TOM Brady has opened up about his tough football beginnings that would turn into a Hall of Fame career in the NFL.

The New England Patriots selected the quarterback out of Michigan in the sixth round during the 2000 NFL Draft.

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Tom Brady said his ‘naivety’ as a football prospect helped him become the perfectionist who won seven Super Bowl titlesCredit: YouTube/Valuetainment

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Brady played college football at Michigan before the New England Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL DraftCredit: Getty
Brady, 46, discussed his journey from No. 199 pick to seven-time Super Bowl champion in an interview with Valuetainment.

And while discussing his well-documented competitiveness, the retired passer said it was instilled in him by his parents.

The NFL icon recalled how he developed his work ethic and discipline by looking up to his mother and father, who worked hard to make sure the family could enjoy financial security.

Those traits helped him stick with football even though he didn’t even know how to put the gear on as a high school freshman.

After serving as a backup QB on his varsity team – which wasn’t very good, Brady recalled – he eventually won the starter’s role after working out privately with college coach Tom Martinez.

The ex-Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccanneers star still wasn’t a top high school recruit and then struggled early in his college career at Michigan before New England drafted him at No. 199 in 2000.

But he kept proving his doubters wrong because of his competitiveness – and, as Brady revealed, because he wasn’t fully aware of how difficult it was to make it to the NFL.

“You know what I was also blessed with? Being very naive,” he said.

“I had no idea how hard it was. And I believed because I was like, ‘Oh, no, no. I’m gonna get better, I’m gonna be better.'”

Brady said his journey included attending numerous football camps and recording VCR tapes, which he made together with his father, and sending them to colleges to showcase his skills.

And it involved seeking help from a sports psychologist at Michigan, who taught him how to tame his perfectionism with patience and enthusiasm.

“It wasn’t probably like a typical college experience, because I was really motivated to play – but I had to take it to a new level that the other guys wouldn’t,” Brady said.

The quarterback later used that mindset to outwork his peers and claim their spots in the starting lineup both in college and the NFL.

Brady memorably replaced Drew Bledsoe as New England’s QB1 in his second year with the Patriots – and then led them to their first-ever Super Bowl title that same season.