Tom Brady's father revealed he and his wife both battled coronavirus last year in a "life and death" situation as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar prepares for his 10th Super Bowl.
Another Super Bowl awaits six-time champion Brady, who guided the Buccaneers past the top-seeded Green Bay Packers 31-26 in Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field.
Brady – who is in his first season with the Buccaneers after 20 trophy-laden campaigns at the New England Patriots, led Tampa Bay to the NFL showpiece for the first time since 2003.
Tampa Bay will become the first team in NFL history to play a home Super Bowl – at Raymond James Stadium, where defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs await on February 7.
It has been a challenging season in the NFL and for people around the world due to COVID-19, and Tom Brady Sr. opened up on a family battle involving his wife Galynn that left the Buccaneers quarterback "stressed out".
"When the season started this year I was in the hospital with COVID for almost three weeks and my wife was sick with COVID at the same time," Brady Sr. told ESPN.
"We didn't even see the first two games of the year. It was the first two games I ever missed of his career because I was sick as a dog and my wife was as sick as a dog.
"I didn't even care if they were playing much less missing the game. It was a matter of life and death, just like anyone who goes into the hospital. It was serious stuff.
"Tommy fought through it and now it's in the rear-view mirror. We're healthy, we're happy and everything is good."
Brady – who will go head-to-head with reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV – now has more playoff wins since turning 35 (17) than any other quarterback has in his entire career, per Stats Perform.
Tampa Bay's Brady became the third player all-time with three-plus touchdown passes and three-plus interceptions in a conference championship game, joining Joe Montana (1981 NFC Championship) and Mark Malone (1984 AFC Championship).
It was also the fourth time Brady has thrown three-plus interceptions in a playoff game, and his teams are 3-1 in those matchups (most such wins all-time) – his sides are 0-9 when he has three-plus interceptions in a regular-season game.
This was the 20th occasion Brady has led his team to 30-plus points in a postseason game – no other player has even half that total (second is Troy Aikman with nine). Brady's teams are 18-2 in those games.
Brady will feature in his 10th Super Bowl – the next most by a player is six by Mike Lodish and Stephen Gostkowski, after the Buccaneers became the fifth team all-time to win three road games in a single postseason.
"This year has been unbelievable," he continued. "Not knowing where we're going to start the season out, and being where we are to end the season is just a stunning development as far as I'm concerned.
"… Getting to the 10th Super Bowl in 19 years of playing is pretty -- it's incomprehensible, actually. It's beyond anything we could ever imagine."
Kostic expresses gratitude to Eintracht ahead of Juventus move
Filip Kostic has expressed his gratitude to Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of his move to Juventus.
The Serbia winger is on the verge of completing his switch to Juve, ending a four-year spell with Eintracht.
Kostic helped the Bundesliga club win the Europa League last season and has played more games (167) and started more matches (161) than any other player for the club since his arrival from Hamburg.
The 29-year-old says Eintracht will always have a special place in his heart.
"THANK YOU Eintracht Frankfurt for believing in me when no one else did!" he posted on Instagram.
"I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the club, all the wonderful people who work at the club, the team-mates, the coaches, the management, the fans and the whole city for making my stay at the club and in the city unforgettable.
"Eintracht fans, thank you for supporting us every game. We bled together for the colours of the club, you in the stands and us on the field.
"Together we managed to write club history by winning the Europa League. Thank you for all the love and support you have given me.
"We wouldn't have made it without you. I will carry you in my heart forever."
PSG striker Kalimuendo joins Rennes for €25m after being linked with Leeds United transfer
Paris Saint-Germain striker Arnaud Kalimuendo has joined Rennes in a reported €25million transfer, penning a five-year deal with the Ligue 1 side.
Kalimuendo, a France Under-21 international who signed his first professional contract with PSG as a 17-year-old in 2019, had been strongly linked with Premier League side Leeds United after they missed out on Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere to Milan.
The pacey forward has spent each of the last two seasons on loan at Lens, scoring 12 league goals in the 2021-22 campaign as they recorded an impressive seventh-placed finish.
Only nine players, including PSG stars Kylian Mbappe (28) and Neymar (13), outscored Kalimuendo last term, earning the 20-year-old a big-money move to Europa League qualifiers Rennes.
PSG boss Christophe Galtier had confirmed Kalimuendo's move was imminent earlier on Thursday, while Mauro Icardi is also expected to leave the Parc des Princes to make room for another attacking recruit.
Rennes lost their Ligue 1 opener to Lorient last Sunday and face a trip to Monaco in their second game of the campaign on Saturday.
Tedesco: Werner 'needs to enjoy what's he's doing' after returning to RB Leipzig from Chelsea
Timo Werner simply needs to enjoy his football again after ending his frustrating Chelsea spell by returning to RB Leipzig, according to his new head coach Domenico Tedesco.
The Germany forward failed to live up to expectations after arriving at Stamford Bridge for a fee of £47.5million (€50m) two years ago, scoring just 10 Premier League goals in 56 appearances.
Werner had previously made his name during a four-year spell at Leipzig, for whom his tally of 95 goals remains a club record, and re-joined the side on a four-year contract this week for a fee said to be around £25m.
Tedesco, who led Leipzig to a fourth-placed Bundesliga finish after taking over midway through last season, is keen to avoid heaping pressure on the 26-year-old following his disappointing time in the Premier League.
"As for Timo, there is no pressure at all," Tedesco told a news conference. "Of course, we notice what kind of commotion that's creating. He's coming back, he played for Leipzig before as you know.
"He did a good job then. That's all we ask for. He just needs to enjoy what he's doing. He did the full pre-season with Chelsea but only played two games with them.
"So we will not burden him. We all have to be careful that we don't overload him. We just want him to have fun, show his strengths, of which he has many.
"The rest will come bit by bit. This won't happen overnight."
Leipzig recorded 28 shots and enjoyed 68 per cent of the possession in their Bundesliga opener at Stuttgart last Sunday, but could only manage a 1-1 draw after taking the lead eight minutes in.
Tedesco's side have also added David Raum and Xaver Schlager for eight-figure fees in the transfer window, but he insists their arrivals have not placed him under greater pressure to deliver, adding: "I am happy to have these guys on our team. You feel the biggest pressure from yourself.
"We would like to play every game like the one in Stuttgart but then also win. Other than that, [we want] the feeling to look forward and the joy to have a squad like this.
"We are looking forward to midweek fixtures soon. Then we can get things going with this squad. This will also be important.
"It makes a difference if we play every seven days or every three and a half days. Playing will be more fun. It was like that last season and now our team is even broader."
Leipzig host Koln in their first home match of the Bundesliga season on Saturday.
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