Across the league, there are tales of Brady's intense desire to win, temper tantrums when he loses, and extreme self-confidence. At 41 years old, Brady isn't one of the players that seems to have lost his desire to compete he seems to enjoy it more than ever.
Check out 36 of the best examples of Brady's competitiveness below.
Former Patriot Dan Koppen said that Brady is the most competitive person hes ever met.
Former teammate Darrelle Revis described Bradys desire to win as a "sickness."
He doesnt take losing well. He admitted that he had to work on his body language so as not to be too hard on his teammates.
Patriots receiver Danny Amendola said Brady once broke a ping pong paddle after losing to Amendola in a game.
Similarly, Huard called Brady a "psychotic competitor," referencing a time Brady threw a backgammon board across the room because he lost.
Everyone is competition. Former Patriots backup Damien Huard said Brady once gave his teammates a pep-talk to make sure they wouldnt lose to a group of local firemen in a charity game.
Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer said at a team dinner, after much convincing, Brady took part in a beer-chugging contest. "You couldnt have poured out the beer faster into a glass," Hoyer said. Brady just walked away smiling with his hands in the air.
Hell push his limits. According to Bill Belichick, during a round of golf at Pebble Beach, Brady hit the ball onto the edge of a cliff. Belichick watched in horror as his franchise quarterback climbed out onto the ledge, while his caddy held onto him to retrieve the ball.
It started in high school for Brady. He used to have his high school teammates over his house to study film while his mom made them lunch.
But it wasnt always easy. He hired a psychologist to deal with the stress of being the seventh-string QB when he first got to Michigan. Eventually, he won the job.
Brady knew hed be great. When he was drafted, he told Patriots owner Robert Kraft, "Im the best decision this organization has ever made."
He told his high-school coach after getting drafted that if he ever got the chance to start in the NFL, the Patriots would never go back to Drew Bledsoe.
And when Brady finally got the starting job, he told his backup it was no sweat. "Im going to be one of the best at this game," he said.
When he filled in for the injured Bledsoe, he even told his offensive linemen that Bledsoe was "not getting his f------ job back!"
He has no plans to relinquish his spot. Brady says he wants to play until hes 45, and he used to even consider 50 a real possibility.
When asked about retirement plans, Brady once quipped, "What am I going to do, go scuba diving?"
Brady micromanages his life to play at an age when others retire. For instance, he goes to bed at 8:30 to stay fresh.
And he does it without an alarm by doing brain exercises before bed.
He also has a ridiculous diet that few others could follow. Avocado ice cream is a treat, and he even stays away from popular health foods like peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
Preparation is key. Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison said Brady goaded him into working out at 5:30 A.M. by saying "Good afternoon!" every time Harrison arrived at 6:30 A.M.
He keeps improving. Brady has worked to get quicker, and once said he was faster at age 39 than he was coming out of college.
Before afternoon games, Brady makes receivers prepare to stare into the sun by catching balls from the direction where the sun will shine during the game.
After making the Super Bowl during the 2016 season, Brady stayed up until 1:30 A.M. studying the Falcons roster.
Dont ask Brady to play a game of catch: Hell drill the ball at you from 5 yards away, according to Brandon LaFell.
He has a healthy respect for good competition. Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said Brady compliments players who sack him.
And former Patriot Dante Stallworth said that Brady would pay practice-squad players who intercepted him.
Opponents say hes one of the only quarterbacks who will mix it up and talk trash.
Brady once used "Joker! Rex Ryan, Rex Ryan!" as an audible call as a shot at the former Buffalo Bills coach.
But dont taunt him too much. A college friend said Brady once leveled an opponent during an intramural basketball game because he was trash-talking Tom.
Brady said nothing relieves his anger like a good F-bomb tirade.
He thrives off of doubters. After helping the Patriots beat the Chiefs in the 2018 AFC Championship, Brady laughed at critics who said he was "too old" and his receivers were "too slow."
There was speculation during Deflategate that Brady wouldnt take a lesser punishment because it would admit some sort of wrongdoing.
When Brady was suspended for Deflategate, he couldnt be around the team, so he called up former Patriots receiver Wes Welker to play catch with him so he could stay sharp.
He called his first game back from his Deflategate suspension "rusty." He threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns.
Brady apparently complained to Patriots staff members in 2017 that Bill Belichick never gave him the player of the week award, despite posting an MVP-level season.
Dont ask him to sign a photo where his mechanics look bad he wont do it.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
But its all worthwhile for the Patriots. Bradys teammates say every practice is like a game because Brady is so intense.
Brady is so driven by team success that he has sacrificed around $60 million to help the Patriots keep building good teams around him.
Now, take a look back at who was on the coaching staff during the Patriots first Super Bowl run....
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Bill Belichicks big-name coaching staff from his first Super Bowl >
