"My knees would hurt every day": When Tom Brady looked back at physical struggles while growing up with football
NFL legend Tom Brady is celebrated for his remarkable career and longevity. One key factor behind his sustained success has been his dedication to fitness, which enabled him to perform at an elite level for over two decades. Yet, Brady's journey hasn't been without physical struggles, including persistent soreness and injuries.
In a Sept. 2017 interview with Peter King, Brady reflected on his early athletic days and the physical challenges he faced while aspiring to be a professional athlete.
“I was sore every day when I was 25. I was sore every day when I was 16 and playing baseball. My knees would hurt every day, my elbows would hurt and I didn't know what to do,” Brady said.
Standing 6’4", Brady played both baseball and football during his high school years at Junipero Serra High School in California. As a left-handed batter and catcher, he was talented enough to be drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1995 MLB Draft.
Brady went on to explain that, like many others, he used to rely on ice and rest to manage his soreness.
“Sports are no fun when you’re hurting. I've been playing for 17 years," Brady told King. "Guys don't like playing when they're hurt. It takes the fun out of the game. You don't want to go out to practice if you're in pain. You're a professional football player.”
To underscore the importance of fitness, Brady cited Joe Montana, a quarterback he idolized growing up. Montana’s career was hindered by back injuries and surgeries—an outcome Brady was determined to avoid.
By 2017, Brady had already adopted a groundbreaking approach to fitness through pliability therapy, introduced to him by his longtime trainer and Patriots therapist, Alex Guerrero. Brady has often credited Guerrero's methods with extending his career well into his 40s and helping him win two more Super Bowls.
Tom Brady adopts Pliability therapy to prolong his career
In the first episode of his Facebook documentary Tom vs. Time, Brady explained the concept of pliability:
“I see pliability as lengthening and softening of muscles to get back into balance. Over the years, so many muscle contractions, or through all the workouts that we do, we shorten our muscles. So if you can get them to lengthen, then when you contract, they can fully contract and relax.”
Brady’s success with pliability therapy inspired him to integrate it into the TB12 Method, a fitness and wellness program designed for athletes. The program emphasizes the techniques and philosophies that helped Brady achieve legendary status, ensuring he remains a model of peak performance and longevity in professional sports.