Patriot games at W&M

WILLIAMSBURG -- What a year it's been for New England quarterback Tom Brady.

In February, he became just the third quarterback in National Football League history to lead his team to three Super Bowl championships.

He rubbed elbows with Pres ident George W. Bush at the White House back in April, and earlier this month he hosted “Saturday Night Live.”
Not bad for a guy who sits behind San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds and Hall of Fame wideout Lynn Swann as his high school's most famous alumnus.

The 27-year-old quarterback took center stage this week in Williamsburg as the headliner during the 12th annual Colonial All-Pro Football camp held at William & Mary.

Nearly 400 campers, the most ever to attend, packed the Joe Montgomery Family Practice facility Sunday evening to get an up-close and personal view of the two-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.

“How many times do you get a chance to catch a pass from a Super Bowl MVP,” W&M coach Jimmye Laycock asked. “It's neat to get the amount of kids out here playing football, which is fun, and teach them the fundamentals of the game.”

Brady worked out with the campers for about two hours, giving advice and pointers to campers in all positions. “I used to go to these camps,” he said. “I can definitely look back and remember great times I had.”

Brady said he attended several football camps in the San Francisco area as a teenager, which provided a strong foundation for him to grow as a football player.

“Camps were fun, but they were also about learning,” he said. “I had a great teacher that showed me how to throw the football. I also learned the importance of setting goals and striving to reach them.”

Brady's learning curve has been a fast one. He played three years at the University of Michigan before he was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 draft by the New England Patriots.

The following year, Brady was pressed into action when Drew Bledsoe was injured in the first game.

Brady seized the moment, starting the final 14 games en route to the Patriots first Super Bowl championships.

He's hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy two more times over the last two seasons, transforming the Patriots into the NFL's latest dynasty.

Regardless of the continued notoriety, Brady remains humble. He is a big supporter of the Starlight Children's Foundation and works with several charities in the Boston area.

Brady said he works a couple of football camps a year, talking to kids about the importance of hard work and perseverance.

“I think these kids look at professional athletes and [assume] we just kind of woke up one day and rolled out of bed and you win all those games,” he said. “It doesn't work like that. I told the story about how I got to this point and that it's a tough battle, but that's what makes this job fun.”

By John Harvey
The Virginia Gazette