Today is December 12th, 2012, a rare day when all three numbers of the date are exactly the same. The next occurrence will happen on February, 2, 2022, but that is a bit in the future and a little too far away to wait around for.
In honor of this special day, here is a list (in no particular order) of some of the best athletes around the sports world that have worn the number 12, plus a few extra candidates that could also have made the list.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Quarterback, NFL
Brady is the a lock for the Hall of Fame when he retires and is still playing like the best quarterback in the NFL despite being in his 13th season in the league. He is one of the favorites to win the MVP award this season and has already taken home two of those in his career.
This season Brady has thrown for 3,833 yards and 29 touchdowns with just four interceptions and is completing 64 percent of his passes. Against the 11-2 Houston Texans on Monday night, Brady threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns and has combined to throw 12 touchdowns and one interception in the past five games.
Brady has worn the number 12 for his entire career and is the most popular Patriots jersey on the team. He has led the Patriots to seven straight wins and has lost a game in December for two years.
As one of the best quarterbacks in football, Brady has thrown for at least 28 touchdowns in each of the past four seasons and threw for a career-high 2,235 yards and 39 touchdowns last year while winning the MVP award. He also won the award in 2007 after throwing for 4,806 yards and 50 touchdowns with just eight interceptions.
Brady was a sixth round draft pick out of Michigan and got his chance with the Patriots after starter Drew Bledsoe was injured after taking a big hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Brady took over the starting job and never looked back, leading the team to the Super Bowl in 2001 while playing 15 games.
He is one of the best playoff quarterbacks of all-time and has won three championships and two Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady's career playoff record is 16-6.
Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers, Quarterback, NFL
The No. 12 is a special number for NFL quarterbacks, in part because of the career success of former Pittsburgh Steelers signal caller Terry Bradshaw. The current FOX broadcaster is considered to be one of the best NFL players of all-time and won four Super Bowls in his career.
Bradshaw was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 and won two Super Bowl MVP awards for his final two championships. His number 12 jersey is retired by the team.
During his career he threw for over 300-yards three times in the postseason and won the MVP award in 1978 after throwing for 2,915 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was drafted as the No. 1-overall pick out of Louisiana Tech and played in 13 games as a rookie, throwing for 1,410 yards and six touchdowns with a whopping 24 interceptions.
Although Bradshaw was known for turning the ball over (210 interceptions in career) he was also a playmaker and was skilled at taking big shots down the field, throwing for 212 career touchdowns. He spent his entire career with the Steelers and had his most productive seasons in 1979 when Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl. Bradshaw threw for 3,724 yards and 26 touchdowns, but also had 25 interceptions.
Bradshaw was not the most accurate passer, never completing over 60 percent of his passes in any season, but was always a winner, leading the Steelers to four championships in his career.
John Stockton, Utah Jazz, Point Guard, NBA
Stockton might be the best point guard and underrated player in NBA history. He played during the time of Jordan and teamed with Karl Malone to make the most formidable pick-and-roll duo in the league.
He ranks as the all-time NBA leader in assists and steals and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield after being inducted in 2009.
Stockton was a first round draft pick by the Jazz out of Gonzaga and was one of the most durable and versatile players in NBA history, leading the league in assists nine times and playing in 10 All-Star games.
In his first full season as a starter, Stockton averaged a double-double, scoring 14.7 points and 13.8 assists per game. He also was third in the NBA in steals with nearly three per game. Stockton averaged double-digit assists 10 times in his 19-year career and helped lead the Jazz to the playoffs every year of his career.
Stockton and Malone played an NBA-record 1,412 regular-season games together, although they never won an NBA title. Stockton is part of the list of all-time great athletes without a championship. He had a chance to win one in 1998 after taking on the Bulls in the NBA Finals, but the Jazz were defeated in six games.
He finished his career averaging 13.1 points and 10.5 assists in 1,504 career games and also averaged 2.2 steals and 31.8 minutes. Stockton's most productive season came in the 1989-90 season when he averaged a career-high 17.2 points, 14.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills, Quarterback, NFL
Quick Hits: Made it to four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills but never won one. Was part of the famed 1983 NFL Draft class that included John Elway and Dan Marino.
Joe Namath, New York Jets, Quarterback, NFL
Quick Hits: Led the Jets to their only Super Bowl win and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
