Tom Brady’s career has risen to astronomical heights over his illustrious 21-year career. So it’s easy to forget that even the GOAT was once a regular high school kid. But even as a 17-year-old, Brady’s confidence and poise were as evident as ever.
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Brady played at Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California from 1992 to 1994, where he started off as a backup on a winless team. Former Serra coach John Kirby spoke about how seeing Brady in the NFL brings up a lot of nostalgia for those early days. “I hear him audible and it reminds me of our own little code we started on the JV team,” Kirby said.
The coach continued, “When he saw a DB playing too tight, Tom would pull on his face mask and it would change a short route into a streak. I can still feel that anxious feeling when he did it because I knew the ball would be coming to me and he’d put it right on the money. And he did time after time.”
Tom Brady was not a 5-star recruit, and neither was he a local legend. In fact, the winningest QB of all time never even made the state playoffs with his High School. But Coaches always had high Praise for Brady and his great ability to read defenses.
Tom Brady’s confidence was supreme even as a 17-year-old.
A local TV station interviewed Brady as it highlighted the next generation of Bay Area athletes making a name for themselves in high school. And like we have seen for years, the 17-year-olds football brain was beyond his years.
“Everybody tells me I have a pretty strong arm, which is good,” the quarterback explained. “I’m pretty accurate with it. I think I need to work on my speed a little bit, but hopefully, that will come in time.”
With the uncertainty of life before college, he also demonstrated subdued confidence. “I have a pretty good work ethic, so I think I can get the job done,” Brady said. And 25 years later, the 42-year-old proves he can get the job done.
Brady’s candor and analysis as a 17-year-old are elite. What always set Brady apart from other athletes, however, was his willingness to bypass his weaknesses to be the best quarterback possible. And his mentality has definitely translated on the biggest level.
