Football fans have it seen time and time again: when Tom Brady’s at the helm, a game isn’t over until it’s over—and that was never more evident than in Super Bowl LI, when Brady led the greatest Super Bowl comeback of all time. It was the finale to an incredibly tumultuous season that had started with Brady sitting out the first four games of the season, suspended for by the NFL for “Deflategate.” It’s this incredible 2016 season that Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge chronicle in 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Season of Redemption (Little, Brown; 9780316416382; 7/31/2018). 12 is also in development as a major motion picture.
Featuring interviews with Brady (the first time he’s collaborated on a book not authored by him); Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team President Jonathan Kraft; DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFLPA; Patriots players James White, Malcolm Mitchell, and Julian Edelman; as well as a number of other current and former players, executives and authorities close to the organization. 12 offers rare insight into the never before told story of the NFLPA's defense of Brady, and brings you right into the huddle of Brady's most historic games, most importantly Super Bowl 51.
In January 2015, rumors circulated that the New England Patriots?a team long suspected of abiding by the "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying" philosophy?had used under-inflated footballs in their playoff victory against the Indianapolis Colts. As evidence began to build, however, a full-on NFL investigation was launched, exploding an unsubstantiated rumor into an intense scandal that would lead news coverage for weeks. As shockwaves rippled throughout the NFL system, the very legitimacy of one of the league's most popular teams and their star quarterback began to erode, even as the Patriots and Brady went on to win that year's Super Bowl. But as the celebrations gave way to the offseason, the investigation only intensified, reopening old wounds between the Patriots' powerful owner, Robert Kraft, and the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. Brady was devastated and seemingly more nervous in front of a judge that on a gamewinning drive. When the dust settled, Brady would be able to play again ? but only after watching the first four games of the 2016 season from his couch. The pressure couldn't have been more intense: Brady's legacy was at stake. If he failed to return to his usual self, all the critics and even the history books would have to put a giant asterisk next to his name, signifying one thing: he was a cheater.
12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Season of Redemption by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge is the propulsive story of this gritty comeback. It's a drama that unfolds in the locker room, the court room, and under the brightest lights in all of sports? the Super Bowl. Now for the first time, readers will have an exclusive look at Brady's experience and the NFL's shocking strangle-hold on their players. With unprecedented access to Brady himself, his teammates, and his lawyers, we will see just how a football legend went up against one of the largest corporations in the world to stage the greatest comeback in NFL history and emerge a god of the gridiron.
12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Season of Redemption, features:
- Exclusive details of NFLPA’s defense of Tom Brady in “Deflategate”
- New details about the NFL’s motivation behind the investigation of Brady
- The heated battle between Brady's agent Don Yee and lawyers for the NFLPA over Brady defense strategy
- New details about the complicated relationship between Brady and team owner Robert Kraft
- An exclusive firsthand look inside Brady's private practices during his Deflategate suspension
- Never before revealed details of Brady's rookie year from roommates, teammates and Patriots executives, including his battle to snatch the starting job from Bledsoe, memorable first interactions with the team's coaches and administrators, details of his competitive fire on-and-off the field, and his single lifestyle
- Exclusive details from Brady, Edelman and the Krafts about Brady's scorched earth return from suspension
- New information about Brady and Robert Kraft's private moments before Super Bowl LI
- A detailed play-by-play breakdown from James White of his career day in Super Bowl LI
- Exclusive recollections of the incredible Super Bowl LI comeback from Brady, the Krafts and other key players, including White, Edelman and Malcolm Mitchell
Casey Sherman is an acclaimed journalist and author of ten books, including The Finest Hours, a New York Times bestseller that became a major motion picture, and CBS Films' Patriots Day. A graduate of Boston University, he is also a contributing writer for Esquire and Boston Magazine, an international correspondent for FOX News, and a much sought after national speaker. He lives in Massachusetts.
Dave Wedge is a veteran journalist and the bestselling author of Boston Strong, which was adapted for the 2017 feature film Patriots Day. He writes for VICE and was an award-winning investigative reporter and columnist for the Boston Herald for 14 years. He's also written for Esquire, Newsweek, and DigBoston, among other outlets. A graduate of Boston College, he is a regular commentator on local and national networks, including CNN, FoxNews, CBS, MSNBC, CNBC, Good Morning America, CBC, and E!
