Right of way: Tom Brady navigates the fast lane on the sports highway by staying grounded in family values, heeding an insecurity that leaves him with an insatiable drive to succeed—and refusing to get caught up in his own celebrity

Kraft and Belichick have talked with Brady about being a star. "One of the things that worried me," says Kraft, "is that with the adulation which comes with the success we've had, someone's head can get messed up. I told him, in the end all you do is throw a football; you haven't discovered the cure for AIDS. I have heard him repeat that line; I really think he believes it. That is what makes him special; he is not caught up in his own celebrity, and for a young man, that is very hard."

"Look," says Brady, "sometimes I get frustrated--maybe too much. Some days aren't ideal; I am just like anyone else. I can be upset with my friends or my girlfriend or my job. I had a hard time understanding why people were making a big fuss over me; I just play football. I understand it better now. I just don't want anyone to think of me as a jerk. I was a 49ers fan growing up, hoping for autographs, and I had some bad experiences, so I know what it is like on the other side. But I have a sister who is a single mona who works two jobs and is in nursing school. I couldn't do that. I am so proud of her. That's someone to admire. Football is very important to me, but it is not the only thing in my life. It is something I do; it is not who I am. Ultimately, this is about being a good brother, a good son, a good friend, a good boyfriend and, hopefully one day, being a great husband and a great father. I think that will make me feel better as a person regardless of what happens in football."

But for now, there are more games to win and Super Bowls to stalk and, oh, yes, a prank to plan to gain revenge for that silly string caper. The rest of the glamour, well, that can wait.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

1968 Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers

1969 Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1970 John Wooden, UCLA basketball

1971 Lee Trevino, golf

1972 Charles O. Finley, Oakland A's

1973 O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills

1974 Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals

1975 Archie Griffin, Ohio State football

1976 Larry O'Brien, NBA commissioner

1977 Steve Cauthen, jockey

1978 Ron Guidry, New York Yankees

1979 Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates

1980 George Brett, Kansas City Royals

1981 Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers

1982 Whitey Herzog, St. Louis Cardinals

1983 Bowie Kuhn, MLB commissioner

1984 Peter Ueberroth, Olympics

1985 Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds

1986 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1987 None

1988 Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympics

1989 Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers

1990 Nolan Ryan, Texas Rangers

1991 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1992 Mike Krzyzewski, Duke basketball

1993 Cito Gaston and Pat Gillick, Toronto Blue Jays

1994 Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys

1995 Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles

1996 Joe Torre, New York Yankees

1997 Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals

1998 Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, and Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs

1999 New York Yankees

2000 Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams

2001 Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks

2002 Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame football