- Tom Brady played pro football until he was 45 years old and spent a whopping 23 seasons in the NFL.
- The legendary quarterback inspired young superstar Patrick Mahomes to pursue longevity in the sport.
Tom Brady concluded his illustrious NFL career at 45 years old after spending an unprecedented 23 seasons playing professional football.
The legendary quarterback has inspired countless athletes to follow in his footsteps; stars across sports hope to increase the longevity of their careers by training, eating, sleeping, and thinking like the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Patrick Mahomes, the superstar Kansas City Chiefs quarterback long billed as Brady's successor, is no exception.
In an episode of the Netflix docu-series "Quarterback," Mahomes — a two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP in his own right — said he realized the importance of bodily upkeep while watching Brady dominate the NFL into his mid 40s.
"People really started recognizing that with Tom Brady," Mahomes said. "And how much he takes care of his body, and why he's still playing until he's 45 years old."
" To me, I saw that and I was like: 'I need to take my game to the next level.'"
Though he hasn't yet reached the avocado-ice-cream-as-a-treat level of commitment to healthy eating Brady long touted, Mahomes has devoted more of his attention to diet and nutrition than he once did. The 28-year-old eats four or five meals per day to avoid consuming too much in one sitting. He tries to load up on fruits, vegetables, and proteins while cutting back on fast and fried foods.
Mahomes is also incredibly committed to his fitness regimen. After working with his trainer, Bobby Stroupe, since his elementary school days in Texas, he convinced the Athlete Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) founder to move to Kansas City and work with him in a full-time capacity.
The pair work together three days per week during the season — in addition to regular practices with the Chiefs — "just to make sure I can have my body in the best position possible by the end of the season to play my best football," Mahomes explained in the episode.
"We train to be able to move in as many ways as possible," Stroupe said. "I believe in armoring the body in different movements to make sure that you are prepared to go where you don't wanna go. You have to be comfortable in those uncomfortable positions or you're gonna be hurt."
Mahomes is gifted with unique physiological abilities, Stroupe noted, including owl-like vision, incredible spine mobility, and similar strength and flexibility on both sides of his body. Even still, he works incredibly hard to keep his body at its peak.
"The goal is the Super Bowl; you have to maximize every opportunity," Mahomes said. "You have to lay it all on the line, and that's why I put my body out there every single time."