By: Naimat Davariar

SAN JOSE, CALIF.— Tom Brady officially announces his retirement after 22 years of playing in the NFL.

Brady is 44 years old and widely considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Born and raised in San Mateo, Brady was a San Mateo local that graduated from Junipero Serra High School. From there, he went on to play football at the University of Michigan. He has accomplished so much in his career, winning five Super Bowl MVPs and seven Lombardi trophies. Brady has also had the most touchdown passes (624), most passing yards (84,250), and has the most championships won by a single player. 

In his announcement, Brady thanked everyone from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his family, and business partners.  Brady attracted young people to try the sport of American football and inspired many. A student from Silver Creek High School said, “I watched  Brady for the first time on TV since I was four years old. He was my favorite player ever and I’m a bit bummed he’s retiring now. He has played a lot and I hope he succeeds in whatever he plans to do in his new chapter in life.” Brady went from, the 199th pick in the 2000 draft to replacing an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001. This resulted in him leading New England to a Super Bowl victory over the Rams that season. That game in itself already made him a prospect and a young man that has the potential to be the greatest in the coming years.

In his recent interview, Brady said, “I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore. I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.” NFL players congratulated him on his career and wished him the best with whatever he plans on doing next. Brady is now focusing on his new clothing line called the Brady brand that he launched last month, which will take a lot of time off his hands.