Super Bowl 2012: Why Tom Brady Is Iconic Representative of NFL Game, Brand

Tom Brady seems like he's got it all. He's good-looking, has a supermodel wife, has millions of dollars and is at the top of his profession. But while his chiseled jaw may have come naturally, Brady had to work to get where he is in life and that's why he is the perfect representative for the NFL.

The 34-year-old quarterback was the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, a sixth-round compensatory selection that the New England Patriots almost spent on fellow quarterback Tim Rattay. Brady may not have been a franchise quarterback coming out of college, but he worked at his game constantly and improved while sitting behind Drew Bledsoe.

When his opportunity to play came midway through the 2001 season, Brady jumped all over it, leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl title. Two more championships and two MVP awards later and the guy no one wanted in the 2000 draft is widely considered one of the best to ever line up under center in the NFL.

What makes Brady such a great representative of the NFL is the fact that he comes across as humble and soft-spoken and almost always talks up his opponents. He has never been in any kind of trouble, he smiles a lot, and he just comes across as a good guy and someone we'd all love to have leading our favorite franchise. 

I'm not a Patriots fan but it's really hard to deny that Brady is everything the NFL looks for when promoting its players. He has a great story, nothing was handed to him and he has taken the one opportunity he was given and has made himself into a first-ballot Hall of Famer. 

Given what he has done to this point in his career it is no surprise that the Patriots find themselves in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in Brady's career. And while some may get tired of hearing about his greatness over the next two weeks, we should all remember where he came from and what it took to get to this level. 

When you do that, it's not hard to understand why the NFL and the media make such a big deal about how great he really is.