55 Fun Facts About Tom Brady

Which team drafted Hofstra quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi in the third round of 2000 instead of taking Brady?

The San Francisco 49ers, Brady's hometown team, chose Carmazzi, and he was gone from their roster after two seasons as a backup.

Brady's final NFL game, in January 2023, was a wild-card playoff loss to which team?

The Dallas Cowboys won 31-14 even though their kicker, Brett Maher, missed four extra points.

When Brady won his seventh ring, which franchise shared the record for Super Bowl titles with the Patriots?

The Pittsburgh Steelers. Every New England title to that point had come with Brady at quarterback, so his seventh, with Tampa Bay, lifted him past both franchises.

Who was head coach of Brady's Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl LV?

Bruce Arians had retired after five seasons coaching Arizona, then returned after a year off to take the Buccaneers job in 2019.

In what California city was Brady born?

San Mateo. Many expected the local kid to stay near home at Cal, but he chose Michigan, and even there he weighed transferring to Cal while stuck on the bench.

Which Major League Baseball team drafted Brady, a left-handed-hitting catcher, in 1995?

The Montreal Expos waited until the 18th round because, as GM Kevin Malone put it, 'his first love was football.'

Whose injury in September 2001 opened the door for Brady to become the Patriots' starter?

Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding from a Mo Lewis hit, and New England traded him to Buffalo the following April.

Brady's first playoff win, in the snow against Oakland, turned on which controversial call?

The tuck rule turned Charles Woodson's apparent forced fumble into an incomplete pass; the NFL abolished the rule in 2013, with 29 teams voting for repeal.

Who kicked the 48-yard field goal as time expired to win Brady's first Super Bowl, XXXVI?

Adam Vinatieri's kick capped a drive John Madden had said on air the Patriots shouldn't try, urging them to run out the clock and play for overtime.

Who broke Brady's record as the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, four years after he set it?

Ben Roethlisberger won Super Bowl XL at 23; in 2026, 23-year-old Drake Maye could have beaten that mark, but New England lost Super Bowl LX.

Which team ended the Patriots' bid for a perfect 19-0 season in Super Bowl XLII?

The New York Giants won 17-14 after David Tyree pinned a pass against his helmet to keep the game-winning drive alive.

Which Chiefs safety delivered the 2008 opening-day hit that tore Brady's ACL and MCL?

Bernard Pollard's low but legal hit led the NFL to bar defenders on the ground from lunging at a quarterback's legs starting in 2009.

Brady threw five touchdown passes in one quarter during a 59-0 snowy rout of which team in 2009?

The Tennessee Titans had posted the NFL's best record, 13-3, the year before, but the rout left them 0-6.

What made Brady's 2010 MVP award unprecedented in NFL history?

It was a unanimous vote, the first ever, two seasons after a torn ACL had wiped out his 2008 season.

Brady's top-seeded, 14-2 Patriots of 2010 were upset in the playoffs by which team?

The New York Jets won 28-21 in Foxborough, weeks after New England had routed them 45-3 on the same field.

In Week 1 of 2011, Brady threw a record-tying 99-yard touchdown pass to whom?

Wes Welker. Five months later, in Super Bowl XLVI, he couldn't hold on to a high late pass from Brady that could have all but sealed the title.

What did Brady concede on his first Super Bowl XLVI series?

A safety for intentional grounding put New England 2-0 down, yet Brady then completed 16 straight passes, breaking Joe Montana's Super Bowl record of 13.

Whose goal-line interception in the final seconds sealed Brady's Super Bowl XLIX win over Seattle?

Malcolm Butler picked off Seattle's pass at the 1-yard line, where the Seahawks chose to throw rather than hand off to Marshawn Lynch.

Who started the first two games of 2016 while Brady served his Deflategate suspension?

Jimmy Garoppolo won his first start and was winning the second when a shoulder injury knocked him out, leaving rookie Jacoby Brissett to finish.

Roger Goodell cited Brady's destruction of which item as a key reason for upholding his suspension?

His cell phone, used for four months and nearly 10,000 texts, was destroyed on or about the day he met investigator Ted Wells.

By what score did the Patriots trail the Falcons in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI before winning?

28-3. New England scored 25 unanswered points to force the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

Brady threw for 505 yards in Super Bowl LII but lost to which Eagles quarterback?

Nick Foles threw three touchdown passes and caught another, becoming the first player to throw and catch a touchdown in a Super Bowl.

Which receiver was named MVP of Super Bowl LIII, Brady's sixth title, a 13-3 win?

Julian Edelman had begun that season suspended for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Which former teammate picked off Brady's final Patriots pass and scored in the 2019 Wild Card loss?

Logan Ryan returned it nine yards for a touchdown after a punt had pinned New England at its own 1-yard line, sealing a 20-13 upset.

Which Buccaneers receiver gave up his number 12 so Brady could keep it in Tampa Bay?

Godwin switched to 14 as a sign of respect; Brady then pushed the team to trade for Rob Gronkowski, who came out of retirement.

In which stadium did Brady's Buccaneers become the first team to play a Super Bowl at home?

Raymond James Stadium admitted only about 25,000 fans under COVID-19 limits, with some 30,000 cardboard cutouts in other seats.

Brady's fifth Super Bowl MVP award, won with Tampa Bay, made him the first player to do what?

Peyton Manning had also won titles with two franchises, but Brady's fifth MVP award was unique; he had also just become the oldest starter to win one.

Whom did Brady pass in Week 4 of 2021, in Foxborough, to become the NFL's all-time passing yards leader?

Drew Brees. Brady then beat his old team 19-17 when Nick Folk's 56-yard field goal try hit the upright in the final minute.

Brady's first retirement, announced in February 2022, followed a 30-27 playoff loss to which team?

The Los Angeles Rams won with a last-second field goal after Brady had rallied Tampa Bay from 27-3 down to tie the game.

Which country completed Tom Brady's 2022 feat of winning NFL games in three different countries outside the US?

The 21-16 win over Seattle in Munich followed earlier wins in England and Mexico with the Patriots.

Brady's 2022 season with the Buccaneers was a career first for what unwanted reason?

He finished with a losing record, 8-9, yet Tampa Bay still won the NFC South and reached the playoffs.

Which network hired Brady as its lead NFL color commentator on a reported 10-year, $375 million deal?

Fox. He actually debuted in its booth at the 2024 UFL championship game, months before his first NFL broadcast.

In 2024 NFL owners approved Brady's purchase of a stake in which franchise?

Las Vegas Raiders. Owners approved his stake in October 2024 only after the deal's valuation was revised following NFL feedback.

In August 2023 Brady became a minority owner and board chairman of which English club?

That year he also founded Team Brady, an electric boat racing team that became E1 world champions.

Brady's supermodel wife of 13 years, whom he married in 2009 and divorced in 2022, was who?

Gisele Bündchen. Jokes about their divorce ran through his live 2024 Netflix roast.

Brady's strict health regimen and brand share which name?

TB12 also names his therapy center with partner Alex Guerrero, whose Patriots sideline access Bill Belichick revoked in 2017.

Brady's production company 199 Productions takes its name from what?

His pick number in the 2000 draft. The company's first project teamed Brady with Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo.

Who hosted Brady's live Netflix roast in May 2024?

Kevin Hart. When he brought on guest Kim Kardashian, the crowd's cheers quickly turned to loud boos.

Deflategate grew out of underinflated footballs in New England's AFC Championship Game win over which team?

The Indianapolis Colts. Amid the uproar, Brady then beat Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX, setting a then-record 37 completions.

Brady's college career ended with an overtime win over Alabama in which January 2000 postseason game?

Orange. His last college pass, a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime, beat Alabama 35-34 after two 14-point comebacks.

Which Red Sox star became Brady's brother-in-law in 2012 by marrying his sister Julie?

Kevin Youkilis. That December, the former Red Sox star signed with the rival Yankees.

Who replaced the injured Brady as New England's quarterback in 2008?

Matt Cassel went 10-5 as a starter, and New England finished 11-5 yet missed the playoffs on tiebreakers.

What did the 2007 Spygate scandal cost Brady's Patriots?

Their 2008 first-round pick. Roger Goodell weighed suspending Bill Belichick but judged losing the pick more lasting, and fined him $500,000.

Brady's first broadcast season came with which restriction tied to the team he part-owns?

He was barred from production meetings and team facilities, limits the league relaxed before the 2025 season.

The Patriots inducted Brady into their Hall of Fame on June 12, 2024, a date chosen to honour what?

His rings and jersey number. June, the sixth month, stood for six Patriots titles and the 12th for No. 12, and Massachusetts declared it Tom Brady Day.

Brady's 466 passing yards, then a Super Bowl record, came in which game?

The 34-28 overtime win over Atlanta ended when New England won the overtime coin toss and scored a touchdown on its first possession.

Which Wolverines quarterback led the 1997 team to a national title before Brady took over?

Brian Griese later founded Judi's House, a Denver center for grieving children named for his mother, who died when he was 12.

Which famous 1981 NFC Championship play did a four-year-old Brady witness at Candlestick Park?

The Catch, Joe Montana's touchdown pass to Dwight Clark; decades later Brady passed his idol Montana's four Super Bowl wins.

Which actress, whom Brady dated until December 2006, is the mother of his oldest son, Jack?

Bridget Moynahan. The couple had already split when her representative confirmed she was pregnant with his child.

What did Junípero Serra High School name after Brady when he visited in 2012?

Its football stadium, named Brady Family Stadium because he asked that his family be included in the name.

Which quarterback did Brady share time with in a platoon during Michigan's 1999 season?

Drew Henson. At Michigan State, Brady was sent back in during the second half and nearly led a comeback in a 34-31 loss.

Which quarterback was taken 18th overall in 2000, well ahead of Brady?

Chad Pennington: after eight years with the team that drafted him, he was released as soon as it traded for Brett Favre in August 2008.

Which Patriots linebacker caught a touchdown pass from Brady in Super Bowl XXXIX?

Mike Vrabel: Belichick used him as a goal-line tight end, and in 2025 he became New England's head coach.

What did the Patriots unveil outside Gillette Stadium in August 2025 to honour Brady?

A statue: Robert Kraft promised it at Brady's 2024 Hall of Fame induction, and the 12-foot figure was unveiled on August 8, 2025.

Which 2005 Simpsons episode features Brady voicing himself?

Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass: Homer's victory dances land him the Super Bowl halftime show, which he and Ned stage as a Noah's Ark story that the crowd boos.