Tom Brady's longevity secret? 5 things that didn't yet exist when the GOAT began his NFL career
It's not often that your 44th birthday comes a few months after winning your seventh Super Bowl, but such has been the life of Tom Brady.
Brady is the definition of longevity. He's set to enter his 22nd season in the NFL. His play on the field hasn't dropped off in the slightest, though. Brady had 4,633 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns just last season.
Brady's TB12 method, one designed to limit injuries and maintain peak athletic performance, has seemingly been the key to his longevity.
Even more impressive is the fact that Brady looks nowhere near done with his career. He previously hinted at playing two more seasons in the NFL, but who really knows? If he keeps up his 2020 level of play, he could stick around until he's 50.
Brady began his NFL career in 2000 when he was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. The world in 2000 was much different than it is now, though. In 2000, some of our favorite current athletes weren't yet been born, and some of our favorite electronics were yet to be invented.
Without further ado, here are five things that didn't yet exist when the GOAT began his NFL career.
#1 Kyle Pitts
That's right, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft was born after Brady's career began. Pitts was born on October 6, 2000; Brady was drafted on April 16, 2000.
The future star tight end Kyle Pitts will get a chance to play Brady twice this season - once on September 19 in Tampa Bay and then in Atlanta on December 5.
By the time the 2022 NFL Draft comes around, assuming Brady plays next season, most of the draft picks coming into the NFL will be younger than the length of Brady's playing career.
#2 Cade Cunningham
The NBA's first overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cade Cunnigham, was born a full year after Brady was drafted; Cunnningamn was born on September 25, 2001.
It's insane to think Cunningham was only one year old when Brady won his first Super Bowl with the New England Patriots. In fact, Cunningham isn't the only one. There was a multitude of players selected in this year's NBA Draft who are younger than the length of Brady's playing career.
#3 The first iPod
Very rarely do you see people still using an iPod, but back in the 2000s, they were extremely popular. The first iPod was released by Apple Inc in 2001 for the company's Macintosh platform.
That means when Brady was drafted, the idea of an iPod was still a foreign concept to most human beings. It's remarkable just how many technological advances have happened since Brady was drafted.
Apple didn't even release an iPhone till 2007. At that point, Brady was already a three-time Super Bowl champion.
#4 Facebook
In February 2004, Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook. Facebook is one of the oldest active social media platforms out there, yet it's still younger than the length of Brady's career.
The kind of longevity Brady has displayed is unprecedented. That fact that he's been around longer than Facebook says all you need to know about how he takes care of his body.
#5 Youtube
YouTube has become so ingrained in our lives that it's difficult to imagine it wasn't all that long ago that it didn't exist; Youtube was founded in February 2005.
Before that, there was no video-sharing platform to watch old Tom Brady highlight clips. Nowadays, you can go to Youtube and watch every Brady highlight you can ever hope for.