Today marks Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady’s record-breaking 10th appearance in the NFL’s biggest game: the Super Bowl. At the age of 43, Brady is the oldest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl matchup. Widely considered the greatest football player of all time with 6 Super Bowl titles to his name with the New England Patriots, but his most recent feat has many people wondering if Brady may be the greatest athlete of all time, regardless of sport.
To swimming fans around the world, this idea raises some eyebrows. Although Brady is one of the best football players of all time, many argue that 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps is actually the greatest athlete of all time.
Regardless of opinion, there are several similarities between Brady and Phelps’ careers:
- Both athletes attended the University of Michigan. Phelps trained at Michigan from 2004-2008 and took some classes, though he never competed collegiately and never completed his degree. Brady, in contrast, was one of Michigan’s quarterbacks from 1995-1999.
- Brady and Phelps both won their first title during the 2001 season. In July 2001, Phelps won his first WC gold medal in the 200m butterfly, while Brady won his first Super Bowl on February 3, 2002 (officially known as the 2001 season title.)
- Both athletes stand at 6 feet, 4 inches tall. However, Phelps is notorious for his disproportional wingspan, which reached 6”7’.
- Phelps and Brady each own their own brands, TB12 and MP, respectively. Brady began his brand in 2013, while Phelps began developing his brand in 2014.
- When Brady was beginning her career in the NFL with the Patriots in 2000, the 15 year-old Phelps had just competed at his first Olympic Games, finishing 5th in the 200m butterfly.
Fun Fact: Both Brady and Phelps share names with their fathers. Brady’s dad goes by Tomas Brady Sr, while Phelp’s dad is named Michael Fred Phelps.
Brady > Jordan > Phelps > Bolt
Jordan > Brady > Bolt > Phelps
Brady plays a sport that is predominately an American one. Some countries have AF but they are minor sports in those countries. Swimming is global and Phelps has beaten the best in the world. I’ve heard of Brady but am utterly clueless when people come at me with AF terminology.
While I get what you’re saying, here what I need you to understand: the level of athleticism and physical talent in American football, even as a largely North American sport, is still far-and-away superior to the level of athleticism and physical talent in swimming, even as a global sport.
The depth of the game of football, again even as an American-only sport, is far superior to the depth of swimming globally.
I know this is going to sound like American egoism, but it’s just true. It strikes you as soon as you ever play “amateur sports” with the football players who didn’t make it. Their dominance athletically and the things they can do makes it stunning to believe that they… Read more »
Would be fun to see these guys take their padding off and play 80+ mins of rugby.
I’m from the UK and though you won’t recognise it, my BoKnows34 name is a reference to an American two-sport superstar who is quite simply the greatest “athlete” I’ve ever seen.
You could say the same about Rugby players converting to American Football. The Buffalo Bills have a British guy on their practice squad called Christian Wade, who was an electrifying rugby player in the English Premiership and has represented England.
Comparing rugby players with the NFL would be like asking Roger Federer and the world number 1 squash or badminton player to convert to the other sport. Just because they look similar and involve hitting a ball with a racquet or over a net doesn’t mean they… Read more »
So, who is the equivalent of Jason Lezak? Adam Vinatieri or Malcolm Butler?
While at Michigan both sought help from sports psychologist Greg Harden who both credit with needed help at a critical time in their careers.
Brady > Phelps. No question
Most people outside the US have no idea who Brady is. Phelps is world-wide famous.
Many people in the US have no idea who Phelps is. Swimming is a niche “sport”
I would argue that in spite of swimming being a ‘niche “sport”‘, almost everyone in the US actually does know who Phelps is… making his mark even more impressive.
I don’t know where you live in the U.S., but the overwhelming majority of people in the U.S. know who Michael Phelps is. Katie Ledecky or Caeleb Dressel? Ok.
But…Michael Phelps was on Subway commercials. He’s been mentioned in songs by Big Sean and Kanye and Wiz Khalifa and Kendrick Lamar and Mac Millar and Lil Wayne (more than once), and Migos, and Ludacris, and Gucci Mane.
Michael Phelps has permeated the culture well beyond sport, let alone just swimming.
Phelps felt deflated after his 2012 Olympics, while Brady…
Felt deflated footballs
Go Blue
Very similar, but Brady had the advantages of having a great coach. Phelps succeeded in spite of the coaching…
What??? Okay I wouldn’t call Bowman the greatest coach of all time, but he’s definitely a respectable coach. I think coaching is definitely a subjective thing, and Phelps and Bowman fit well together in terms of training style. Besides, we’ll never know if Phelps would’ve been as good if he trained with a different coach…
I’m being totally serious when I say that Bowman is a below average swimming coach that I believe wouldn’t even be coaching today if it wasn’t for Phelps. I wouldn’t trust him with 8-unders (not that they’re easy to coach). He’s been fired from numerous jobs before Phelps because he couldn’t lead a program in a TEAM environment, and since Phelps retirement, his performance has been far below average. I’ll give Bowman credit for his personal training techniques of challenging Phelps and not screwing him up, but that’s it.
Please do tell us from which jobs Bowman was fired before Phelps.
Birmingham, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Napa Valley & Tallahassee.
Why is bowman not a great coach?
I think there is definitely an argument to say he is not top tier elite coach at the level of a Troy, Reese, Bohl etc.
His success has been much less consistent with fewer athletes.
But the idea he is below average is pretty crazy.
What would Phelps’s best times have been if we substituted Looze for Bowman?
My guesses for Guerras predicted times
100 free: 46.7
200 free: 1:39.9
100 back: 49.9
200 Back: 1:49.9
100 fly: 48.9
200 fly: 1:48.9
200 IM: 1:52.5
400 IM: 3:59.9
IF MICHAEL PHELPS WAS TRAINED BY THE GOAT RAY LOOZE AT BLOOMINGTON HE WOULD’VE WON 40 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS AND NEVER LOST TO LOCHTE OR LE CLOS, GOAT SWIMMER + GOAT COACH = GOAT TO THE POWER OF GOAT #LOOZEGOAT #WORSHIPLOOZE
This is beautiful! I need to get you a free GOAT Coach, Ray Looze, “SwimSwam Coach of the Year” t-shirt.