Everyone, even the best quarterback of all time, has to start somewhere.
Tom Brady may have gone to college in the midwest at the University of Michigan, but playing the 49ers in San Francisco Sunday with the Buccaneers will be the real homecoming for the quarterback.
Brady went to high school in San Mateo, California, about half an hour south of San Francisco-- Levi's stadium, the home of the 49ers and located in Santa Clara, CA, is roughly 30 minutes from Brady's hometown. He went to Junípero Serra High School, specifically, a school that has become known for its athletics program. The Padres, Junípero Serra's nickname, won two state championships in the 2010s, the first two in the school's history.
It's an impressive pedigree, one that is only bolstered by the talent it has churned out in the athletics realm. Brady is arguably the biggest name to come out Junípero Serra, but he's hardly the only one.
Here's what to know about Brady's roots, and why Sunday's game may have a little extra juice as he seeks his 250th career win.
MORE: Week 14 NFL odds, lines, and point spreads
Where is Tom Brady from?
Brady was born in San Mateo, California in 1977. The future superstar quarterback was raised there and eventually went to high school locally.
He later left to go to college at the University of Michigan, and completed his cross-country trek to the east coast when he was drafted by the Patriots in 2000.
Tom Brady high school
Brady went to Junípero Serra High School, an all-boys Catholic school in San Mateo.
The school teaches grades 9-12 and was founded in 1944.
Serra recently won a football state championship in 2017 while it was coached by Patrick Walsh, who has built a program of sorts that will be playing for the open division state championship again this season, the second year in a row.
What sports did Tom Brady play in high school?
Brady was a three-sport athlete at Serra, playing football, basketball, and baseball.
He started as the backup quarterback for the JV squad, but when the starter got hurt, he impressed in the starting role. Brady started for varsity his junior and senior years.
Brady was also a left-handed-batting catcher in high school. He got drafted in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos. While many MLB players drafted never quite make it, Brady could have been one of the lucky few.
"I think he would have been a pro," former Expos scout John Hughes said of Brady, per MLB.com. "He had all the intangibles. He could throw, left-handed power. There is no reason to think this guy couldn't have been a big-league catcher."
With that being said, it's fair to say Brady made the right choice.
MORE: Brady, Payton pass glowing endorsement onto Buffs coach Deion Sanders
Tom Brady high school football stats
After taking over in his junior year, Brady made an immediate impact.
As a senior, he threw for 2,121 yards and 20 touchdowns, according to the Serra record books. He threw for 33 touchdowns over his two years, the fifth-most in school history.
Brady is dotted up and down the record book, but the only record of his that still stands is most attempts in a game at 41, set against Cardinal Newman in 1994.
Tom Brady high school recruiting ranking
Recruiting wasn't the industry it is now, so we have to re-frame his recruitment in contemporary terms.
Brady was sought-after as a quarterback, and according to The Maize and Blue News, he would've been a four-star recruit in today's terms. The schools he narrowed his list of five to were telling. It was Michigan, USC, UCLA, Illinois, and the local Cal. So Brady had options.
Brady was on Blue Chip Illustrated and he was an All-American selection from the Prep Football Report, which had helped to improve his visibility.
MORE: Buccaneers vs. 49ers betting odds, tips, prediction
Who else went to Tom Brady's high school?
Serra is no stranger to superstars roaming its halls. Brady is hardly the only sports legend to come out of the Padres athletic program -- Though it can be argued he's the most prominent.
There are an impressive list of alumni from Junípero in the sports realm in particular.
Four-time Super Bowl winner, Super Bowl X MVP, and NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann hails from Serra, alongside home run king Barry Bonds.
Packers tackle David Bakhtiari also attended the school.
Brady's roots run deep in Northern California, and this will be his second time playing in San Francisco (Brady was on IR in his homecoming game with the Patriots). Brady went 24 of 40 passing against the 49ers in 2016, throwing for 280 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.The Patriots came out of the game with a 30-17 win.
Brady will hope for an encore performance with a new team Sunday, as the Buccaneers look to build on the momentum from last Monday's thrilling come-from-behind win against the Saints. Perhaps he can try to channel that energy to make his re-return in Santa Clara another game to remember.
