The Associated Press has chosen Tom Brady as the NFL Comeback Player of the Year due to its incredible good performance this season after being out for several months due to a knee injury he suffered during the first quarter of the 2008 season. Brady obtained 19 votes from a panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters covering the NFL. Tampa Bay Carnell Williams ended second with 14 votes.

“I played 15 straight years without ever missing a game, high school or college or professional, so every time you walk off the field you feel very blessed,” Brady said when he was told he had won the award. “I think it was a great lesson, life experience, not only football experience, that I was able to have.”

“Things change week to week. They can change year to year,” Brady added. “Any time you spend wasting on what happened in the past, you're really losing time on what's going to happen that following week.” This is the philosophy Brady seems to have adopted during the past NFL season.

Last Sunday while playing in Houston, Brady threw for just 186 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, this was the third times in four games he threw less than 200 yards. During the entire season he threw for 4,398 yards, ending fifth in the NFL, with 28 scoring passes and 13 interceptions.

"He's had a tremendous year. I think we all know that," coach Belichick said. "Tom just brings so much to this team and our organization on and off the field: his preparation, his leadership, his performance, his unselfishness. All the things that he gives us are just top shelf, whether he did or didn't play last year."

Brady came back after a long and difficult rehab and he did it in a great way, throwing two touchdown passes in the final 2:06 to Benjamin Watson for a Patriots victory over Buffalo 25-24. This was the 29th time the quarterback led his team to victory after trailing or being tied in the fourth quarter.

Brady also led the Patriots to win the AFC East title with a solid performance, although he suffered some rib and finger injuries. Brady, who won the Super Bowl three times and was named MVP three times in that game, is the second Patriots player to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year title.