TAMPA, Fla. _ If you loved Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance," get ready to watch Tom Brady's version on ESPN.
The "Worldwide Leader in Sports" will present a nine-part documentary series on Brady's career, entitled Man in the Arena, in 2021.
"Realizing my potential has been what my career has been all about," Brady says in the trailer released Thursday. "Things that I've dreamed about have actually come true. Things have happened in my life as I kind of hoped they would happen. It's been just a complete evolution, just how I've kept fighting and clawing to continue to power forward.
"You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you keep trying to make progress. So when I look at over 20 years and how far I've come, but there's not one step that I've took where I've realized, 'Look how far I've come.' But those series of steps I've put together, I go, 'Wow, man, that's quite a journey.' "
By now, everybody is pretty aware of Brady's journey, which will continue for the next two seasons in Tampa Bay.
He was the backup quarterback for his freshman high school team that did not win a game in San Mateo, Calif. When he got to the University of Michigan, he was seventh on the depth chart at quarterback. Brady wasn't drafted into the NFL until the sixth round, No. 199 overall. When he got to the Patriots, he was fourth on the depth chart behind starter Drew Bledsoe.
But Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six of them. He engineered the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, rallying from a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
"I have quoted Theodore Roosevelt's 'Man in the Arena' speech since I saw it painted on our weight room wall at UM in 1995," Brady tweeted. "It's a constant reminder to ignore the noise, buckle my chinstrap, and battle through whatever comes my way."
Brady previously was the subject of a six-part documentary series, called Tom vs. Time on Facebook Watch. It was filmed during the 2016 season and ended with Brady's fifth Super Bowl win. It was released in 2018.
Brady is the closest NFL version of Michael Jordan without the superior physical attributes. But he's that kind of competitor who makes players better around him and almost wills his team to win.
Who knows if it will be as good as The Last Dance. The ending hasn't been written yet.
