![](\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/August/060823/GCH624_Brady_v_Brady.jpg\")
";
spt_Bradys.sTitle = "Brady vs. Brady";
spt_Bradys.rowSpacer = "Here’s the story of two men named Brady – Tom Brady and Brady Quinn.
Brady, a native Californian, is a three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback for the New England Patriots. Twice, he was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Quinn, a native of Ohio, is a senior quarterback for Notre Dame and finished third in this season’s Heisman Trophy voting, while leading the Fighting Irish to the Sugar Bowl.
Their stories are different, yet strikingly similar in one fashion. Both seemed headed nowhere – rapidly – until they began working with Charlie Weis.
Tom Brady became an NFL icon and likely Hall of Famer under the tutelage of Weis, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. When Weis accepted the Notre Dame head-coaching job, Brady Quinn’s career instantly leaped from mediocre to magical."; spt_Bradys[i++] = new Array("","Arm","Tom Brady doesn't have the strongest arm in the NFL, but it's been more than good enough for the Patriots.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060824/060824_bradys_arm_v.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Jim Mcisaac", "Getty Images", "298", "226", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "Arm
Tom Brady
Brady doesn’t have the NFL’s strongest arm. But it’s strong enough.
Brady, who looked downright scrawny coming out of college, has added 25 pounds of muscle since joining the Patriots. He has consistently worked on his arm strength, becoming a proficient deep passer and an extremely accurate slinger on intermediate routes.
What’s more, Brady seems to have an innate understanding of his receivers, knowing when to let it loose for a speedster and when to drop it over the shoulder of a more lumbering target.
“You can have the strongest arm in the world,” Weis said while with the Patriots, “but what does it matter if you don’t know how to use it? You’ve got to have touch. You’ve got to understand what we want to get done on offense.”
Brady Quinn
Since the day he arrived on Notre Dame’s campus, Quinn has possessed a howitzer arm.
But last season, he finally learned how to best utilize that important tool. Quinn threw the deep ball exceptionally well and grasped the nuances of Weis’ offensive system.
Accuracy was his biggest improvement. Quinn threw the fastball and the changeup, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 32 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
“We were able to put in a substantial amount of the offense last year because Brady was able to grasp it,” Weis said. “But there’s a difference between being able to grasp it and being able to mentally take it to another level.”
So Quinn got more responsibility and more opportunities to show off that strong arm and responded with 35 touchdowns and five interceptions and a 63.4 completion percentage."; spt_Bradys[i++] = new Array("","Glamour Boy","Tom Brady and actress/model Bridget Moynahan were an item until the couple broke up in December.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060824/060824_bradys_glamour_v.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Evan Agostini", "Getty Images", "298", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "Glamour Boy
Tom Brady
As a second-year NFL pro, Brady drove a canary yellow Dodge Ram pickup. When he led the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, earning MVP honors, he was awarded a Cadillac Escalade. Ever since, his life has shifted to the fast lane.
He was named one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” He dated super models. He was spotted with Mariah Carey, dancing at a trendy nightspot. He had an audience with the Pope. He was invited to President Bush’s State of the Union Address, where he sat next to the First Lady. He hosted “Saturday Night Live.”
It’s a very Namath-esque existence, 21st Century style. Although Brady professes blue-collar values on the field, he has cultivated an image that launched a thousand magazine covers.
Brady Quinn
Being the Notre Dame quarterback – not to mention a prime Heisman Trophy candidate and leader of a highly-ranked team – has a glamour all its own.
Quinn doesn’t seem to get caught up in all the trappings. He relishes spending time with his teammates and being a normal student around campus (which, of course, is impossible).
He has a handle on the publicity storm that lies ahead, but is intent on not spreading himself too thin. Don’t expect him to change his lifestyle. Notre Dame officials and coaches, led by Weis, will act as human shields to fend off any potential distractions."; spt_Bradys[i++] = new Array("","Leadership","Tom Brady’s cool demeanor and belief in the system rubs off on the entire Patriots' team.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060824/060824_bradys_leader_v.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Streeter Lecka", "Getty Images", "298", "262", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "Leadership
Tom Brady
One quote from Patriots running back Corey Dillon sums up the essence of Brady’s effect on the Patriots.
“When No. 12 is going good, we’re going good,” Dillon said. “If he says to do something, we do it. We trust in him that much.”
Brady endears himself to teammates by being a weight-room junkie and a consistently positive influence. The sight of Peyton Manning chewing out a teammate or showing disgust? Rarely happens in New England, and if so, it’s usually behind closed doors.
Brady’s cool demeanor and belief in the system rubs off on the entire team. It’s a quality that could never be measured at the NFL combine.
Brady Quinn
For the second straight season, Notre Dame’s players elected Quinn as team captain.
“That says it all to me,” Weis said.
No one personifies the new era at Notre Dame more than Quinn, who has worked harder and shown more improvement than anyone.
Offensive teammates say Quinn has a strong presence in the huddle and is unflappable in pressure situations.
Had it not been for USC’s miracle comeback, Quinn would’ve been hailed as the leader who snapped the Trojans’ winning streak last year. This season, Quinn led the Irish to comebacks against Michigan State at UCLA.";
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spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "B.W. (Before Weis)
Tom Brady
Hard to believe now, but Brady was far from a beloved figure at Michigan. Following the 1997 season, when the Brian Griese-led Wolverines captured a share of the national title, Brady got his big shot to start.
Then the Wolverines began 0-2, losing to Notre Dame and Syracuse, while Michigan fans clamored for golden-boy freshman Drew Henson to play quarterback.
It was a rough finish to a collegiate career where Brady never really felt solidified as the team’s leader. In his final game, an Orange Bowl victory against Alabama, he passed for 369 yards, but even that wasn’t enough to keep him from afterthought status (sixth round, 199th overall selection) on NFL draft day.
Then came the 2001 season. Drew Bledsoe became Wally Pipp, going down with an injury. Brady began his transformation from ham-and-egger to star.
Brady Quinn
Quinn was hotly pursued by numerous Division I colleges, but he actually had to sell himself to Notre Dame and former Coach Tyrone Willingham.
He sat as a freshman, then stepped in for Carlyle Holiday during 2003. But Notre Dame’s West Coast offense never allowed Quinn to exploit his strengths. He looked great coming off the bus, but his game-day performances were largely uninspiring.
Quinn was just 10-11 as a starter when Willingham was dismissed following the 2004 season. Quinn, vocal about the firing, briefly let his mind wander and considered whether he’d be better off at another school.
Those thoughts didn’t last long, though. Quinn was on a players’ committee that interviewed Weis during his Notre Dame candidacy, and he quickly became enamored with the coach’s personality and philosophy (not to mention his ever-present Super Bowl ring).
Quinn’s faith was justified by an off-the-charts junior season and then being selected as a Heisman Trophy finalist this year."; spt_Bradys[i++] = new Array("","Dedication","Brady Quinn could have bolted for the NFL Draft after his junior season, but returned to Notre Dame to try and win a national championship.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060824/060824_bradys_dedication_v.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Jonathan Ferrey", "Getty Images", "298", "252", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "Dedication
Tom Brady
In early 2005, the night before New England faced Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game, Brady had a 103-degree temperature. There he was at Heinz Field, facing a sub-zero wind-chill factor and a one-loss Steelers team that had humbled his Patriots during the regular season.
For Brady, it was like a day at the beach. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns, making it look ridiculously easy.
“There’s no other quarterback I’d rather have,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said that night.
Brady’s teammates heartily agree because their star player doesn’t act like a star, showing uncommon drive for a man awash in professional accomplishments.
According to New England lore, the Patriots assembled for their White House trip, following one of their Super Bowl championships. Brady reported early to Gillette Stadium – because he didn’t want to miss his conditioning workout.
Brady Quinn
Earnest and sincere, Quinn has earned everyone’s respect at Notre Dame. Quinn has continually showed how much he cares – and that he’s willing to put in the necessary work.
He could’ve bolted for the NFL Draft and probably been a high pick. As it stands now, he’s in position to become the 2007 draft’s No. 1 overall choice and end Notre Dame’s drought of first-rounders (none since 1994; chew on that for a while).
Quinn is a highly disciplined athlete – a strict diet, twice-daily workouts and plenty of rest are staples of his regimen – and an extremely well-grounded young man.
Quinn was genuinely driven to maximize his collegiate career, and he sought offseason advice from three top-shelf quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre) on how to handle his senior season – on and off the field."; spt_Bradys[i++] = new Array("","Intelligence","Brady Quinn has quickly grasped Charlie Weis' playbook.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060824/060824_bradys_intel_v.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Otto Greule Jr.", "Getty Images", "298", "266", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "Intelligence
Tom Brady
When growing up in California, Brady idolized Joe Montana. It still amazes Brady that he is often compared to the Hall of Famer. But it’s a valid perspective.
Like Montana, Brady has a sixth sense, an ability to anticipate things before they happen. He rarely forces a pass into coverage, instead choosing the option that has been drilled into his brain during a week of game-planning.
“He’s the best quarterback in football, no question,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms said. “I really admire him because he’s a guy who always seems to be making the right decision. It’s a subtle thing, but something you can really appreciate as a quarterback. Man, that guy is smart.\"
Brady Quinn
When Charlie Weis became Notre Dame’s coach, Quinn, a Tyrone Willingham loyalist, quickly converted.
He wanted the playbook immediately. He became a sponge, soaking in the new terminology and schemes, not the easiest course work. Quinn, possessor of great physical skills, proved he was a great student of the game. Even Weis was impressed with how smoothly the transition unfolded.
Clearly, Quinn is his kind of a quarterback – a football “gym rat” who enjoys studying film and strategizing. Quinn might make it look easy each Saturday, but like every good student, his results are hard-earned, mostly when no one else is watching."; spt_Bradys[i++] = new Array("","Legs","Scrambling is not one of Brady Quinn's strengths.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060824/060824_bradys_legs_v.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Otto Greule Jr.", "Getty Images", "298", "237", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); spt_Bradys[i-1].body = "Legs
Tom Brady
“Goes down way too quickly because of the way he is built. He is not a gifted athlete and will not impress anyone with his scrambling ability.”
That was one scouting report on Brady as he came out of Michigan for the 2000 NFL Draft.
Let’s be clear: Brady still won’t remind anyone of Michael Vick. But Brady has taken a potential deficiency – lack of mobility – worked like a fiend, and accentuated the positive.
He moves well enough in the pocket and actually has made some nice plays as a scrambler. Utilizing a three-step drop, excellent vision and a quick release, he rarely finds himself in trouble.
Brady Quinn
Not a particular strength, but that’s not surprising. Notre Dame runs a sophisticated pro-style offense, and Quinn is equipped to slice up a defense while working from his protective pocket.
Quinn has a statuesque physique, but don’t confuse that for being a statue.
He can move a bit and duck away from the rush, posting a 60-yard run against USC this season."; // END editorial data