In an announcement that shook the sporting world, National Football League (NFL) player, Tom Brady announced his retirement this week after 22 years. Now, ESPN Africa will premiere Man in the Arena, the series that chronicles the legendary quarterback’s remarkable career, exclusively on Mondays at 19:00 (CAT) from 14 February 2022.
Directed by Gotham Chopra, Man in the Arena features Brady and other notable figures deconstructing the key breakthroughs and landmarks of his sporting career, mining the psychological and emotional terrain of each prolific moment. Additionally, in the ten-part series, Tom Brady shares a personal account of his ten Super Bowl appearances, recapping the milestones of his career by exploring each victory and defeat.
Each episode focuses on a single Super Bowl appearance, beginning with Super Bowl XXXVI, the season Brady took over as quarterback for the New England Patriots after star quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury. Showcasing the pivotal moments as well as everything that that led to them, Man in the Arena illustrates the series of small steps that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but when reflected upon, show the astounding distance the G.O.A.T travelled.
Some of the incredible achievements in Brady’s career include
- 22 NFL seasons (20 for Patriots, two for Buccaneers)
- Most touchdown passes in NFL history (624)
- Only quarterback with 600 career touchdown passes in the regular season
- Most passing yards in NFL history (84,520)
- 243 career regular-season wins, most in NFL history
- Most playoff wins in NFL history (35)
- Thirty-five career playoff wins are 19 more than any other QB (Joe Montana was second with 16)
- Most Super Bowl appearances (10) and wins (seven) in NFL history
- Five-time Super Bowl MVP, most in NFL history
- All-time playoff leader in touchdown passes (86), passing yards (13,049) and completions (1,165)
- Fifteen-time Pro Bowl selection, most in NFL history
- Three-time NFL MVP (2007, 2010, 2017)
- Named to NFL 100 All-Time Team (one of 10 QBs)
- Second player in NFL history to lead the league in both passing yards and passing TDs in his final season. The other was Cecil Isbell, who did it for the 1942 Packers when there were 10 teams in the league.
- Brady’s career-high 5,316 passing yards and 43 passing TDs are the most by a player in his final season in NFL history.
- Ninety-two different players caught a touchdown pass from Brady, including in the playoffs. That’s the most different targets on touchdowns in NFL history.
- First player to win NFL championships in three different decades
- First QB to start a Super Bowl win for a team in both conferences
(Source – ESPN Africa)
The 7-Time Super Bowl champion broke the news on his Instagram account, citing that “it is time to focus my time and energy on other things”, explaining that football is an “all-in” proposition.
How to tune in:
ESPN: DStv 218, Starsat 248
ESPN2: DStv 219, Starsat 249
For updates from the world of American and other sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit https://www.espn.com/.
