlete or a highly scouted prospect, but in the sixth round, with the 199th pick, the New England Patriots took a risky chance and selected Brady. After sitting the bench his rookie year and being mentored by star Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Brady was eager to show coaches he had what it took to be an elite quarterback.
In Brady’s second year, the season took a turn and Bledsoe came down with a season-ending injury. In Brady's first game as a starter, he was playing against Hall of Famer and Colts quarterback Payton Manning. Brady and the Patriots ended up beating the Colts 44-13, and this was only a glimpse into their future.
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During the 2001 season, Brady led the Patriots to a 11-3 record in the regular season. In the playoffs the Patriots continued to dominate, and Brady led them to a Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams. Brady and the Patriots ended up defeating the Rams by a score of 20-17.
Over the next few seasons, the Patriots knew that they had found their guy. Brady led them to back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 2003 and 2004. This meant that the Patriots had won three Super Bowls in five years with Tom Brady.
In 2007, the Patriots went undefeated all the way to the Super Bowl. Going into the Super Bowl, the Patriots were facing an underwhelming New York Giants team. However, this supposedly easy win for the Patriots turned out to be a disaster of a game as the Giants ended up breaking New England’s perfect season.
Four years later, the Patriots would face the Giants again in the Super Bowl. For the second time, the Patriots lost. Fans were devastated and many people thought that Brady would leave and go to a different team where he could succeed. Brady made a great decision to stay and only three years later, the Patriots found themselves in yet another Super Bowl.
This time, it was against the Seattle Seahawks, a.k.a. “The Legion of Boom.” This team was known for having one of the best defenses ever. However, Brady was too good for the Seahawks as the Patriots came out on top. For the next three years, Brady would appear in the Super Bowl. In 2016, he mounted the famous 28-3 comeback against the Falcons. In 2017, Brady lost to the Nick Foles-led Eagles, and in 2018 Brady won against the Rams. After he won the Super Bowl in 2018, many people thought he would retire. However, Brady still had more gas left in the tank. He decided to stay a few more years in New England. After losing in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship to the Chiefs in 2020, Brady decided it was his time to leave.
However, he didn't do what people expected. Instead of retiring, Brady took his talents to Florida where he joined the Buccaneers. In his first year as a Buc, Brady defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. After a dominant year, people were excited to see what else Brady could do at the age of 43. But after a disappointing loss in the 2022 playoffs, the G.O.A.T called it quits.
At the age of 44, NFL legend Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL. He retired with more Super Bowl wins (7) than any other franchise. Brady will be missed in the NFL and the sports world, as he will be remembered as the greatest player to ever throw a football.
