Tom Brady, 46, may have retired from the NFL over a year ago, but he’s still getting used to it.
In an interview with Us Weekly published on Thursday, the seven-time Super Bowl winner said being retired feels “different” from being in the professional football league.
“I mean, nothing’s going to replace the thrill of running out on the field in front of 70,000 people doing something that I love to do with a great group of teammates,” Brady told Us Weekly.
Brady first announced his retirement from professional football in February 2022. Six weeks later, he decided to un-retire to play another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In February 2023 — a year after he made the first announcement — Brady announced he was retiring from the NFL again, this time “for good.“
“It was just time for me to try something different,” Brady said. “But loved, obviously, every aspect that I had. I loved my teammates. I loved playing. I loved the communities that really embraced me and they gave so much to me in my life and they’ve made my life.”
Although still retired, Brady says he’s dedicated to his fitness regime and wants to keep up his physique.
“I’ve actually probably got a little more workout focused, try to dial in some things a little more specifically to what I need to eat and how I stay hydrated,” he said.
He also tries to ensure sufficient rest, although he says it’s difficult because he travels a lot.
“I feel like I’m always on the road, on an airplane,” he added.
It’s no secret just how much Brady loves football: In April, he revealed that he wouldn’t mind un-retiring again if a team needed a quarterback for the playoffs.
Retired or not, Brady is big business
Even though it may not be as thrilling as being on the field, Brady has been keeping busy in retirement by investing in various sports teams, such as the WNBA’s Last Vegas Aces and Birmingham City FC.
Early this year, he also secured a 10-year contract worth $375 million with Fox to become their lead color commenter. He is expected to start in the fall of 2024.
Thanks to traits such as professionalism, being hardworking, and a willingness to take risks, it is no surprise that many athletes go on to have a successful second career post-retirement.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a crossover from wrestling to Hollywood, with films like “The Mummy Returns,” “Jumanji,” and “Black Adam” under his belt. In 2016, he was even named the world’s highest-paid actor.
Jim Bunning, an MLB pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996, became a politician after retiring from baseball. He served in Congress until 2010 and died in 2017.
Before his death, Kobe Bryant was also involved in numerous business and philanthropic ventures. He even won an Academy Award in 2018 for an animated short film he wrote and narrated, “Dear Basketball.”
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