The greatest quarterback in NFL history is trying to streamline his packing, find time for books, and get back to Japan again.
Tom Brady technically lives in Miami, but these days he’s living a very Carmen San Diego-esque life. On top of his sports commentator gig at Fox, which takes him across the NFL map, he’s got a new partnership with Delta. When I sat down with Brady last week, he was posted up in the brand new Delta One Lounge in Boston’s Logan International Airport, which he helped design and where loyal fliers enjoy high-end dining in hushed privacy. “It’s not about flying, it’s about creating an environment where people can be stress-free,” Brady says, describing Delta’s emphasis on customer service. “A little better food, easier check-in, things like that make the experience great.”
When the seven-time Super Bowl champ, who retired from football in 2023, isn’t breaking down football games on Sunday or spending time with his three kids, he skis in the winter or, when he needs some sun, blisses out on the beach in the Bahamas. “Delta is the greatest airline in America,” he says. “You go there and see the command center, and I was blown away. It’s one thing to impact a football team of 53 players and 30 coaches. It’s another thing to impact 100-to-200,000 employees, as well as 150,000 flights every day.”
When he’s on the move, the 47-year-old keeps several must-have items on deck, including an essential that keeps him looking his best on live television every Sunday.
Even when he’s commentating, Brady can’t resist talking the pigskin around
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
GQ: What sort of things do you like in an airport lounge?
Brady: A little privacy, because it’s a time to make calls. If you’re getting on a flight across the ocean, or to go to the West Coast, you’re on the plane for five and a half hours and you’re probably not making calls. Where can I get a little private time? Zoom stuff, I get there a little early, it’s great. People automatically come into the environment with less stress. You rush through the airport, you’re dealing with traffic, there’s the check-in. Everything we can do to make that customer experience better, that’s what it’s all about. It’s a stressful world we’re living in, man.
When I was playing, I didn’t want to let people down. I don’t want to go see Tom Hanks do a shitty movie. I want to see that guy put his best performance out there! On a much bigger scale, all the people at Delta take pride in their job too. Whether it’s LA, New York, Atlanta, there’s so much pride in what people do to ensure that the travel experience is great.
When you’re traveling, whether it’s for business or pleasure, what are your top three travel essentials?
Dude, I’ve been trying to get more efficient with my travel. It’s kind of a long story. Like, I’ve been on the road a lot—more than I can ever remember in the last few years. I decided to pack a bag that always has all my stuff in it.
A go bag!
A go bag. It’s a big, black Patagonia bag. Do you want me to tell you everything that’s in it?
Please!
I have all my workout bands. I have all my electrolytes and supplements that I always bring. I have all my toiletries. I have hair clippers, in case I need those for some reason. I have all the chargers. I have protein bars in a Tupperware thing.
Then I have another bag with some clothes in it. That’s more like an evergreen bag: white T-shirts, black T-shirts, they’re just kind of a catch-all if I need to leave for a day or two. Just grab the two bags—they’re already packed, they’re clean, all the stuff is in there. If there’s something special, like if I need a suit, I’ll grab a suit. I have this Fox commentating job. Every Saturday I leave, come home Sunday night, I’ll put the bag there. So then, it’s not like I’m packing and unpacking every time. [Football players] all do that; I did that for so long.
Pack a suitcase—okay, I need three pairs of underwear, three pairs of socks—unpack the suitcase [when I get to the hotel] and put all the dirty laundry in there. I’m like, Screw that! We’re getting better at this! Just trying to make things a little more efficient, because when I was playing football I was home all week. When we travel for the game, it’s pretty easy. But now, life is a little different, so I’m trying to make sure I’m not super stressed out, like, Oh shit, I only have ten minutes to pack.
The hair clippers—have you ever had to cut your own hair in a hotel?
Well, just in case I want to do the sideburns or shave my beard down real quick. None of us want to shave that often anymore. But when I go on TV, the last thing I want is some gray-ass beard. So, I’m cutting that thing down all the time.
Being back here now in Massachusetts, where you obviously have a lot of good memories, what are the things that you’re most struck by?
The culture is great, and I could talk about places, but to me it’s all people. I have so many memories of people here who impacted my life in the best way. My kids were born on Beacon Street. Every time I drive by and see the building I’m like, My kids were born there. That park is where we went on the swings, and that park right there is where we played wiffle ball for the first time. That hockey rink—my son would have hockey at 8:00 at night, outside, with snow coming down. We were freezing our ass off!
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick during a snowy game in New England in 2009
Boston Globe/Getty Images
Where are your favorite places to vacation?
I have a few regular spots. I go to the Yellowstone Club to ski in Montana, and I go to Baker’s Bay in the Bahamas. I’ve been a regular for probably the last ten years. Those are two of my favorite places in the world. When I travel, I love doing new things in new places. Europe is so great. I want to take my kids to Japan this year.
Have you been to Japan?
I’ve been twice. Once for a baseball exchange when I was 12, and then I went with a former partner, Under Armour, with my friend Kevin Plank probably six years ago. But my son’s really into anime, and I think Japan is one of the coolest places to go.
I’ve been to China. I’ve been to South America. I was down in Australia last year. I did a summer in Africa two years ago. It’s kind of cool, you know, seeing these different places. Not Antarctica yet, but I have a friend who just got back. It’s really hard to go. He told me once you get out there for 30 minutes and see all the glaciers, you’re like, Okay, what else?
I imagine it’d be kind of eerie.
It’s really eerie. There’s not a lot of people out there so it’s pretty isolating. It’s weird, in a world now where we’re never isolated, it’d probably be a big-time change. My friend asked me if I read any books. I don’t know if I could read a book! I don’t know if my attention span would allow me. I’m just flipping through emails and text messages, and trying to read stuff to prepare for a game, but that’s more articles as opposed to longform. It’s probably not the best, to be honest.
Is there anywhere on the Tom Brady bucket list that you haven’t been yet?
I want to go to India. I want to go to the Netherlands, and I want to go to Morocco. There’s a lot of places. I love Switzerland, would love to go back there. Places like that, where I’ve only been once. Part of why I like traveling is that context changes so much. We all have these routines all the time, and we’re so comfortable in them, which I love! But at the same time, when you get out of it, drop all the day-to-day, now it’s like, you have all your senses available. You appreciate things.
In our normal day-to-day lives, we’re just going like this [pantomimes looking down at a phone], we never look up. Even in America, like I’ve never been to New York and been like, “Why don’t I get a tour guide?” I’m there 30 times a year, but I’m stuck in my places. I wish I could enjoy the city and learn something new. That’s kind of exactly what you do when you go to other places, which is probably why we enjoy it. We’re learning something! When I was in Venice last year, I got a tour guide. He told us about the flood, and this church, and why they put this outside the doors. In New York I’m like, Why would I do that?
Solo travel is so freeing.
Where do you like to go? [Brady smoothly and charismatically takes over and interviews me for the remainder of our time together.]
This summer I did Toronto and Montreal. I grew up in the Seattle area, so really close to western Canada, but I had never seen any of eastern Canada.
Did you ski out there when you were growing up?
My parents claim they tried, but it didn’t connect with me. They say they put me on skis at four years old but I didn’t take to it, so they gave up.
Did you enjoy growing up in Seattle?
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I did, yeah. I grew up in the suburbs, moved to the city [of Seattle], then moved to New York. But Seattle was getting a little stale, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to move out.
Did you go to college?
I went to the University of San Diego.
Oh cool, USD. My best friend since I was 11 years old went there. We practiced at the school in 2014.
I was there! I remember it being heavily surveilled.
We had a week together—we played in Green Bay, and didn’t want to fly to Boston, then fly all the way back out [to San Diego]—I think we stayed at Torrey Pines and practiced at USD. San Diego was so great for our team. It’s not like we were struggling. We had a good season, but we were going through some ups and downs. That bonding trip was kind of a big reason why we got to the Super Bowl that year and won.
