Tom Brady has revealed the name of the NFL player who gave him the toughest competition throughout his highly successful football career.
Brady wrote on TomBrady.com that Peyton Manning was the player who challenged him the most.
They competed against each other many times and while Brady won more regular season game, Manning defeated him more often in crucial playoff matches.
Brady admitted that during their careers, he purposely didn't allow himself to think of Manning as a friend.
“When I look back on my relationship with Peyton Manning, my respect, admiration, and appreciation for him as a competitor has grown with each passing year," Brady wrote on his website.
“It was always there, don’t misunderstand, but while we were competing against each other I couldn’t let that get in the way of the fact that he was my enemy, that he didn’t respect me, that he thought he was better than me because he was a #1 pick from an SEC school—or at least that’s what I made myself believe," the 47-years-old went on to share.
He describe Manning as a "gift" and said their rivalry made him a better player and added depth and excitement to his time in the NFL.
"Now when I see him, the only thing I can say is thank you. Thank you for challenging me to be the best I could be," Brady added.
Brady and Manning have both retired from professional football and now moved into media careers.
Brady signed a massive contract with Fox Sports to become their lead NFL analyst while Manning started his own production company and also co-hosts the popular alternative NFL broadcast "Manningcast" on ESPN2.
