The REAL reason we hate Tom Brady

Tom Brady.

Haha!

I KNEW those two words would get a reaction out of you.

Short of “Donald Trump” or “Jesus Christ,” no other name is as polarizing.

And I have no idea why.

The fact is, Tom Brady embodies EVERYTHING WE DESIRE.

Why would we hate THAT?

I’ve written this many times in the past, and I’ll continue to write it until someone proves me wrong:

It takes practice to become who you REALLY want to be.

We know that.

We just don’t do it.

Then we complain about our place in life.

And we hate others who commit to improving theirs.

Given the choice, we’d all love to be like Tom Brady. The Tom Brady we consistently see on TV. The only Tom Brady we know.

We want the seven Lombardi trophies.

We want the money.

We want the fame.

We want the strong and healthy body, even as it ages.

We want the spectacular spouse.

We want the loving family.

But here’s the question: Have you ever tried to be like Tom Brady?

I mean, for real.

The reason Tom Brady has all those outcomes may surprise you.

He doesn’t pursue outcomes.

You probably know that Tom Brady loves football. He’s loved it since he was a kid growing up in California.

But here’s what you may not realize: Probably more than 90 percent of what he loves about the game goes unseen by you and me.

Let me give you an example. The average time of possession for Tampa Bay this year was 29:54 minutes a game. So during any given week in the NFL season, Tom Brady “plays football” for less than a half hour. That’s it.

During other 167 and a half hours …

He pursues excellence.

In three ways that ANYONE can emulate. And ANYONE includes you and me.

Brady is focused — He’s created a blueprint for who he wants to be. A master at his craft, a leader of others, a faithful husband, a devoted father to his three children.

Fact: Many of us are STILL trying to figure out who we want to be when we grow up.

Brady is disciplined — He knows what it takes to get there. He rises every morning at 5:30. He’s in bed by 8:30 each night. He rarely touches alcohol. He follows a strict nutrition regimen. He works on his mind, his body and his family relationships daily.

Fact: Many of us who were rooting against Brady during the Super Bowl were downing pizza, buffalo dip and beer as we screamed “that’s not interference!” at the big-screen TV.

Brady invites others to follow him — Gronk was becoming a caricature and actually had retired from the game. AB was a clown in Pittsburgh. Leonard Fournette was cut by the Jags, maybe the worst franchise in the NFL. Isn’t it weird how they all became “good soldiers” when they joined Tom Brady? And they all were key contributors in Tampa’s 31-9 win over Kansas City on Sunday.

As for Brady? I thought his Super Bowl performance was “fine.” Not great. Certainly not bad. He was fine. I would have given the MVP to the entire defense or to Fournette.

Tom Brady’s magic was on full display BEFORE the Super Bowl.

His victory was won during daily film sessions. It was won during position meetings. It was won on the sideline during each game when he and other skilled position players would review mistakes and successes on the iPad. And the victory was won during the two weeks leading up to the Big Game, when Brady had a chance share what it’s like to “be there” with all the young bucks surrounding him.

Gronk, AB, and Fournette watched as Brady modeled focus. They listened as he taught them about film study, honing technique, and managing emotions.

They really started to believe in HIM when they realized he wanted THEM to thrive.

That’s leadership.

So, what’s our takeaway from all of this? Brady has made simple choices over the past 20 years so he could stand at the top of the mountain in 2021. And six times before that.

“I hope people can look at me and believe that they can achieve what they want to in their lives,” Brady said in a recent interview. “Sometimes, the media puts a perception out there that you’re born a certain way. I’m not special in any way. I’m just trying to learn and improve every day.”

In college, when he was firmly entrenched at the bottom of Michigan’s depth chart, he CHOSE to rise up. Many others choose to quit the team or transfer to another school.

When he was drafted in the sixth round by New England, he CHOSE to compete for the QB job despite massive odds against him. Many others choose to leave leave football and enter the “real world.”

When it’s time to decide between sleeping in or working out, he CHOOSES.

When it’s time to decide between ordering takeout or fueling his body with proper nutrients, he CHOOSES.

Deep in our hearts, we know we must choose, too.

We just don’t make good choices.

Then we complain about our place in life.

And we hate others who commit to improving theirs.

Scroll to the top and look at Tom Brady’s photo from the 2000 NFL Combine one more time. Then look at the photo below.

Nothing but a series of simple choices. Made consistently. Over a long period of time.

That inspires me more than you can imagine.

It proves that ALL of us can be Tom Brady. Maybe not in the NFL, but in our own area of the world.

We just choose not to.

And we hate the people who do.

OK, maybe there’s more to it. Here’s another theory I’ve been tossing around:

Deep down, maybe we DON’T hate Tom Brady.

I think we hate THE CHOICES we make each day.

And every February, Brady just happens to remind us of how different our lives could be.

We hate THAT, too.

HOW IT’S GOING: Only a select few will be committed enough to become who we really want to be.

(Tim Kolodziej is the author of this piece and founder of EnspireU.com. When he’s not behind a laptop, he can be found inside a gym helping young athletes create their own unique future — one rep at a time. Click here to connect with him by email.)