JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Former star quarterback Tom Brady knows a thing or two about rivalries, especially college ones, dating back to his time playing at the University of Michigan. Now he is teaming up with the Big Ten Conference and medical company Abbott to put those rivalries to the test by trying to get more young people involved in donating blood - think students at big schools like Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State, just to name a few. So from now until the end of the college football season, the school from the Big Ten that donates the most blood will receive a $1 million prize. Here to tell us more is NFL legend and current Fox football analyst Tom Brady. Tom, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
TOM BRADY: Thanks, Juana. I appreciate it. Nice to talk to you.
SUMMERS: Nice to talk with you, too. Now, I know - and all of America knows, frankly - that you are someone who famously takes their health and diet really seriously. So tell us, what made you decide that you wanted to be a part of this blood drive?
BRADY: Well, I've always been into health and wellness, and I think it was a big part of the reason why I played so long in the NFL, and even taking all the hits over all those years, I still had to get my routine right in order to play as long as I did. And I loved playing football, and I loved my teammates. I wanted to do it for a long time, so I had to really think hard about how I wanted to treat my body. And I believe everybody has the same opportunity to do that. And a lot of it's just awareness and choices, and when you think of awareness, you know, we're thinking of what Abbott and the Big Ten has done with this blood drive and competition with these Big Ten schools to see who can donate the most blood over the course of this season.
So it's just a great initiative. How can we all give back in our communities? How can we do things that make a positive difference in our communities? I think everybody has the opportunity to give blood, and it's not too tall of a task. There's a lot of people in need. We're at a big shortage. We all need to play our part to do things we can do to help other people when they're in need.
SUMMERS: College football fans, of course, we love competition. We love the big game day. I'm curious, Tom - do you think pitting all of these Big Ten schools against one another will get people - and students, particularly - out there donating blood?
BRADY: I think so. I think this is actually the best way to do it, is to make it a competition and make it between schools who have a lot of school pride, and we see it on the field. But in this case, how do we see it off the field? And whoever wins gets a donation, which is very cool, from Abbott. And I think that's - healthy competition inspires a lot of people and ultimately brings out the best in all of us, and that's what we're seeing with this campaign.
SUMMERS: I mean, you've had such a long history in the sport, and the college sports landscape has changed just so much since you were there in Michigan playing. And even just for me, as a fan - I mean, there have been huge conference realignments, name, image and likeness rights for players - all of those changes. How do you think about those, and has it been for the better?
BRADY: Sports are, just like every business, constantly changing. The business of sports - if I look at NFL, at first, there was a big merger, you know, 50 years ago. It's - things change all the time in sports. There's a lot of positives, and there's challenges as well, and I think all of these schools are dealing with it. I think the uncertainty is the most challenging thing. I think once things became more certain as to how things were going to play out, well, then you know kind of the rules and how you can create a competitive structure within a new framework. So I'm just looking for great competition.
I really hope the college experience for these student athletes remains the same. It's - college is a great time in all of our lives, and I don't want any of these athletes to miss out on what great college experience should be. And I was very committed to one school for 4 1/2 years. And through that commitment to that one school, I learned a lot about myself because it really wasn't an easy path. There was a lot of challenging things I had to overcome. And that resilience over a period of time helped me later on in life.
So that's really what college should teach us. It's a springboard for what our professional careers look like, not just in athletes, but in life. And the better we can deal with the adversities in college, I think the better suited we will be to deal with them as we move forward into our professional careers.
SUMMERS: You know, I've got to ask you, you were someone who spent more than two decades in the NFL. Many people out there consider you one of the greatest quarterbacks in the sport's history, but you've recently made some changes. You are now a rookie in your job outside of this campaign in the broadcast booth, and that's a pretty relatable thing for a lot of us. Can you just tell me a little bit about what it's been like starting a new chapter in your late 40s?
BRADY: Yeah. Switching careers - oh, my God. You say late 40s. That's so scary for me to think about.
SUMMERS: (Laughter).
BRADY: You know, a lot of people deal with career change at different times. Obviously, as an athlete, you can't play forever. I had the best time. I loved my 23 years professionally. I played five seasons at Michigan. That was 28 years, four years in high school - that's 32 years of football. So I did my part, but I couldn't do it forever. And now I still get to be involved in this sport, just in a different way.
So instead of using my body, I'm using more of my brain and ways to communicate on television - live television, so nothing you say doesn't get heard. And I think every time they count down - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - I take a big, deep inhale, and I'm like, all right. Here we go. And you've really got to be on and focused that entire time. So I'm really enjoying it. It's totally new. And it definitely comes with challenges, but I'm loving it. And I realize that, every week I go out there, I'm going to do my best and try to be a little bit better and better every single week.
SUMMERS: Tom Brady, thank you.
BRADY: Thanks, Juana.
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