The History of Older NFL Quarterbacks
Upon choosing to play the sport of football (professionally), it seems one’s body enters a contract with the laws of physics.
In this contract, it is stated that the human body should not be able to withstand the blows (that are endured in football), for a long period.
As time goes on, more and more of the world’s most talented athletes fall victim to time.
This can be best evidenced by the lack of quarterbacks (over the age of 40), who have managed to successfully play the quarterback position at that age.
Currently, there are only 16 quarterbacks (in the history of the NFL), to have started at such an age.
Of those 16 quarterbacks, only seven of them held an above .500 record (while playing at age 40+).
Of those seven quarterbacks with above .500 records, only three of them have won more than five games at such an age.
Those three quarterbacks are Brett Favre (13-12), Drew Brees (14-5) and Tom Brady (42-15). Brady currently has more wins than the 13 other quarterbacks combined (38-42).
So the question becomes, why has Brady been able to hold unparalleled athletic success at such an age?
The Powers of Healthy Eating
At 39, Brady told Dayna Evans of NYmag.com, “I’m 39 and I get to play football for a living.There are not a lot of people who get that chance…Part of that is because of the way that I treat my body. There are not many people who get to play for as long as I have, and I want to be able to show the next generation of athletes that if you follow certain routines and you’re disciplined in certain areas, then you could get to do this, too.”
According to a (Sports Illustrated) report, Bradys’ diet differs depending on the time of year.
This is done to obtain a metabolic balance.
During the summertime, Brady eats a mostly raw diet (cold property foods). During the wintertime, Brady eats a lot of red meat (among other hot property foods).
This is done to help keep his diet at an 80 percent alkaline, 20 percent acidic ratio.
Brady (and his wife) were even hesitant to begin eating dessert (when their head chef Joanne Young mentioned it). But the desserts Joanne Young prepared were healthy, so the couple began to grow quite fond of the recipes. These recipes consisted mostly of organic ingredients (as Brady will not eat processed sugar).
Bradys’ Belief in the Power of Stretching
Outside of the kitchen, Brady dedicates much of his longevity to the powers of stretching. He mentioned to GQ News, that he cares deeply about the ability of his muscles to lengthen and contract. Given that muscles shorten upon strenuous weight lifting activity, it makes sense that he would deeply value stretching (as this lengthens the muscle tissue).
Having longer/looser muscle tissue makes athletes more limber. This will drastically reduce their odds of injury. For this reason, Brady loves doing yoga in his spare time.
Another benefit of doing yoga is that it drastically improves one’s mental health. Given that the quarterback is often viewed as the leader of a team, the quarterback needs to have a solid mental foundation.
For this reason, Brady takes this one step further, as he visits with a neuropsychologist (through skype) regularly. This serves to help Brady strengthen his decision making speed, and mental sharpness.
Given that father time is undefeated, Brad’s’ NFL career should end soon.
However, in the meantime he should be honored and everyone should take note of his impeccably rigid/detailed work ethic.
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