When Tom Brady used to “sink” for his GOAT title

With all his accomplishments and numerous records in the NFL, Tom Brady is undoubtedly the GOAT of the league. He is considered one of the best athletes in the world, often alongside legends such as Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Jordan. However, despite his achievements and various accolades, Brady hesitates to recognize the title.

After their 13-3 Super Bowl LIII win against the LA Rams in February 2019, Brady revealed that he doesn't like being labeled with the title. In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America, he said:

“I don't even like it; it makes me shudder.”

Brady believes the title can negatively affect his performance as he is motivated more by criticism than praise.

“I'd like you to say, 'You're trash, you're too big, you're too slow, you can't do it anymore,'” Brady said. “And I'll say, 'Thank you. a lot; I'm going to prove you wrong.'

Brady shined brightest during the second half of his career. Over the years, it aged like a fine wine with experience. Alex Guerrero's flexibility therapy helped Brady stay fit and injury-free, so he never let the age factor get to him.

Brady believes he is his biggest critic and that motivates him to get the best out of him.

“The personal criticism, I mean, I think I'm going to come out of training camp and say, 'That was the worst day, you know, how to hit yourself,'” he said. “Sport has always brought it out in me”.

Tom Brady steps up to silence the doubters

A careful observation of Tom BradyHis career trajectory shows that he rose through the ranks whenever he was most in doubt. After being selected 199th overall in the 2000 draft, Brady was benched until an injury to Drew Bledsoe in the 2001-02 season gave him a chance. Brady led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI, which began the epic Brady-Belichick era.

Another instance happened during the latter part of his career when he left the Patriots. Fans doubted whether Brady could be the same without Belichick and the Patriots, and he proved them wrong again. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led them to a Super Bowl victory in his first season.

These Super Bowl victories highlight an intrinsic trait of Brady's to return to his doubters.