Coming out of Junipero Serra High School in California, Tom Brady was signed to the University of Michigan and eventually made it into 10 Super Bowls with an impressive six out of nine-win record. He is regarded as the best quarterback in National Football League (NFL) history— but Brady’s journey there wasn’t easy.

Brady’s years in Michigan consisted of spotty playtime and being seventh string his freshman year. He fought his way up the food chain for three years, leading him to have the starting position his junior year. He won 10 of his 11 games and passed 2,427 yards. When compared to top quarterbacks at the time, like Drew Brees with Penn State, Brady didn’t exactly stand out. Brees passed 3,909 yards and played two more games than Brady. Now, Brady has a much more impressive record than Brees— who has only won one super bowl while Brady has won six and attended 10. 

Brady’s senior year was hard for him as he was competing with Drew Henson for starting quarterback. Michigan was going to play Brady for the first quarter, then Henson for the second. Whoever threw better would go on to throw the rest of the game. Brady would eventually start the rest of the season after winning an important game against Michigan State University. 

After college, Brady was drafted into the NFL. He was the sixth pick— meaning six other quarterbacks were drafted before him. He was moved to the New England Patriots team in which he played on for 19 years, leading them to nine Super Bowls and winning six of them. However, Brady left the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, saying he has “things to prove for himself.” He wanted to experience something different and evolve. According to Brady in an interview with Howard Stern, “Why would I choose a different place? It’s because it was just time. I don’t know what to say other than that.” This transition shocked many fans, but Brady is ready for this new transition and is planning for success. 

There are a couple of factors explaining why Brady is so successful. First off, during high-pressure situations he doesn’t panic, he keeps calm and looks for the best passing route. He doesn’t try to force anything that won’t work either. This is why out of the total 6,778 completed passes Brady has thrown, only 191 of them have been interceptions. His analysis skills let Brady see everything on the field at all times and know exactly what to do in every scenario. Brady is always learning and improving, complacency isn’t in his lexicon, and this is why he’s improved so much since his college days. 

The Super Bowl LV will take place in Miami on Feb. 7 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady, going head to head with the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Maholmes. Brady may win his seventh Super Bowl and further cement his greatness, and even if he loses, no dents will be made in his reputation.