Tom Brady admits that Super Bowl XLII loss to the Giants has fueled him throughout his career
Tom Brady may have seven Super Bowl wins, but he also has three Super Bowl losers. And, those losses have affected the longevity of his NFL career.
The biggest loss to affect Brady, however, was the 2008 Super Bowl, in which the Patriots lost to the Giants 17-14. The Patriots were undefeated that 2007 season, and they remain the only team in NFL history to win 16-0 in the regular season. So when the Patriots lost a tight game to the Giants in the Super Bowl, it wasn’t easy for Brady and his teammates.
In episode 4 of the ESPN series “Man in the Arena,” Brady explained how this 2008 Super Bowl loss motivated him to keep competing and winning.
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“If we had won that game, I’m not a big hypothetical person, but might expect a little bit differently if you’re watching [a] bearings,” Brady said. Maybe the desire to get to that point, maybe I was fulfilled, didn’t have to stop the game at that point, but I don’t know, maybe I play seven or eight years and I’m done. Probably not, but there’s not much I can do about it right now. Maybe it’s a life lesson. Deal with what happens, be positive [and] negative. You cannot change it. You can learn from it and hopefully it can make you a good person and you face life in a positive way. And when things don’t go your way, appreciate other people for whom things will go well, and then do your best to get back there again. And I know that if I win the Super Bowl again, I’ll celebrate [expletive] out of that. “
When Brady lost his first Super Bowl in 2008, he had three wins. He then went on to lose two consecutive Super Bowls, both to the Giants. The Giants then became the team Brady likes to beat the most and this is something he still admits in 2021.
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Brady won his most recent Super Bowl in 2021 after beating the Chiefs 31-9 with the Buccaneers. His Super Bowl overall record is 7-3. With his seven wins, he has more Super Bowl rings than any NFL team in history. The Patriots and Steelers both have six wins respectively.
At 44, Brady has no intention of retiring anytime soon. This year, he even said he can play until he’s 50, which would break the NFL record for the oldest player in history.
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“Man in the Arena” is a 10-part documentary, highlighting Brady’s 10 Super Bowl appearances. It runs on ESPN+ through January 18, 2022.
