Tom Brady

Through the first decade of the 21st century, Tom Brady became the NFL's foremost bachelor heartthrob and an irresistible force on the gridiron as he quarterbacked the New England Patriots to five Super Bowls and three National Football league titles. A California native, Brady proved himself an efficient game-manager for the University of Michigan football team - if not necessarily a spectacular talent - and, upon the 2000 NFL draft, lasted into the sixth round before being taken by the Patriots. He assumed an inauspicious backup role until starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury in the 2001 season. Brady soon became an improbable hero, leading the Pats into the playoffs and a Super Bowl XXXVI victory. He evolved into one of the NFL's best on-field generals, as New England proved itself a perennial AFC power in epic annual showdowns with rivals the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens. Brady routinely threw for more than 3,500 yards a season, racked up the most post-season wins of any quarterback, and led the Pats to back-to-back titles to cap the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Along the way, his classic Golden Boy good-looks made his love life much-scrutinized, as he dated Hollywood actresses like Bridget Moynahan and eventually married supermodel Giselle Bündchen. A two-time season MVP, holder of the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season, and the first quarterback to lead his team to 10 division titles, Brady eclipsed all expectations to become one of the most intuitive on-field geniuses of the game.