Tom Brady may be the most famous football star on the planet, but there was once a time when he wasn't even the best sports person in his family.
The youngest of four children, Tom's three older sisters all caught the sporty streak — and excelled at them, whether it came to playing soccer or softball.
© @tombrady InstagramTom's parents, Galynn and Tom Sr., encouraged their kids to "try everything", whether it was guitar, ballet, or piano."
He told the Eagle Tribune: "All of them always seemed to move toward sports, which was fine with Galynn and myself. We were both sports nuts."
© @tombrady InstagramThe retired quarterback clearly looked up to his older sisters, Maureen, Julie and Nancy, as he would go on to take the family love of sport to another level.
According to eldest sister Maureen, her quarterback brother wasn't as well-known as his older sisters when it came to sports.
She told the New York Daily News: "Us girls, we were all pretty good in sports, always in the newspaper. Tommy always used to be known as 'Maureen Brady's little brother' or 'The Little Brady.'"
But clearly, Tom was focused from day one to be the best, as he laid out his goals in his freshman year of high school. He wrote a paper saying "one day he wants us to be known as Tom Brady's sisters," Maureen continued.
"He wrote, 'One day, I'm going to be a household name.'"
Tom remains close to his three sisters, who have supported him throughout his career. Here's all you need to know about the sporty sisters.
Maureen
© MediaNews Group/Boston Herald viBorn in 1970, Maureen is the oldest of the Brady bunch, and like her brother, she grew up with a knack for sports. She would go on to play collegiate softball at Fresno State University.
As an All-American pitcher, Maureen was inducted into the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame and is regarded as setting "the standard for San Mateo County softball pitchers." The mom-of-two's eldest daughter Maya has picked up her softball talents playing for the UCLA Bruins.
Julie
© Ethan MillerTom's parents welcomed their second daughter Julie in 1974, who he looks remarkably similar to. Growing up, the duo were mistaken for twins, although she's three years older than her brother.
Like her family, she has a sporty streak, trying out for the soccer team at St. Mary’s College as a walk-on and later earning a scholarship. She's married to Kevin Youkilis, who formerly played third base for the Boston Red Sox. Together, they share sons Zachary and Jeremy and daughter Jordan, whom Julie had in a previous relationship.
Nancy
© MediaNews Group/Boston Herald viBorn in 1976, Nancy is the closest in age to Tom. When she was younger, she received a scholarship to play softball at UC Berkeley.
