New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady Jr. is the son of Thomas Sr. and Galynn Brady. Tom Brady Sr. and Galynn met in California while he was working as an insurance agent and she was a flight attendant. They have been married since April 1969 and have four children together.
The couple is in Atlanta, Georgia, to watch their son take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. If the Patriots win, fans will see Brady’s parents on the field celebrating their son’s sixth championship.
Brady Jr. has a very close relationship with his parents.
“I try to make some eye contact and let them know I am looking at them. You like to know where they are at, too. It’s going to be great. It’s a special moment. It’s always been that way. This year it will be as special as it’s ever been,” he told the media before Super Bowl LI.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. They Said Going to the Super Bowl ‘Never Gets Old’
In a recent interview, Tom Sr. and Galynn opened up about their many trips to the big game, with Super Bowl LIII being their ninth time watching their son play on football’s biggest stage.
“It never gets old. Going back to the Super Bowl is spectacular,” Thomas Brady Sr. told the media.
He’d said that their first trip to the Super Bowl is probably the most vivid memory, because it was “unexpected.” For some of the others, they recall the location, and Galynn talked about how each Super Bowl was different from the others.
The Bradys also revealed that the entire Brady family — grandchildren and all — have made the trips to each of Tom Jr.’s Super Bowl appearances.
2. His Mom Beat Breast Cancer
Galynn Brady was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2016. Her doctors quickly devised a treatment plan that would require both chemotherapy and radiation after two surgeries to remove the cancerous lumps and the surrounding tissue.
Galynn underwent chemotherapy treatments for five long months. In an exclusive interview with NFL 360, she and her husband recalled their Thursday trips to the treatment facility — and added that watching their son play football on Sunday was “something to look forward to.”
“Thursday we would go and I’d have my treatment. Friday, I’d be feeling good. Saturday, not good. Sunday, not feeling good. Every Sunday we would watch the game together, so it was something to look forward to,” Galynn explained. She was unable to attend games at Gillette Stadium because the chemotherapy left her very weak and ill.
“Everything centered around 10 o’clock on Thursday morning. And then 10 o’clock on Sunday mornings when we’d turn on the football games,” Tom Brady Sr. added.
Galynn’s very first game of the 2016-2017 season was the Super Bowl in Houston — a game that she almost didn’t make it to. Upon finishing chemotherapy, Galynn developed pneumonia and then shingles, a disease that causes a painful, blistering skin rash. Her doctors didn’t clear her for travel until the day before she and Tom Sr. were scheduled to leave for Houston.
After watching their son and his team win Super Bowl LI in the best comeback in Super Bowl history, Galynn and Tom returned home. Galynn underwent five weeks of radiation therapy before undergoing scans to see if the cancer was still present. Doctors were able to give Galynn and Tom good news, however; Galynn was cancer free. She still has to go for regular scans every few months, but she has been doing extremely well. As her most recent scans show, Galynn is still cancer free and has been for more than 2 years.
You can watch Galynn and Tom Brady Sr.’s interview with NFL 360 in the video below.
3. His Dad Founded the Independent Insurance Firm Thomas Brady & Associates
Tom Brady Sr. earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of San Francisco. He worked at New England Life for nearly a decade before opening his very own independent insurance firm.
Brady Sr. is the CEO of Thomas Brady and Associates. In 2007, he brought the company to the east coast, opening an office in Boston and another in New York City.
“The firm specializes in estate planning, business planning and insurance review and placement for successful individuals, families and businesses. Our diverse team of advisors, with backgrounds in insurance, estate planning, non-qualified executive benefit planning and tax and business law, provides custom strategies and solutions through superior personal service, integrity and expertise. We do not manage assets, draft legal documents or do any tax or audit work, but we collaborate with our client’s chosen professionals in these areas to strive for the best possible result for our clients,” reads the company’s “Who We Are” section, in part.
Although his job isn’t really competitive, per sé, Brady Sr. takes responsibility for his son’s competitive side.
“[It’s] my fault. I started it. Everything we did, and I mean everything, like running home from church, throwing a rock the farthest … Everything was a competition. I guess it made things really fun, at least for the winner,” Tom Brady Sr. told the Eagle-Tribune in 2016.
4. Galynn’s Side of the Family Is From Minnesota
Last year’s Super Bowl LII was particularly special for Tom Brady Jr. and his family because Galynn Brady grew up in Minnesota. Her parents owned a farm in Browerville, about two hours away from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Although Tom Brady was born and raised in California, he spent his summers in Minnesota with his mom’s side of the family.
“He was our little hyperactive kid. I remember him throwing baseballs and busting grandpa’s windows,” his cousin, Paul Johnson, told Kare 11.
“The genetic genius comes from the Johnson side,” Galynn’s brother, Gary, told the outlet.
The Patriots QB still keeps in touch with his mom’s side of the family and has even invited them to Foxborough, Massachusetts, to catch a game. This past summer, Tom Brady Jr. traveled to Browerville to attend his grandfather’s funeral.
With the Patriots heading to Minnesota for this year’s Super Bowl, it’s quite possible that the Johnson’s will be invited to watch the game with Galynn and Tom Sr.
5. They Have 4 Children Together
The Bradys have four children together, three daughters and one very famous son. The couple’s three girls, Nancy, Julie, and Maureen, are all older than brother Tommy. Although they are a few years apart, Julie and Tom Jr. share a birthday (August 3).
The whole Brady family is athletic and all of Tom Jr.’s sister played sports in school. According to SB Nation, Nancy, Julie, and Maureen “were all great softball players.”
Maureen was a pitcher and played softball in high school before going on to play at Fresno State, where she became an All-American. Julie Brady played soccer at St. Mary’s College and Nancy played softball at the University of California, according to the Eagle-Tribune.
Additionally, Galynn and Tom Sr. enjoy getting out on the golf course once in a while — a sport that their son also enjoys (when he’s not tossing footballs, that is).
“This is one special family. One thing I always noticed is after every game you’d see the entire family, all his sisters, parents and even some aunts and uncles. They really stuck together. Tommy is definitely a product of that environment. His support system was special,” Junipero Serra Athletic Director John Kirby told the outlet back in 2016.
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Tom Brady’s Parents: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know