Tom Brady looks back at his love for football in new docuseries

Tom Brady says his deep love of football was born not on the fields where he eventually starred, but in the stands as a boy cheering on the San Francisco 49ers.

The legendary quarterback opens up about his childhood fandom in the upcoming four-part documentary Rise of the 49ers, which premieres Feb. 1 and 2 on AMC and AMC+.

Although Brady never played for the 49ers during his 23-season NFL career, he grew up in nearby San Mateo, Calif., attending games at the iconic Candlestick Park with his family and watching the team’s dynasty of the 1980s and early ’90s. 

In an exclusive preview shared by People, he recalls being just four years old at the 1981 NFC Championship and crying because he couldn’t see the action over the crowd, early evidence of the passion that would shape his future.

Brady, who was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000 and later won six titles with them and a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, serves as both narrator and co-producer of the docuseries alongside AMC Studios, Skydance Sports, NFL Films and his own Religion of Sports production company.

Rise of the 49ers chronicles the franchise’s transformation into one of the NFL’s great teams, spotlighting figures such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young, and weaving Brady’s personal reflections into the broader story of football history.