FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Tom Brady probably won't receive any birthday cards or congratulatory texts from the New York Jets. They've been tormented by the man for 16 years, starting when he was a 24-year-old nobody. They have every reason to despise him, his five rings and everything else in his perfect life.
And yet ...
"I tip my hat to him," Jets cornerback Buster Skrine said. "I hope he plays until he's 50."
How can this be? Where is the hate?
Well, here's the thing: Players respect players, especially the ones who can survive -- and thrive -- in this blood sport called football. It's a fraternity thing, and sometimes you have to give props to the enemy. The Jets' No. 1 nemesis turns 40 on Thursday, and not even they feel like raining on his birthday.
"Anybody over 35 and playing at a high level -- whether it's Ben [Roethlisberger], James Harrison, any guys like that, even Josh McCown -- I think is amazing," nose tackle Steve McLendon said.
The Jets franchise has watched Brady grow up in the NFL. They were the opponent on that fateful day in 2001 when Brady got his big break. Mo Lewis took out Drew Bledsoe, in came Brady and a Hollywood story unfolded.
Vinny Testaverde, the Jets' quarterback on that day, is one of the few people on this planet who can relate to Brady's battle against Father Time. Testaverde, Brett Favre and Warren Moon are the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era who started at least 10 games in a season after turning 40. In fact, Testaverde started these kinds of games more than anyone -- 15 while playing for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004.
Testaverde also spent part of the 2006 season with the New England Patriots, giving him an up-close look into Brady's world.
"I didn't know much about his routine, but one of the things I noticed is that he worked very hard in the weight room," Testaverde said. "He was very serious. You could also tell he was on some kind of nutritional plan because he didn't go in the lunch room and eat whatever was being served that day. He was careful about what he put in his body.
"But the biggest surprise to me was his arm strength. He has what I call effortless power in terms of velocity. He makes it look easy, almost like a pitch-and-catch with his receivers. You could tell he spent a lot of time perfecting his mechanics."
Testaverde was in his final season with the Jets (2003) when he hit the big four-oh.
"When I turned 40, I heard a number of people saying how old I was at the time," said Testaverde, who always amazed teammates with his prowess in the weight room. "If you let the naysayers get inside your head, you'll feel really old. It's a mental game. If you think you're tired and old, you are."
Testaverde is one of 12 quarterbacks who have started at least one game for the Jets during the Brady era. Brady is so old that Leonard Williams was only 6 when the Patriots star broke into the league.
"I'm not sure what his diet is and what time he goes to sleep," Skrine said, "but if you look at Tom Brady, he still looks young."
Luck has something to do with it, right? After all, Brady has suffered only one major injury in his career.
"I don't give that man no luck," McLendon said. "That man probably works extremely hard for his rings. He puts the work in, he eats right. I take my hat off to him. He's a champion."
Former Jets linebacker Marvin Jones, who played against Brady from 2001 to 2003, believes his former rival has benefited greatly from rule changes that protect quarterbacks.
"What the guy has done is remarkable -- I have nothing but respect for him -- but they changed all the rules and you can't hit people," Jones said. "Do you think he'd have lasted this long if he played in the '90s?"
Jones was on the field on that historic day in 2001 when Brady took over late in the game and nearly rallied the Patriots to a win. "I remember thinking, 'If that guy had started the game, we would've got our ass beat,'" Jones said.
The Jets won the day, but Brady has won the last 16 years.