Tom Brady voices support for Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles on mental health issues

Tom Brady feels for you, Naomi Osaka.

You too, Simone Biles.

The man with a record seven Super Bowl championship rings has surely noticed and on some levels can relate to the high-profile struggles two of the world’s most successful athletes have encountered this summer, which have raised awareness about the challenges of coping with immense pressure.

Osaka, 23, withdrew from the French Open in May while citing mental health issues, skipped Wimbledon and, after a third-round upset on Friday in attempting to defend her U.S. Open singles title, tearfully announced that she will take an indefinite break from the sport.

Biles, 24, pulled out of four individual finals during the Tokyo Olympics before returning to win a bronze medal in the balance beam final. A seven-time Olympic medalist, Biles hasn’t declared whether she will continue competing. 

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“It’s interesting,” Brady told USA TODAY Sports in August. “I think there are so many young people in sports. Obviously, Naomi’s really young. Simone’s really young. I’m 44. When I was 24, I certainly didn’t have all the answers to all the different pressures and the adversities that you face. I don’t know if we have expectations for people that we should have all the answers, have all things figured out at young ages.

“It’s very difficult to deal with a lot of things that are thrust upon you when you have a degree of success. Things in your family dynamics change. You’re still learning and growing. You’re going through a lot at 21, 22, 23, 24, just as a human being. And now you’re dealing with it on the world stage. So, there’s absolutely challenges to be dealt with and adversities to overcome at that age. Even at 44, you’re dealing with different things and adversities. And now you have kids, wives and off-field stuff like we all do in our careers. So, life has its challenges for all of us. You just hope that people can manage them and get through them in as healthy way of a way as possible and that you can learn from them and that they make you into a more self-aware person. And that’s obviously what I hope for Simone and Naomi.”

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You’d think that perhaps no NFL player would understand pressures confronting Osaka and Biles more than Brady, who is ramping up to lead the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers into the NFL’s kickoff season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. He was 24 when he won his first Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in the 2001 season and achieved his success over many years while under intense scrutiny.

When pondering the cases of Osaka and Biles, he pointed out a difference with the nature of their sports as compared to his. In football, he’s surrounded by teammates on every play. Biles, although the leading gymnast on the U.S. team, competes individually in her given events. Osaka’s tennis greatness is stamped by her prowess as a singles champion, which includes four Grand Slam titles.

Undoubtedly, Osaka and Biles have other pressures as female athletes of color. Yet common ground with Brady comes with high-profile stature and associated demands of managing their careers and personal lives.

How has Brady coped with that?

“I think I’ve really just tried to rely on people that I’m around that can really keep me grounded and stay focused on what’s really important,” said Brady, a father of three who is married to supermodel Gisele Bündchen. “Yeah, wins and losses are important for all of us and performing our best. For me, it’s always been not trying to let people down. That’s been a great motivator for me in my career.

“I know my teammates work hard and all the coaches work hard. I always want to feel like I put my team in a position to be successful. So, that’s a big part of my motivation. I probably would have never done well in individual sports. There’s different psychological challenges for those two. So, I have a great group of teammates; I rely on them to help me when I’m not where I want to be. That’s just a blessing about playing team sports. I admire the people that can deal with them individually and it’s definitely a challenge.”

It’s also a given that Brady has endured his share of setbacks and gut checks over the course of his long career. Although the cases of Biles and Osaka are unique to their individual circumstances, Brady knows something about the lessons that come with adversity.

“That’s sports,” Brady said. “You’re always going to have low points. Things aren’t going to go the way you want. A lot of times you learn more in your losses than you do in your victories. It’s great to win. But the self-evaluation is a lot different when things are more difficult and when things aren’t going well.”

Brady knows. Being one of the greatest ever doesn’t happen without some serious pressure.