ESPN ranked Tom Brady No. 21 on its ‘World Fame 100’ list
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was the highest-ranked NFL player on ESPN’s recently released World Fame 100 list.
Coming in at No. 21 — up 31 spots from his No. 52 rank in 2016 — Brady was praised for his ability to produce offense and his five Super Bowl championships. The 39-year-old currently ranks fourth all-time in touchdowns, passing yards, and completions.
In order to quantify an athlete’s fame, the methodology, which was developed by ESPN’s Director of Sports Analytics Ben Alamar, takes into consideration five factors: endorsement money, Twitter followers, Instagram followers, Facebook followers and Google Trends score.
According to Forbes, Brady brings in $8 million in endorsements annually, with the most recent being a deal with luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin. While he is not currently on Twitter, the Patriots QB touts 2.4 million Instagram followers and 4.3 million on Facebook.
Other NFL players who made the cut include five quarterbacks, Cam Newton (No. 47), Drew Brees (52), Russell Wilson (55), Aaron Rodgers (56), Eli Manning (60); wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (64), and defensive end J.J. Watt (74).
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal retained the top spot on the list for the second straight year, while Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Lebron James and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi rounded out the top three.
