Morning Sports Update
“Failure isn’t final, only quitting is.”
Tom Brady speaking at an event in Germany in May, 2026. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
May 18, 2026 | 10:12 AM
3 minutes to read
Tom Brady’s advice to college graduates: It’s graduation season, and one of the speakers in 2026 was none other than Tom Brady.
The former Patriots quarterback addressed undergraduates from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business over the weekend, offering some advice and making a few jokes along the way.
As with most graduation speeches, Brady cited his own story as inspiration while encouraging his audience to “never, ever quit.”
Drawing on his seven Super Bowl wins (and three losses), Brady focused on a few points. One of them was baked into his retelling of New England’s historic comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
“Here’s a number for you guys: 99.7,” Brady offered. “What’s that number make you think of? It’s an A+ — I didn’t get many of those. It’s a low-grade fever, maybe. But it’s also virtual certainty. If something has a 99.7% chance of happening, the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
“Well, let me take you back to Feb. 5th, 2017. Super Bowl 51,” he continued. “Patriots versus Falcons. Excuse my language at some points here, I was an athlete, so you might feel like you’re in a locker room a little bit. There [was] six minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and we’re losing 28 to 3, and it’s fourth down at midfield. And at that moment, the Falcons had a 99.7% chance of winning. Not exactly how I thought things would go when I woke up that morning.”
As Patriots fans (and casual football fans) will undoubtedly remember, Brady rallied the team for an improbable 34-28 comeback win. It was the first Super Bowl to go to overtime.
“When the odds are stacked against you, when you’re facing your own 28 to 3 moment — and believe me, it’s coming — you will have a choice to make: to quit or to fight your a** off,” said Brady.
Along with advice, Brady mixed in some familiar jokes. He referenced his Super Bowl losses (“Damn it, Eli Manning”), as well as his former coach.
“I don’t do well with compliments. I had a coach for 20 years tell me how s—– I was every day,” the retired quarterback said of Bill Belichick.
He cited Belichick again as he implored graduates to surround themselves with people who will challenge them and push them to improve, “Even if one of those people is a cranky old coach who cuts the sleeves off their sweatshirt and screams at you all day.”
Brady’s lasting message was that quitting is the only real failure.
“The odds are your 28-3 moment won’t end in a trophy or a parade. It may not even end in victory. It almost didn’t for us. But that’s not really the point,” Brady noted. “These are all just momentary tests where failure isn’t final, only quitting is. The choice to fight is an opportunity to succeed, yes, but it’s also your chance to grow and show everyone that while you may be beatable, you are unbreakable.”
Trivia: The speaker at Tom Brady’s 1999 winter commencement from Michigan was a former prime minister. What country did he represent?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was both preceded and succeeded by Silvio Berlusconi.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost to the Braves 8-1 on Sunday. Boston begins a three-game series against the Royals tonight on the road at 7:40 p.m.
In international sports news, Aaron Rai became just the second British winner of the PGA Championship (a feat not accomplished in 107 years).
More from Boston.com:
A closer look at a local standout: The Boston Globe spoke to Bishop Feehan’s Brody Bumila, the multi-sport star who might get picked in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
On this day: In 2002, Pedro Martinez pulled off a rare feat in pitching. He retired the side in the first inning with three strikeouts on nine pitches. This straightforward display is known as an “immaculate inning.”
Daily highlight: Aaron Rai became the first British golfer in over a century to win the PGA Championship. It was a victory highlighted by a 68-foot putt on Sunday to help extend his lead.
Trivia answer: Italy (Romano Prodi)
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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