The battle many of us go through life as we age is daunting. Time is not something for sale, no matter how much money one has. The ability to reverse the course of aging is not possible. Movies may give a glimpse of hope, if you can find a Cocoon in your neighbor’s pool. Perhaps the actor John Ameche understood what it means to keep searching. The idea of keep hoping one day there would be the answer to the age-old question of finding the magic in the golden years. “Men should be explorers, no matter how old they are. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m going,” said Ameche. Ameche played Art in the movie “Cocoon.” The movie, in case you haven’t seen it, depicted a group of youthful seniors looking for the secret to turning the clock back. Tom Brady seems to have found that secret, as illustrated during his time with New England and Tampa Bay.
The Sci-fi flick is about a hard shell cocoon holding a life force making humans stronger and healthier without the effects of aging. Here is the trailer 36 years ago…
Of course, “Cocoon” was a movie not about football. Still, there is the idea of becoming young again, with the belief there is something out there existing in the realm of possibility of an image of a time machine.
Tom Brady is Still Delivering For Tampa Bay When Many Thought His Game Was Over
Although quarterback Tom Brady isn’t from another planet — it does seem a bit unbelievable what he’s done already coming at 43 years old. There is something to say about a former sixth-round pick from the 2000 NFL Draft. The fact is, it’s not normal in any sense of the word. And Brady doesn’t sound like he’s finished yet.
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From Thursday’s press conference, Brady gave a little snippet on his journey.
“I think about that quite a bit actually,” said Brady. “I think just being grateful for all of the blessings in my life. I’ve got more than anyone could imagine. In the end, I just try to do the best that I can do with every situation. You understand that there are a lot of people that have supported me over time to get to this point. I’m just so appreciative of all the different people who have helped me along the way.”
Legends Come From A Team of Influencers
Listening to many of the NFL Hall of Fame speeches through the years — there is a common theme to this one sentiment. Quarterback Brett Favre echoed the sentiment a bit in his Hall of Fame speech.
“I would make it to the Hall of Fame so I could acknowledge the fact of how important he was (referring to his father). This is tougher than any 3rd and 15, I can assure you. So I could acknowledge the importance of him and my career and my life, which he was a tremendous part of my life. He taught me toughness. Boy, did he teach me toughness. Trust me, there was no room for crybabies in our house. He taught me teamwork, and by all means, no player was ever more important than the team.”
When people see greatness on their TV screens on Sunday, the building blocks and foundation starts from an abundance of many different influences over time. Tom Brady is no different. As a matter of fact, Brady is no doubt an outlier. Many sixth-round picks won’t even make a roster, much less make it to 10 Super Bowls.
Dreamers Make Their Reality Attainable
Think about all the times Brady must have been told “you’re not good enough.” Six other quarterbacks were picked before Tom Brady. See if any of these names ring a bell: Chad Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger, and Spergon Wynn. No knock on any of these quarterbacks, but none of them are in the conversation for the greatest ever.
Perhaps none of us will know the answer of breaking down the blueprints on making a sixth-round pick into a future NFL Hall of Famer. That being said, it does give hope to anyone trying to chase a dream. Kurt Warner is another example of that. But dreams are just that. You wake up after a dream. The reality of a dream is — the fantasy of becoming a legend is simply that. Of course, there are legends who are also dreamers. Surely, many of the NFL greats imagined running out of the tunnel as a kid to the roaring crowd of fans.
Be that as it may, only a few get to the top to define the odds. Tom Brady has done proven he can deliver time and time again both in New England and in Tampa. And the scary part is — this is only the start of 43-year old searching for more.
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