NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Tom Brady was selected as the commencement speaker for Georgetown University’s business school graduation, and he delivered his speech the only way Brady knew how.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion was highly praised by those who spoke before him, prompting Brady to quickly crack a joke about his former head coach Bill Belichick.
“I don’t do well with compliments. I had a coach for 20 years that told me how sh—y I was every day,” Brady said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Tom Brady celebrates with head coach Bill Belichick after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime of Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 5, 2017. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Brady said he was “grateful” to be with graduates and their loved ones, “even those who are [New York] Jets fans.”
“As I sat here looking out at this crowd of amazing business majors, I realized something — sports was a very strange way to make a living. People were screaming at me all the time, they were betting on my performance, and they were celebrating all my failures. One way sports is a lot like business is that when you do it long enough, your life is defined by the number of 7s, 10s that I’ve played. those were my Super Bowl wins, those were Super The Bowl losses, Eli Manning, Brady continued.
However, the thesis of Brady’s beginnings was to fight through adversity and never quit, and the best way for Brady to convey his motivational message was by telling the story of his Super Bowl LI comeback against the Atlanta Falcons.
Brady mentioned the 99.7 number, saying that if something happens 99.7% of the time, it’s a “prediction.” As Brady began to tell the story of the comeback, he warned the audience about potential adult language.
“I was an athlete, so you can kind of feel like you’re in a locker room a little bit,” Brady said.
Brady then mentioned how the Falcons had a 99.7% chance of winning the Super Bowl when they led 28-3 late in the third quarter.
“Not exactly how I thought things would go when I woke up that morning,” he said.
“But you know what? It happens sometimes. You’re going to see it. You’re going to think you’re better than your competition, you’re going to work really hard, and it’s still not going to go your way. You’re going to find yourself on the short end of the 99.7%, wondering how the hell you got there.”
“Overcoming fear and doubt in the face of these challenges is where you will gain the confidence to make your best choices when things don’t go your way,” he continued. “When the odds are stacked against you, when you’re facing your own 28-3 moment, and believe me, it’s coming, you have a choice to make: to quit or to fight your a-off.
Tom Brady of the New England Patriots celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 5, 2017. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
FORMER NFL DEFENSIVE JOSH MAURO DIES OF FENTANYL, COCAINE AND ETHANOL OVERDOSAGE: REPORT
“The choice seems pretty obvious, and it’s easier said than done. I mean, why spend all that energy fighting when it’s almost certain you’re going to lose? Why not quit and live to fight another day? Well, sometimes there isn’t another day. Super Bowl LI, there was no other day… You might only get one chance to impress your boss or land a promotion, or to close a deal in yourself, or to close a deal in yourself? With that adversity, you’re going to handle to give yourself the best chance to succeed 25 years in the biggest game of my life, do you think I just fell into my decision to keep fighting.
“You don’t quit and you don’t make excuses…” Brady continued. “When the opportunity to do something special presents itself, the people who are most prepared to face the challenges will be the ones who have made the hardest choices, who have faced adversity and overcome it. They certainly wouldn’t have won all their games, but they never stopped. . . . If there was a 99.7% chance of anything, it was that I would be behind a center in the NFL, but I couldn’t be behind a center in the NFL. Imagine that I would finish my career with seven world championships, because none of those people knew that I would never, ever stop.
Brady said he had a choice to make while facing his 25-point deficit.
“I told myself, ‘Don’t be a little b—h. Go out there and fight your a— off. Whether you win or lose, fight to the end.’ At the time, we had no idea what the outcome of the game would be, but the one thing I’ve learned through sports is that the only time you’re sure to lose is when you quit.”
Brady also told the graduates that they may have to work with people they don’t like “like guys from Duke,” as it will force them to face their own fears and doubts “on the path to success in life.”
“The odds are your 28-3 moment doesn’t end in a trophy or a parade. It might not even end in victory. It almost didn’t for us. But that’s not really the point,” Brady said. “These are all just momentary tests where failure is not final, only quitting. The choice to fight is an opportunity to succeed, yes, but it is also your chance to grow and show everyone that while you may be overcome, you are unbreakable…
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan shakes hands with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 5, 2017. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
“The only thing worse than losing the biggest game of your life is losing your self-respect along the way.”
To end his speech, Brady asked the graduates to surround themselves with people who push them to be their best, “even if one of those people is a grumpy old coach who cuts the sleeves off their sweatshirt and screams at you all day.”
