Tom Brady (no, not him) ran the 5,000 meters in the Olympic qualifying races

“I just thought, ‘Oh, crap, Tom Brady went there,'” Tom Brady said. “‘Whatever, I’ll just deal with it.'”

On Thursday night, Brady ran in the USA Track and Field qualifiers wearing a maize-colored uniform with a blue “M” peeking out from under it and a bib that read “BRADY,” drawing the kind of jokes and attention Brady has become accustomed to since choosing to run at Michigan, the alma mater of the seven-time Super Bowl quarterback of the same name. Brady, a two-time Big Ten 10,000-meter champion, holds the school record in the 5,000-meter run, the 10,000-meter run and for hearing bad jokes about his name.

“I don’t mind,” Brady said. “I chose to go to Michigan, so I have only myself to blame.”

Brady – the runner, not the quarterback – competed on the biggest stage of his career at Hayward Field on Thursday night, finishing last in the first heat of the 5,000 meters, a result that did not dampen his enthusiasm for what Brady called a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

During the early laps of the race, NBC focused its camera on Brady and discussed the nominative determinism at play here. Brady did not run at Michigan because of the name coincidence, but he did not shy away from running at Michigan because of it.

“I’m a huge football fan,” Brady said. “Growing up, I was always against Tom Brady because he was so good and I’m a huge Bears fan. I was definitely aware of that. I made the decision anyway and have heard a lot of jokes about it over the years.”

“At least you get more recognition for your achievements than someone with similar achievements. I take it as it is and have fun with it. I decided to go to Michigan.”

Brady the runner was born in 2000, a year before Brady the football player became the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback. So his parents had no idea they were about to burden their son with a life of doubt. It probably wouldn’t have mattered: Brady’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father are all named Tom Brady. (He’s not a fourth because they have different middle names; his name is Declan.)

“I think it’s been in our family for longer than it has been in his family,” Brady said.

Brady called himself Tommy for a while in high school, but he never considered a variation of his name that would distinguish him from others. “My dad is Tom,” Brady said. “I wanted to be Tom. I think that’s the very adult way of doing things. I never felt like Thomas was who I was. So I’m a Tom – Tom Brady.”

Brady gets asked many of the same questions. “Is your name really Tom Brady?” is the most annoying. Another common question is, “Have you ever played football?”

He did. Tom Brady played tight end for six years. “Not a quarterback,” Brady said. “I’m not a good quarterback.”

One look at Brady, who is 5’7″, makes it hard to believe he ever played tight end. “I was big enough then,” Brady said. “I stopped growing in seventh grade. Running was the best way to relax.”

To answer another question he is often asked: No, he has never met or spoken to the quarterback.

“I’m sure he has better things to do than make fun of a guy who has the same name and comes from the same school,” Brady said. “He seems like a great guy. It’s great to be compared to a guy like that.”

Brady doesn’t mind the name issue. He knew who he was inviting when he went to Michigan. It’s not like he’s the only one with the same name as a celebrity. In one college race, he finished next to an Air Force runner named Luke Combs. “And then there’s Will Smith from Gonzaga,” Brady said.

Brady didn’t expect much from the trials. He contracted mononucleosis in the spring, which limited his training to two easy 4-mile runs a day. In preparation for Thursday, he hadn’t even run a 5,000-meter race. Still, he wanted to have the experience, because he knows he won’t do it again. Brady is moving back to Chicago. He plans to become a software developer.

“Track and field isn’t really an option,” Brady said. “Maybe I’m the kind of guy who will run a marathon one day and see what I can do. I don’t know if I can do track and field while working full time. Maybe this is my only chance.”

So Brady lined up at the starting line, surrounded by America’s best runners. He stood next to Cole Hocker, who had won the 1500m two days earlier and is quickly becoming one of America’s best distance runners of all time.

“We’re the same age, but this guy has done incredible things in his career,” Brady said. “It’s definitely a little bit like, ‘Wow, I’m really next to him.’ But also like, ‘I’m going to compete against him. Let’s see what happens.'”

Brady and Hocker ran shoulder to shoulder for most of the race. In the final laps, Hocker surged ahead and won while Brady fell behind, but he still enjoyed being able to step onto the Hayward Field track.

“It’s just cool to compete against a lot of these guys and see what I can do,” Brady said.

Brady is still looking for a job in the Chicago area. The technology sector is tough right now, he said. He has two degrees in computer engineering and specializes in back-end systems. If someone needs a guy, he’s available and should be in demand. It’s not every day you can hire Tom Brady.