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Tom Brady again named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year

Sports Illustrated has again named Tom Brady its Sportsperson of the Year.

>> PHOTOS: Tom Brady through the years

In a profile of the 44-year-old NFL icon, who also won the award in 2005, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim marveled at how Brady continues to dominate the sport more than two decades after his pro football career began.

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“He is at an age when even the finest of his peers are beyond their prime. Roger Federer (40), Serena Williams (40), Albert Pujols (41), Tiger Woods (45). Titans all, but not acclaimed for their athletic achievements in 2021,” Wertheim wrote of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.

“Then there is Brady. Still pretty good at it warrants a 15-yard penalty for flagrant understatement. He continues to discharge his duties with his customary, clinical excellence. He still throws with precision and maneuvers deftly in the pocket. Maybe more than ever, he maintains command of himself, and by extension his team, projecting comfort, evincing poise when it matters most. And he is still winning.”

Brady, who has seven Super Bowl wins under his belt, is just the third athlete to be named Sportsperson of the Year multiple times. Woods won the award in 1996 and 2000, while LeBron James earned the title in 2012, 2016 and 2020, according to the magazine.

“Back in 2005 when I first won this award, I was a fresh-faced punk with something to prove,” Brady quipped while accepting the award, Sports Illustrated reported. “And now, I actually think I feel the same way.”

He added: “Individual awards in a team sport always make me feel a bit uneasy, because nothing can be accomplished without the team. It’s always about the team.”

>> Watch Brady’s speech here