Tom Brady is taking aim at what it means to be a “great father” and a great athlete.
The seven-time Super Bowl champ spoke about balancing both things ― and if it can be done ― in the latest edition of his 199 newsletter, released on Tuesday.
Brady focused on golfer Scottie Scheffler’s recent comments about fatherhood, but also appeared to be speaking to his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, in some of his takes.
Scheffler, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, recently said that he would “much rather be a great father” than “a great golfer.” He added that being a good parent is “what’s more important to me.”
Brady questioned why Scheffler’s choice had to be “mutually exclusive,” and used his own life experience as an NFL quarterback and a father of three in his answer.
“I think part of being a great father is being a great example of doing what it takes to take care of your family. I chose to do it by playing football,” Brady wrote. “My dedication to the sport, the hours of practice, the moments when I was laser focused—those were times when I believe I was doing the best possible thing for my family and my kids.”
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“By prioritizing my profession and teaching, by example, what it takes to be really good at your job, what it takes to follow through on commitments, what it takes to be a great teammate; and showing them, also by example, that work is a big part of all of our lives,” he added.
Brady then added that “reading bedtime stories and helping them with homework are not the only ways to be a great parent,” which some took as shade toward Bündchen. Brady added that caveat that that “neither is winning Super Bowls or MVPs.”
While Brady portrays the image of a man who balanced it all, he and Bündchen famously sparred about the NFL star’s extreme dedication to his sport.
The athlete told Howard Stern back in 2020 about a time that his wife “wasn’t satisfied” with their marriage because of his commitment to football.
“She didn’t feel like I was doing my part for the family,” he said at the time. “She felt like I would play football all season and she would take care of the house. And all of a sudden, when that season ended, I’d be like, ‘Great, let me get into all my other business activities, let me get in to my football training.’”
A few years later, in an interview with Elle in 2022, the supermodel voiced “concerns” about Brady’s decision to return to football after retiring from the Patriots.
“This is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” she told the magazine. “I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again.”
The couple eventually divorced in 2022.
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