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- Tom Brady added to his legacy on Sunday by helping the New England Patriots overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and advance to the Super Bowl.
- Brady’s strict lifestyle has been well-chronicled, but last year, he revealed that at 25, he was “hurting all the time” and knew he had to make a change in his lifestyle to keep playing football.
- Now at 40 years old, Brady continues to look ageless and there’s little reason to believe he can’t keep playing football for a few more years.
Tom Brady is back in the Super Bowl after orchestrating another brilliant comeback, this time over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
At 40 years old, even with an injured hand, Brady is still the most fearsome quarterback in the NFL with the game on the line.
On Sunday, against the Jaguars’ league-best passing defense, Brady took control of the game, carving up Jacksonville to erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in minutes.
How this is all possible for Brady may stem from the dramatic shift in lifestyle he made during his career. Brady has a famously strict diet, consisting of plenty of all-natural and whole foods and excluding foods like tomatoes and peppers for fear of bloating. He drinks a ton of water. He goes to sleep by 9 p.m., doesn’t drink alcohol, stays away from lifting heavy weights, and focuses on flexibility.
Last year, after winning the Super Bowl over the Atlanta Falcons in historic fashion, Brady recalled knowing that he had to make a change early in his career. Brady said he was “hurting all the time” at 25 and knew he wouldn’t be playing into his 40s if he didn’t do something.
“I’ve tried to just take care of myself through learning through a lot of positive and negative experiences with that. When you’re in a locker room for 17 years, you kinda learn what to do and what not to do and what works for you. I’ve found probably a unique way that’s a little outside the box that’s really worked.
“I try to spread that message to a lot of other players just because football is a demanding sport and it’s a demanding sport on your body. And your body is your asset, and if you are hurting all the time, football is no fun. When I was 25, I was hurting all the time, and I couldn’t imagine playing as long as I did, just because, you know, if your arm hurts every day when you throw, how can you keep playing? And now, at 39, my arm never hurts and my body never hurts. Even after I get banged up, I know how to take care of it and jump on it right away, so that I can feel good for a Wednesday practice.”
This year, Brady has grown more vocal in explaining and promoting his methods, even releasing a book, “The TB12 Method,” to act as a guide for people who want to live like him. His life is micromanaged to continue playing football at an age when others are retiring.
Brady has said he would like to play into his mid-40s. Declines can happen suddenly and unexpectedly, but if Brady can avoid major injury, there’s no reason to think he can’t keep playing.
One thing is for certain: Brady’s own lifestyle will not be the cause of any future decline.
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