Brady, Tom

Brady, Tom (Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr.), 1977–, American football player, b. San Mateo, Calif. He attended the Univ. of Michigan (1995–99), where he was co-starting quarterback (1998–99) and led the team to win the 1999 Orange Bowl. Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, Brady replaced the injured Drew Bledsoe in a Sept., 2001, game and became the team's starting quarterback. Canny, strong, and steady, with an accurate arm, Brady has led the Pats to three Super Bowl victories (2002, 2004–5) and was named that game's most valuable player twice (2002, 2004). In 2007, he marshaled New England's offense to what often seemed an inevitable undefeated regular season and was named the National Football League's MVP, but he failed to win the Super Bowl. Brady also passed for 50 touchdowns in 2007, breaking Peyton Manning's single-season record.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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