Football royalty. Tom Brady knows his and wife Gisele Bündchen‘s children have some big shoes to fill, but he doesn’t want that to deter them from following their dreams.
“I want ’em to obviously define something they love to do, but it would be really hard to follow in my football footsteps for sure, or my wife’s footsteps” the quarterback, 44, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, June 14. “I want them to find something where they can go into it without these exceedingly high expectations for themselves before these kids have had an opportunity to make mistakes.”
Brady and Bündchen, 41, welcomed son Benjamin in 2009 and daughter Vivian in 2012. The NFL star is also the father of son Jack, 14, whom he shares with ex Bridget Moynahan.
While promoting his continued partnership with Hertz, which includes a commercial joking about his un-retirement, Brady noted how “challenging” it can be — especially for younger generations— to make mistakes due to the perpetual scrutiny. “I want my kids to find something that they can really love that they’ll work hard at,” he explained to Us, adding that a little more “discipline” could potentially “bring out the best in them.”
Despite the stress he feels about his kids growing up in the shadow of his legacy, Brady still manages to experience moments of joy with his family every day.
“Kids are the best thing in the world,” he shared. “They just bring so much perspective into our lives and they’re so much fun. They’re the party. And at the same time, it’s a lot of energy! You better make sure you have it for ’em and just try to do the best you can.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback added that he’s “amazed by different things” every day with his brood and how much they’ve grown, telling Us, “I remember when they were newborns and to see ’em now and how they communicate to people … they kind of make me so proud!”
When asked whether he misses those early days of his kids’ childhood at all, Brady replied, “not one bit! I’m very happy with where my kids are at. I don’t want to go back to that age. They’re perfect like they are.”
As for what keeps the California native going throughout the football season, Brady has his family to thank for their backing. “I’m very lucky to have the off-field support that just loves you unconditionally and wants you to go out there and do what you love to do,” he told Us. “There is when you win and there is when you lose, and they love you either way.”
The athlete concluded: “So in the end, it doesn’t matter how you perform on the field. They just want me home and healthy and without too many bumps or bruises.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
