As he readies for what could be a lengthy career past his 40th birthday, Brady remains proof that how you take care of your genes matters more than genetics

Love him, hate him, but never doubt him. That may stick in the throat of many Patriots haters, but with the gaudy statistics and five Super Bowl victories to prove it, Tom Brady seems to achieve whatever he wills. And what he wants, according to team owner Robert Kraft, is to play another seven years.

What makes Brady different, though, isn’t a will to continue playing – we’ve seen the competitive fire of other great quarterbacks quenched by injury and age. Rather, it’s that Brady seems to have a legitimate chance to play as long as he wishes.

Case closed: Tom Brady's missing Super Bowl jerseys returned to Patriots Read more

It’s an option not available to every player. Skill and economics factor heavily into how long a player lasts in the NFL, but the decision to retire is often made by MRIs and MDs. Tendons tear, cartilage shreds, the feet slow – and teams realize that the third-round pick can put up the same numbers at a lower cost.

So how has Brady, in a league where hits are likened to car crashes, stayed healthy? “I have no doubt that Tom Brady’s ability to recover is due to his lifestyle health,” says Fergus Connolly, football performance director for Brady’s alma mater, the University of Michigan. Connolly, who served as the San Francisco 49ers director of performance under Jim Harbaugh, believes that maintaining a healthy lifestyle – diet, sleep, strength, flexibility and spiritual/cognitive resilience – is critical in a long NFL career.

“You can’t survive in the NFL without giving lifestyle an emphasis,” says Connolly, who just completed a soon-to-be-published book on sports science titled Game Change, “and for a long career it has to be all aspects.” In that sense, Brady’s longevity is more than just luck. His all-encompassing approach to the variables that he can control has made Brady the master of his own destiny, making his desire to play into his mid-40s all the more realistic.

“First and foremost, you have to stay healthy,” agrees Tim Rattay, quarterbacks coach for Louisiana Tech and a former NFL signal-caller. “But you also have to have the desire to put in that much work year after year.”

Athletes with the desire to maximize the length of career quickly learn the need to fine-tune, develop and modify to get better and stay healthy. The required dedication sends many to off-season training centers like P3 in Santa Barbara, where a hi-tech comprehensive analysis is used to detect any vulnerabilities or asymmetries that stem from past injuries.

Dr Marcus Elliott, the center’s director and a former consultant to the Patriots, believes that these problems, if not addressed, can be career-limiting. “I truly had no idea how persistent these compensation patterns would be before we started collecting this granular data on thousands of pros 12 years ago,” Elliott says.

“Often the original injury is completely recovered, but the athlete still has compensations in place that can lead to career-limiting or career-threatening new injuries. Also, the path to professional careers ending often isn’t a huge traumatic injury, but rather many small injuries and compensations that slowly take away a players unique super powers – a death-by-a-thousand-cuts-type ending.”

But is there something in Brady’s genetics, a stacked deck that allows him advantages not available to others? Connolly doesn’t think so. Since most at the professional level are blessed with good genes, athletes can’t be separated into winners and losers of the genetic lottery. In fact, Connolly believes that for professional athletes, especially those at Brady’s level, how you take care of your genes matters more than genetic makeup. “The influence of environment is far more important,” says Connolly.

For example, the gene COL1A1 (responsible for the production of collagen, an important component of connective tissue) has been associated with ligament and tendon injuries. While those with certain combinations of the gene may have stronger connective tissue, possessing the gene isn’t a guarantee an ACL won’t tear. Injuries can’t be reduced to having, or not having the right gene.

A player’s position on the field certainly influences the risk of injury, and playing quarterback and controlling the offense has certainly contributed to Brady’s good health. According to an analysis by Football Outsiders, quarterbacks are injured less frequently than the “mobile” positions – defensive backs, linebackers, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends have about a 65 to 70% risk of landing on the injury list. Quarterbacks, along with offensive and defensive linemen, are less likely to get injured.

Colin Kaepernick is unsigned because NFL coaches still play not to lose | Les Carpenter Read more

This lowered risk of injury – in comparison to other positions on the field – extends to concussions. Of the 199 concussions in the NFL during 2015 season, 12 were to quarterbacks, among the fewest by position. (Defensive backs were the most concussed.)

In a sense Brady also controls his own luck, warding off the injuries and concussions that inevitably shorten a career. “You can’t surprise him,” says Rattay. “He’ll recognize the blitz and change protections or get the ball out before he gets hit.” Rattay, a member of the same draft class as Brady, also recalls how a skinny Brady added 20 lbs of muscle during his first year in the NFL, making him more resistant to the hits.

Of course, some of that credit goes to the Patriots’ system and other players. “Besides him being great in the pocket, that front line has managed to keep him safe back there. I don’t know the statistics, but I’m sure his hits and knockdowns are pretty low comparable to other quarterbacks,” says Daniel Fells, a former team-mate of Brady’s in New England.

If young players can learn anything from Tom Brady, it’s that athleticism and physical gifts might get them to the NFL, but a dedication to health and a passion for the game may keep them there.