Tom Brady is reflecting on his experiences as a father of three, sharing insights from his journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Speaking at the Fortune Global Forum in New York City on Tuesday, the former NFL star, now 47, opened up about the challenges of parenting and his own missteps.
“Being a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have,” Brady said, acknowledging the difficulties of raising his children: 17-year-old son Jack with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan, and 14-year-old son Benjamin and 11-year-old daughter Vivian with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen. “And we screwed up a lot, and I’ve screwed up a lot as a parent,” he admitted, before explaining how he strives to make amends.
One key realization for Brady has been the importance of being “dependable and consistent” for his children, particularly by supporting their individual choices in life. He also drew parallels between his own childhood and the way he now raises his children. Brady described his upbringing as a “blessing,” recalling how his parents always encouraged him to follow his dreams, even when he was a long shot.
“When I was that backup quarterback on a freshman team, they never said, ‘Man, don’t do that. It’s gonna be too hard,’” he shared. “They kind of said, ‘Go for it. Whatever you want to be, go for it.’”
Now, Brady aims to offer the same encouragement to his children, especially his 6-foot-5-inch son, Jack, who shares an interest in sports. “Unfortunately, he jumps as high as I do,” Brady joked. “But I tell him, ‘Dude, you’re gonna be a stud. Wait till you hit your growth spurt, you’re gonna be dunkin’. And whether he does or not, who cares? I want him to know his dad’s got his back.’”
Though Brady emphasized that he doesn’t consider himself an expert in parenting, he is determined to do his best. “My kids are naturally going to face their own challenges, and they have to figure out how to overcome them too,” he explained. “I’ll be there to support them, just like my parents did for me. And I’ll be learning along the way with them.”
