Brady, Tom (1977– )

US football player. In 2002 he became the youngest ever starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl championship, leading the New England Patriots to victory over the St Louis Rams. Brady led the Patriots to further titles in 2004 and 2005. In 2007, he passed for 50 touchdowns during the regular season, a league record.

Having played for the University of Michigan, with whom he won the Orange Bowl during his final year there, Brady was drafted by New England in 2000 in the sixth round. He featured briefly in just one game during the 2000–01 season as understudy to Drew Bledsoe, but following an injury to Bledsoe early on in the season, Brady was named the starting quarterback and led the team to a 11–5 regular season record and into the playoffs. In the Super Bowl against St Louis, the Patriots started as 14-point underdogs but Brady passed for 145 yards and a touchdown and was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). After missing out on the playoffs the following year, Brady led the Patriots to a 14–2 record in the 2003–04 season. In the Super Bowl the Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32–29 and Brady was named the game's MVP for a second time after setting a Super Bowl record for the most pass completions (32). In the 2004–05 season, Brady again led the Patriots to a 14–2 record and they reached their third Super Bowl in four years. There they beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24–21. In 2007, after leading the Patriots on an unbeaten 18–0 record during the regular season and playoffs, Brady's team was upset 17–14 by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, his first loss in four Super Bowl appearances.