Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady
Tom Brady will go for yet another Super Bowl victory next week (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
By John Zak, Staff Writer
Last Sunday, the New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs in an overtime thriller, 37-31, that earned New England its third consecutive AFC Championship title and subsequent Super Bowl appearance. Leading the way was their 5 time champion quarterback, Tom Brady.
Brady, who is now 41 years old has continued to defy critics by continuing to play at an elite level despite his age. In the AFC title game in Kansas City, Brady threw for 348 yards with a touchdown and boasted a completion percentage of 65.2 percent. This performance kept New England competitive on the road and held off a Chiefs team considered special by many because of the chemistry between dynamic and youthful Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid.
However, in front of a full Arrowhead Stadium crowd, Brady proved experience can trump explosive play style as the vaunted duo of Brady and Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick once again won the game for New England. The AFC title game was also the eighth consecutive appearance by Brady and the Patriots. The Super Bowl and the bright lights that come with it are nothing new to Brady, as he has led his team to five Super Bowl titles over the course of his career with eight appearances in total.
This appearance will be Brady’s ninth that, regardless of whether he wins or losses, will remind us of Brady and the Patriots’ dominance of professional football. Brady will get a chance to earn his sixth championship ring against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, Georgia on February 3.
