Tom Brady talks about his ‘naive’ college career and reveals the traits that made him an NFL legend

TOM Brady talks about his difficult football career and subsequent NFL Hall of Fame career.

The New England Patriots selected the Michigan quarterback in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft.

Brady, 46, discussed his journey from No. 199 overall pick to seven-time Super Bowl champion in an interview with Valuetainment.

When discussing his well-documented competitiveness, the retired passer said it was something his parents instilled in him.

The NFL icon recalled how he developed his work ethic and discipline by respecting his parents, who worked hard to ensure that his family enjoyed financial security.

Those traits helped him stick with football even though he didn’t even know how to put on his gear as a freshman in high school.

After serving as the varsity’s backup quarterback (which, Brady recalled, wasn’t very good), he eventually earned the starting role after working out privately with college coach Tom Martinez.

The former Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star still wasn’t a top high school prospect and then struggled early in his career at Michigan until New England drafted him with the 199th overall pick in 2000. .

But he continues to prove doubters wrong because of his competitiveness — and, as Brady revealed, because he didn’t fully realize how difficult it would be to make it to the NFL.

“You know what else I was blessed with? Very innocent,” he said.

“I didn’t know how hard it was. I believed it because I thought, ‘Oh, no, no. I’m going to get better, I’m going to be better.'”

Brady said his journey included attending numerous football camps and recording tapes that he made with his father and then sending them to colleges to showcase his skills.

That included seeking help from a sports psychologist in Michigan, who taught him how to tame his perfectionism with patience and passion.

“It might not be like a typical college experience because I’m really motivated to play, but I have to take it to the next level that no one else can,” Brady said.

The quarterback later used that mentality to outperform his peers and earn himself a spot in the starting lineup in college and the NFL.

Memorably, Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe as New England’s quarterback in his second year with the Patriots and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title that same season.