Practically perfect QB goes for fourth ring

Tom Brady is quite happy wearing the shoes of a
consistent winner.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The woman in the revealing pink camisole gave a final tug to her low-rider jeans, wiggled her way through the media pack and planted herself right in front of Tom Brady.

One look into his twinkling blue eyes and she was lost. Flustered, she asked what it would take to beat the New York Jets in the Super Bowl.

Brady broke into a big grin.

“Jets, Giants. New York, they’re all the same,” he said, glossing over the gaffe.

No one was more appreciative than that TV reporter from Mexico.

“He’s like Mr. Perfect,” she said.

Well, let’s see: Dimpled, dreamy looks that someday could land him in Hollywood or the halls of Congress, a former Victoria’s Secret strutter for a girlfriend and an NFL star so bright he might outshine the Super Bowl all by himself.

“I wouldn’t change places with too many people,” Brady said.

Certainly not today. Only 30, he will try to lead his unbeaten New England Patriots past New York — the Giants, that is — in America’s biggest game. A win would mark his fourth title, matching the record set by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.

Pretty neat for a guy whose freshman team went 0-8-1. He was good at baseball, too, and was drafted as a catcher by the Montreal Expos. Then again, his Bay Area high school had already produced someone who could swing a bat — Barry Bonds.

“I’ve never been a great athlete,” the two-time Super Bowl MVP said. “I feel some of my strengths are my awareness and decision-making.”

That’s not quite how Tom MacKenzie remembers Brady.

MacKenzie was Brady’s high school coach at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. Brady came from a family of talented athletes and after playing linebacker worked his way up to quarterback and earned a scholarship to Michigan.

“His sisters tell a story about how he wrote an essay for an English class that he was going to prove to his big sisters that he would be a household name,” MacKenzie said.

Busy as he’s been lately, by the way, Brady exchanged text messages with MacKenzie a few days ago.

Easy to see why he’s the envy of many.

“I love Tom Brady,” Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said. “I’m jealous that I’m not Tom Brady.”

Answered Brady: “I think he’s trying to butter me up. I certainly don’t think of myself that way.”

Sure, his NFL-record 50 touchdown passes and 6-foot-4, 225-pound physique are impressive. So what if he played golf with a pair of former presidents, attended a State of the Union address at the Capitol as Laura Bush’s guest, appeared on the cover of GQ magazine, guest hosted “Saturday Night Live” in his underwear and recently shot an ad for Stetson cologne?

Perfect? Any faults?

“There’s plenty, trust me,” Brady said this week. “There’s plenty of people that would find some things.”

Hardly anyone expected Brady would make many significant tosses when the Patriots picked him in the sixth round of the 2000 draft.

“I was the fourth-string quarterback. I was eating nachos before the games, watching us,” he said, “just hoping I would get the opportunity.”

An injury to Drew Bledsoe gave Brady that chance and he quickly took advantage. He was MVP of the 2002 Super Bowl, leading the Patriots past the St. Louis Rams. Super Bowl triumphs over Carolina and Philadelphia came later — all three wins were by exactly three points — and enhanced his reputation as cool under pressure.

Teammates say he does not raise his voice while calling plays, though he’ll occasionally drive his coaches crazy by telling a receiver to cut a route short, anticipating a blitz.

He’s a wizard to watch up close, Patriots third-string quarterback Matt Gutierrez said. Competing against him in end-of-practice contests is, well, another matter.

Gutierrez, backup Matt Cassel and Brady will occasionally stand 15 or 20 yards from the goalpost and wing passes, seeing who can most often hit the crossbar. They also engage in a punting game — in fact, Brady dropped back and made a quick kick for the Patriots in 2003.

“He’s good at everything he does,” Gutierrez said.