I have a confession to make: I was rooting for the Patriots to win the Superbowl. I know that may be surprising considering that I am resident of New Jersey and a personal friend of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. But I just couldn't help it.
That's because while many in America were rooting for or against the Patriots because of the friendship Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have with President Trump, I was rooting for them precisely because those three individuals - regardless of what anybody thinks about President Trump - are the best of what America has to offer.
My life's passion is my school in Lahore, Pakistan - American International School System (AISS) - which teaches children about how great our freedoms are. We give these children a western-style education so that they understand we are not their enemies and don't grow falling prey to propaganda that makes them hate us. We also educated them about western values, including the fact that if you work hard in America you can achieve your dreams. I am living proof.
So is Tom Brady.
Think about it: Here's a guy who was forced to share time at Quarterback when he went to the University of Michigan. Then he was picked as an afterthought in the 6th round and was never expected to be anything more than a backup. We teach our kids at AISS that they need to make the most of their opportunities and when New England's starting QB Drew Bledsoe got hurt Brady did just that.
He took over and led the Patriots to a Superbowl and then slowly built himself into the greatest QB to ever play in the NFL. This was done through hard work, dedication, and an absolute obsession with being the best. Tom Brady lives, eats, sleeps, and breathes football and his constant desire to be the best fuels his success.
That incredible comeback on Sunday was just the most recent of Brady's heroics. He's been dominating the game of football for 17 years. The same can be said of Bill Belichick. He spent 16 years as an assistant coach earning his chance, eventually becoming a Head Coach with the Cleveland Browns in 1991. He had moderate success, but after a disastrous year in 1995, he was fired.
He could have easily given up, but he didn't. Instead, he went back to being an assistant coach, trying to earn another chance to lead a team. In 2000, that chance came his way, when the New England Patriots hired him to take over as Head Coach. The Browns situation was clearly still on his mind and he was determined to be a success this time. He worked harder than anybody and meticulously planned for every situation.
17 consecutive winning seasons with 15 division titles, 11 AFC championship appearances, and five Superbowl victories show that every sacrifice he has made and all the work he has put in has been worth it.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have worked harder than anybody in their respective professions and they have succeeded like nobody ever has in the NFL. They are not just examples for every aspiring athlete and coach in the United States, they serve as prototypical examples of what hard work, perseverance, and the American Dream can produce. They are perfect role models for the kids in the American School to aspire to be and they should make all of us proud to be Americans.