Tom Brady was 'hurting all the time' at age 25, but he saved his career by changing his diet and lifestyle

Darron Cummings/AP

Tom Brady pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history at the age of 39.

To say what Brady is doing at his age is unprecedented is not an exaggeration.

In 2016, Brady put together one of the most efficient seasons of his career, then helped his team come back from 25-point deficit in the Super Bowl to win a historic fifth championship.

Brady's agelessness may stem from the dramatic shift in lifestyle he made during his career. Brady has a famously strict diet, consisting of plenty of all-natural and whole foods and excluding foods like tomatoes and peppers for fear of bloating. He goes to sleep by 9 p.m., doesn't drink, stays way from lifting heavy weights, and focuses on flexibility.

On Monday, while accepting his Super Bowl MVP, Brady talked about his unprecedented career and said that when he was 25 years old he didn't see it coming because he was "hurting all the time." He knew he had to make a change.

"I've tried to just take care of myself through learning through a lot of positive and negative experiences with that. When you're in a locker room for 17 years, you kinda learn what to do and what not to do and what works for you. I've found probably a unique way that's a little outside the box that's really worked.

"I try to spread that message to a lot of other players just because football is a demanding sport and it's a demanding sport on your body. And your body is your asset, and if you are hurting all the time, football is no fun. When I was 25, I was hurting all the time, and I couldn't imagine playing as long as I did, just because, you know, if your arm hurts every day when you throw, how can you keep playing? And now, at 39, my arm never hurts and my body never hurts. Even after I get banged up, I know how to take care of it and jump on it right away, so that I can feel good for a Wednesday practice."

Brady's life is micromanaged to continue playing football at an age when everyone retires. As such, as he's showed no signs of slowing.

On Sunday, it was reported that the Patriots think Brady may play for another three to five years. Brady himself has said he'd like to play well into his 40s. Declines can happen suddenly and unexpectedly, but if Brady can avoid major injury, there's no reason to think he can't keep playing.

One thing is for certain: Brady's own lifestyle will not be the cause of any future decline.

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