03 March 2024 , 00:00
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Legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was so determined to get back on the field that he was willing to play with a serious knee injury.
In the first quarter of the 2008 NFL season, Brady was tackled hard by the Kansas City Chiefs, resulting in a torn ACL. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of the season, which was a huge blow after his record-breaking 16-0 campaign the previous year. But Brady wasn't ready to give up. He wanted to keep playing and even tried to make an incredible comeback.
In episode five of the Apple TV+ documentary series 'The Dynasty, Brady said: "I went into Coach Belichick's office and said I want to play. I'll fix my ACL at the end of the year. I could just put a brace on it, I'll tape it and I'll just play the whole season."
Randy Moss, who was a wide receiver for the Patriots from 2007 to 2010, explained how surprised he was to see Brady on the practice field trying to throw the ball just days after his surgery, saying it was clear to everyone that Brady was struggling.
Brady also talked more about his injury and how his attempts to play through the pain were unsuccessful. The seven-time Super Bowl champ even battled an infection because he didn't give himself enough time to recover from the surgery. "Three days after the surgery, I was trying to pretend like I was superhuman," the NFL star shared.
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"I lost a lot of weight. I was very grey. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't -- I just couldn't move my knee, it was so swollen. It was really tough, but I had great people there for me." The season before, Brady faced disappointment as the Patriots lost the Super Bowl despite having an unbeaten record.
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Brady tore his ACL in the opening game of the 2008 NFL season and missed the rest of the campaign (Damian Strohmeyer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The AFC East went through the regular season with a 16-0 record, becoming the first team to go undefeated since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Brady threw a then-record 50 passing touchdowns in the regular season and they went on to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 3120 in the Divisional Round, before beating the formerly-named San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship game.
But the New York Giants weren't scared of the Patriots as they claimed a close 17-14 win and bagged the third of their four Super Bowl titles. In the documentary series, before the 2008 season, Brady was emotional as he spoke to his teammates during training camp.
"Can I say something? As I reflect back on last season, we didn't finish the way we wanted. But we know what we shared," he said. "I hope we learn from it, and I hope we take it forward. I always get emotional, so ... just thinking about things I really care about. So, thank you."