FILE–Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gestures to fans during Buccaneers Training Camp at AdventHealth Training Center on July 27, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. Julio Aguilar/Getty Images/AFP
Tom Brady turns 45 on Wednesday, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback got the day off from practice.
Brady can spend the day enjoying the well wishes of his friends and family — and chuckling at the stories online that are pointing out just how old he is by recalling what was popular on Aug. 3, 1977, the day he was born in San Mateo, California.
Gisele Bundchen was up early, sending a heartfelt message to her husband on Instagram.
“Happy birthday to one of the most focused, disciplined and fashionable person I know! @tombrady you are so loved and we are always here cheering for you and wishing you all the most wonderful things in life!,” she wrote, adding a heart emoji and a photo of Brady flanked by two of his three children.
The NFL didn’t include any hearts in its celebratory tweet, just a long list of the achievements of the seven-time Super Bowl champion, from the 35 playoff wins to the 84,520 passing yards.
Former coach Bruce Arians gave Brady his birthday off last year, and so did new coach Todd Bowles, who joked Monday that he had the perfect present for Brady.
“As long as we keep him upright and walking, that’s a great birthday. What do you get the guy who has everything?” Bowles joked.
Bowles added Wednesday that Brady will not play in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 13.
With Brady taking his birthday off, teammate Leonard Fournette ordered a cake in the shape of a goat’s head – signifying the Greatest of All Time – and had it delivered to the team facility on Tuesday, with a note that said, “Happy 100th birthday.”
Well, that’s a bit extreme, but Brady can tack on at least one age-related record when the season starts.
When he completes his first pass for positive yardage in the 2022 season, he will join George Blanda as the only players to have at least one yard passing at age 45 or beyond. He’s not known as a running quarterback, but when Brady runs for one yard, he’ll be the first player to do so at 45 or older in NFL history.
And speaking of history, just what was happening in American culture in 1977? “Star Wars” was the top-grossing movie, “Laverne & Shirley was the top TV show” and Apple released the Apple II, its first personal computer.