Tom Brady retired on Tuesday, ending in one fell swoop a week of speculation over his future and one of the greatest NFL careers of all time if not greatest.It's no hyperbole to consider Brady among the game's greatest players indeed, one of the greatest athletes in American sports history. He has put together arguably three Hall of Fame careers one in his 20s, one in his 30s and another, somehow, in his 40s and has achieved more in his 22 years in the league than some NFL franchises have in the entirety of their teams' histories.MORE: Hence, Brady is often referred to as the "GOAT." But what does that mean? The Sporting News is
Vic Law Jersey here to answer that question. No, Brady being the "GOAT" does not mean he is a hooved barnyard animal it merely is an acronym for "Greatest Of All Time." That description is pretty apt for Brady, considering not only how well he played in the NFL, but also for how long he played in the league: an astounding 22
Terrence Ross Jersey years.As for where the term came from ... well, you can thank the original "GOAT": Muhammad Ali. According to Grammarphobia.com, the earliest known instance of the word came in 1992 and was a sociated with "The Greatest":The term became more publicly known in 2000, when rapper and hip-hop artist LL Cool J released his album, "G.O.A.T" also citing Ali as the inspiration behind the album name.MORE: Brady is not the first person to be called "GOAT." It's an acronym that applies just as well to athletes such as Ali, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps and others.As for why Brady himself has earned that acronym: Well, his accolades and numbers speak for themselves. He is a seven-time Super Bowl champion, owning more Lombardi Trophies than any NFL franchise. He is a five-time Super Bowl MVP, more than any other player. He is a three-time NFL MVP, and the oldest to have ever won it (at age 40,
Orlando Magic Hoodie in 2017). He is a 15-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro selection and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He is also a member of two NFL all-decade teams (2000s and 2010s).Moreover, Brady played 22 years in the league, retiring at the age of 44. He needed four more years in the league to catch the all-time oldest quarterback in league history, George Blanda, who retired at age 48. Unlike Blanda, however, Brady never experienced a drop in play. He continued to compete at a high level in his age-43 and -44
Aaron Gordon Jersey seasons in Tampa Bay after a two-decade stint in New England.Indeed, Brady arguably had one of his best seasons in his final NFL campaign, registering career highs in several pa sing marks: attempts (719), completions (485), yards (5,316) and first-down completions (269). Several other marks 67.5 completion percentage, 43 touchdowns, 312.7 yards per game ranked as the second-best career highs for Brady.All while Brady, age 44, was the oldest active player in the NFL. Put simply, his career was compounded not only by his effectivene s and efficiency, not only by his accolades, but also his longevity. He never had a "bad" season, and never experienced the inevitable fall from his prime that nearly every other athlete has. He potentially had years of football left in him. He didn't lose his battle with Father Time, so much as quit while he was ahead.MORE: Of course, Brady's quantifiable stats make a
Orlando Magic Hats compelling argument for "GOAT" status in and of themselves. Below are his all-time NFL rankings in pa sing statistics:CompletionsTom Brady: 7,263Drew Brees: 7,142Brett Favre: 6,300Peyton Manning: 6,125Ben Roethlisberger: 5,440AttemptsTom Brady: 11,317Drew Brees: 10,551Brett Favre: 10,169Peyton Manning: 9,380Ben Roethlisberger: 8,443YardsTom Brady: 84,520Drew Brees: 80,358Peyton Manning: 71,940Brett Favre: 71,838Ben Roethlisberger: 64,088TouchdownsTom Brady: 624Drew Brees: 571Peyton Manning: 539Brett Favre: 508Aaron Rodgers: 449