Tom Brady turns 45 today and somehow the quarterback is still playing at an elite level in the NFL. As he enters his 23rd season in the league, Brady is once again chasing a championship and breaking records.
At this point, TB12 may own the record for most records with the numbers he has put up throughout his two-decade career.
In honor of the GOAT’s birthday, it is only fitting that we look at 45 reasons to celebrate the seven-time champion. Throughout his career, Brady has had triumphant, funny and viral moments, so there is a lot to choose from.
Here are some reasons we are celebrating No. 12:
1. He is a seven-time Super Bowl champion, winning more championships than any franchise. Not too shabby.
2. He knows how to celebrate those championships, claiming that it was avocado tequila that caused his sea legs. Here is proof:
3. He can accurately throw the Lombardi Trophy from one boat to another. This was a very risky move.
4. He has five Super Bowl MVP awards, earning them from Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, LI and LV, to hold the NFL record.
5. He can chug beer impressively fast. For someone who has a very strict diet, you would not expect him to have such skills when it comes to beer.
6. He is without a doubt a future first-ballot Hall of Famer … that is if he ever actually retires.
7. He’s hilarious on social media and whether it is trolling other players, making hype videos or joking around, he never misses.
8. He gives shoutouts to his mom after games and is a family man, always making sure to give his family mentions on social media.
9. He knows how to hype up a crowd and has a tradition of running out of the tunnel to the other side of the field and pumping his fist, yelling “Let’s f— go!”
10. He loves giving high fives, but rarely gets them back. His high-five requests have become so famous, Madden even put a failed high five in the video game.
11. The “Tuck Rule Game”: Brady’s incomplete pass, that many believe was a fumble, is one of the biggest play controversies in recent history and the rule even ended up changing due to this play against the Raiders. Brady later admitted it may have been a fumble.
12. He led the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, when the Patriots came back in Super Bowl LI down 28-3 against the Falcons to win in overtime.
13. He likes to experiment with hair styles, some are better than others.
14. He’s a fashion icon and shows off his style at events from the Kentucky Derby to the Met Gala and even pulls out some trendy looks before and after games. He now even has his own line of athletic clothing.
15. His golf skills are on point and he challenges other NFL players on the course.
16. He shocked the world by retiring, then shocked the world again by returning to football just 40 days later.
17. Whenever Brady is leading an offense, that team always has a chance to win the game, which is not something you can say about many quarterbacks.
18. His dancing skills are incredible.
19. His commercials show the funny side of the quarterback. His acting has improved over time for sure.
20. His friendship with his current and former teammates and the bromances he has have remained strong through two teams and over two decades in the league.
21. He has very unique eating habits, like avocado ice cream, but he is still playing professionally at 45, so clearly it is working for him.
22. His comedic timing is pretty good for an athlete.
23. Brady threw five touchdowns in one quarter, yes just one quarter, in 2009 against the Tennessee Titans.
24. Brady defied the odds as a sixth-rounder, selected with the No. 199 pick, to become one of the greatest players of all time
25. Brady is consistently one of the top selling jerseys every year, even entering his 23rd season in the league. At this point everyone in New England and Tampa Bay must own at least two No. 12 jerseys.
26. Brady’s two-minute offense is one of the best in the league. Once he gets a certain look and gets the ball with the game on the line and the clock winding down, you know he is about to sling it.
27. His ability to take undrafted, underrated and low draft pick players and help turn them into stars. Some examples are Julian Edelman, Wes Welker and Danny Amendola.
28. Brady uses some of his time off the field to do charity work and frequently spends time with Best Buddies. Best Buddies is an “organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
29. He has thrown touchdown passes to 71 (!!) different players, which is an NFL record.
30. The “Tom Brady effect.” Brady being on a team is often the reason players end up signing with the squad, even though Brady does not believe players choose a team because of him.
31. His commitment to the game is something former and current players have said is unlike anything they’ve seen. Edelman said Brady works in the off-season as hard as he does during the regular season.
32. His combine photo. Need I say more?
33. Brady holds the record for quarterback sneak attempts with 157.
34. He has the most touchdowns, completions, yards, wins and Pro Bowls in NFL history.
35. Brady’s career has spanned seven presidential terms and five presidents.
36. He has the most touchdown passes by a 40-year-old, by a lot.
37. His on-field rivalry turned friendship with Peyton Manning, whom he often pokes fun at.
38. He finally got 1,000 yards rushing and while he is not exactly a running quarterback, when he does run it is a moment to remember.
39. When he lines up behind center for Week 1, he will become the oldest QB in NFL history to start a game, passing Steve DeBerg, who started a game at 44 years, 279 days old.
40. Brady is a lot older than his teammates, some were even born after he was drafted. This year’s No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker, was born on Dec. 18, 2000. Brady had already been drafted by the Patriots (April 2000) by then.
41. Brady always makes sure to celebrate Halloween properly, sometimes making fun of himself and dressing as avocado toast, sometimes making fun of Peyton Manning and other times going with classic costumes.
42. While serving a suspension, Brady jetted off to Italy to vacation. Even a Super Bowl champion likes to travel to escape his problems and reality. Celebrities, they’re just like us!
43. Despite being one of the best ever, he was not always an incredible quarterback. He did not excel in football from when he started and was the backup quarterback on his 0-8 high school team.
44. The NFL was not the league that drafted Brady. In the 1995 MLB draft, Brady the catcher was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round.
45. Brady has appeared in 10 Super Bowls, meaning he has appeared in over 17% of the NFL’s championship.
