Thomas Edward Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

Due largely to his performance in the playoffs throughout his career, Brady is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of his era, and has won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX), two Super Bowl MVP awards (XXXVI and XXXVIII), and has been invited to four Pro Bowls. Additionally, Brady was Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 2005, and was named to the AP All-Pro Team in 2005.

Born near San Francisco in San Mateo, California, Brady would be regularly taken to see the 49ers play in the 1980s, where he became a fan of quarterback Joe Montana. Since that time, Brady has mentioned Montana as one of his inspirations and an idol. During this time, he was present for Montana's pass to Dwight Clark, which is now simply known as "The Catch" .

Brady graduated from Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. After playing catcher in high school, Brady was drafted in the 18th round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft by the Montreal Expos.

Brady played college football for and graduated from the University of Michigan. He was a backup his first two years as teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese led the Wolverines to a national championship in 1997. When he enrolled at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart and had an intense struggle to get some playing time. At one point, Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety and even considered transferring, frustrated by what seemed like a lack of opportunity. Brady battled for the first string quarterback position with Drew Henson and ultimately started every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. During his first full year as starter, he set Michigan records for most pass attempts (350) and completions in a season (214). Brady was All-Big Ten (honorable mention) both seasons and team captain his senior year. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998. Brady capped that season off with a win over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl. In the 1999 season, Brady led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns.

Brady was selected with pick #199, a compensatory pick, of the 2000 NFL Draft. According to Michael Holley's book Patriot Reign, the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay, both of whom had received positive reviews from then quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein. The Patriots front office ultimately chose Brady — a pick that, according to a 2007 NFL Network special, was the greatest "steal" in the history of the NFL Draft. Brady worked his way from the fourth string, to serving as the backup quarterback to Drew Bledsoe, going 1-for-3 with 6 passing yards during his rookie season. His role changed on September 23, 2001, when the Patriots were playing against their AFC East division rivals, the New York Jets at Foxboro Stadium. During that game, Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding after colliding with Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. New England lost both the game and Bledsoe. Soon after, Brady was named the starting quarterback. In his first two games, Brady's quarterback ratings were unspectacular, at 79.6 and 58.7 respectively, in a 44-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts (in the Colts' last season in the AFC East) and a 30-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins. However, during a mid-season match-up at Indianapolis, Brady had a passer-rating of 148.3 in a 38-17 win. Brady helped bring the Patriots to an 11-5 record and into the playoffs.

During a 2001–2002 divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders (played in January 2002), Tom Brady had been ruled as having fumbled on a pass attempt, with Oakland protecting a three-point lead. Citing the controversial "tuck rule," where a ball is ruled an incomplete pass after the quarterback starts any forward throwing motion, referee Walt Coleman overturned the decision after reviewing the instant replay, calling the drop an incomplete pass rather than a fumble; fellow Michigan Wolverine Charles Woodson was the player who made the hit on Brady. Brady, who threw for 312 yards in his first NFL playoff game, led the Patriots back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and engineered the winning drive in overtime to beat the Raiders. Brady was injured in the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game and were immediately instituted by Las Vegas oddsmakers as 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

With less than two minutes left in the Super Bowl, and the score tied, sportscaster John Madden said that he thought the Patriots should let the time run out on the clock and look to win the game in overtime. Instead, Brady drove the Patriots offense down the field. The Patriots won the game on an Adam Vinatieri field goal as time expired. Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI while throwing for 145 yards and 1 touchdown.

Tom Brady and the Patriots finished the year at 9–7, tied with the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the division. However, the Jets won the division on the third tiebreaker, and the Patriots missed the playoffs.

Although posting a career-low single-season rating of 85.7, Brady threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes, though his 14 interceptions ties his worst total. Moreover, at Buffalo, Brady threw for a quarterback rating of 147.6. Furthermore, Brady played much of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, and New England head coach Bill Belichick has since indicated that if the Patriots had made the playoffs, Brady would not have been able to play in the first game due to that injury. Brady continues to suffer from shoulder complications, but it has not led to a missed start.

In the 2003–2004 NFL season, after a 2-2 start, Brady led the Patriots to 12 consecutive victories to finish the season and win the AFC East. Statistically, Brady's strongest game of the season was against Buffalo, when he achieved a season-high quarterback rating of 122.9.

In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32-29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with 3 touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a QB in the Super Bowl (32). With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 29, Brady engineered a drive to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning field goal.

During the 2004–2005 season, Brady helped the Patriots set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year. New England's 14-2 record matched that of the 2003–04 season and equaled the best record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years. In the AFC playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to victories over the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring IV treatment the previous night when he had a temperature of 103 degrees. Against the NFL's best defensive team, Brady recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season. 2004 also served as Brady's best year statistically; his rating, at 92.6, was a career high. On February 6, 2005, the Brady-led Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl XXXIX. Brady threw for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns while capturing the Patriots' third NFL championship in four years.

During the 2005–2006 season, the Patriots were forced to rely more on Tom Brady's passing due to injuries suffered by running backs Corey Dillon, Patrick Pass, and Kevin Faulk. Brady also had to adjust to a new center and a new running back: Heath Evans. The results were positive; Brady finished first in the league with 4,110 passing yards and third in the league with 26 touchdowns. At 92.3, his 2005–2006 passer rating was the second highest of his career, although he tied his worst interception total (14). He also rushed for 89 yards and fumbled a career-low 4 times. Brady and the injured Patriots finished with a 10-6 record and obtained their third straight AFC East title. Some of the highlights of the season included another game with the Steelers, in which Brady helped lead the team on the game winning drive. When the Patriots visited the Atlanta Falcons, Brady achieved a regular season-high rating of 140.3.

In the playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to a 28-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round. However, on January 14, 2006, the Patriots lost 27-13 against the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field. Brady threw for 346 yards in the game and a touchdown with two interceptions. It was the first playoff loss of Brady's career. After the season's end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December. Linebacker Willie McGinest commented on it and said he knew, but Brady continued on playing. This is the main reason Brady did not go to the Pro Bowl when he was invited.

Despite not playing in the game, Brady was present at Super Bowl XL, as the official coin tosser and as part of a celebration of Super Bowl MVP Award winners.

Brady led the Patriots to a 12-4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs despite having an almost completely new receiving corps. In the regular season Brady threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns, and received an invitation to the Pro Bowl (which he declined).

In the postseason the Patriots first hosted their long time bitter division rivals the New York Jets in the wild-card round. The Patriots defeated the Jets 37-16 and Brady went 22-34 for 212 yards and 2 TDs. In the Divisional Round the Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers. This was Brady's first playoff game in his home state of California. Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Chargers who many had picked as favorites to win Super Bowl 41. With 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter and the Patriots down by 8 points Brady and the Patriots started a key drive that would ultimately decide the game. After a 49 yard pass play to Reche Caldwell, a Gostkowski field goal gave the Patriots a 24-21 win. In the AFC Championship Game the Patriots faced the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots and Colts had faced each other in the postseason 2 times previously in the last 3 seasons, however this game was played in Indianapolis. The Patriots had a great start and led at halftime 21-6. However, the Colts staged a comeback, resulting in a loss for the Patriots.

As of Week 2 of the 2007 NFL season, Brady has been listed on the Patriots' injury report with a right shoulder injury in 50 consecutive weeks. This streak has continued into the 2007 season, despite Brady having the third-longest active streak of games started in the NFL, trailing only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. The severity, or existence, of Brady's shoulder injury is often questioned, as Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known for releasing misleading injury reports.

Brady dated actress Bridget Moynahan from 2004 until late 2006. On February 18, 2007, Moynahan confirmed to People magazine that she was more than three months pregnant with her and Brady's child. Brady and Moynahan ended their relationship sometime in early December 2006, around the time Moynahan became pregnant. Brady was present when the baby, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, was born on August 22, 2007 at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. The baby has Brady's first and middle names as middle names, though in reverse order. Since late 2006, Tom Brady has been dating Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

: : League Leader NFL Record :* 1 reception for 23 yards (12/22/01 vs. Miami) :* 1 punt for 36 yards, downed at the one yard line (12/07/03 vs. Miami)

:

* Highest single-game quarterback rating: 158.3 (at Miami, October 21, 2007) * Highest single-season quarterback rating: 92.6 (2004–2005 season) * Highest career quarterback rating against a team: Atlanta Falcons (140.4) * Highest passing touchdown total, season: 28 (2002, 2004) * Lowest passing touchdown total, season (minimum 2 starts): 18 (2001) * Lowest interception total, season (minimum 2 starts): 12 (2001, 2003, 2006) * Highest interception total: 14 (2002, 2004, 2005)

*690 passes attempted *412 passes completed *4,953 passing yards *34 passing touchdowns *13 passes intercepted *53.07 passing attempts per interception *59.71 completion rate *90.3 passer rating

*19.48 passing attempts per touchdown *42.46 passing attempts per interception *7-0 in overtime games *10-1 in dome stadiums *24-4 vs NFC teams

*NFL record for most consecutive wins in post season: 10 (broke record of Green Bay's Bart Starr). * Most consecutive post season wins (college and professional combined): 12 *3 Super Bowl victories *2 Super Bowl MVP awards *Most completions in a Super Bowl (32 in Super Bowl XXXVIII)

<div style="font-size: 90%">

</div>

*Tom Brady on the New England Patriots' Official Website *The Smoking Gun's ''Super Bowl QB Tom Brady *St. Petersburg Times article on Brady's first Super Bowl MVP *