The 2021 ESPY Awards took place on Saturday night in New York City. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady of San Mateo, California not only was named the top National Football League player, but the top male athlete in 2021 as well.
Remarkably, it was the first time Brady won the award, and it came while he was the age of 43. He was nominated for the award thrice before, but lost to cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2004, golfer Tiger Woods in 2008, and ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin in 2018.
Brady is the first football player to win the award since Drew Brees won in 2010. The only other two NFL players to win the best male athlete at the ESPY Awards were Steve Young in 1995, and LaDainian Tomlinson in 2007.
A major reason why Brady won the 2021 ESPY Award was because he guided the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title. In the 2020 regular season, Brady completed 401 passes in 610 attempts for 4633 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. This was Brady’s first year in Tampa Bay after two decades with the New England Patriots.
Among the athletes Brady beat to win the ESPY Award were Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, basketball star Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. Remarkably, McDavid was nominated as a top male athlete, but was not named the top NHL player, as he lost to Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers won the best team at the ESPYs, and the best play went to Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, who launched a remarkable 43-yard game-winning touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins in a 32-30 Cardinals win over the Buffalo Bills on November 15.
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