HONOLULU -- To say it's been a storybook season for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady doesn't do justice to what's occurred since Week 2 when Drew Bledsoe got hurt.

	Tom Brady has had plenty to smile about over the past week.

All Brady -- a sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan in just his second year in the NFL -- did was lead the Patriots to an 11-3 record in 14 games as a starter during the regular season and to the first Super Bowl championship in team history, becoming the youngest quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl at 24.

For his effort in Super Bowl XXXVI, when he completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown and drove New England into postion for the game-winning field goal, Brady was selected MVP of the Super Bowl.

Based on his performance during the regular season, Brady earned a spot in the Pro Bowl and hopefully a little rest after a whirlwind two-plus days that saw him win a Super Bowl on Sunday, fly to Disney World on Monday, fly back to Boston for a victory parade on Tuesday and then fly straight out to Hawaii, arriving late Tuesday night.

Not bad for a kid who wasn't even the exclusive starting quarterback his senior year at Michigan when he shared time with freshman sensation Drew Henson, who is now a third baseman in the Yankees' minor league system.

"It's unbelievable when you consider how young he is and the situation he stepped in to," said Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon.

Unbelievable is one word to describe what has basically been one long dream that Brady still hasn't quite woken up from.

"It certainly has been (like a dream)," Brady said when asked to put the season into some kind of perspective. "Hopefully I won't wake up from it for about another week. I want to get a win here at the Pro Bowl -- it would be a great way to cap everything."

Granting Wishes

While Brady has had a hand in fulfilling his own dreams this season, he also helped fulfill the dreams of a group of kids who were at Aloha Stadium on Thursday as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Chris McMahon from Wisconsin was especially happy to see Brady. Decked out in a Brady jersey and a Patriots hat, Chris, 15, who suffers from Muscular Dystrophy, was ecstatic to see his favorite player from his favorite team. Not only did Brady take the time to take a picture with every kid waiting in line for an autograph, he also stopped on his way back out to talk one more time with Chris. "It's great," said Brady when asked about getting the opportunity to talk with the kids from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "Those kids haven't been blessed with very much in their life. And for us to come and see those kids, it's pretty neat to watch their expressions and it's pretty rewarding for us." -- Peter Lawrence-Riddell

While Brady is looking for a win Saturday, he's also looking forward to some rest.

"As soon as the game is over, I'm going to be ready to escape for about a month."

But for now, he's just enjoying his time in Hawaii as a first-time Pro Bowler.

"It's nice to come out and meet all these guys that you've played against. There are so many great players out here and you get to come out and enjoy being around them and watch how they play and how they get it done. There's no doubt why a lot of these guys are here."

Don't expect Brady to take it easy during the offseason. He knows how amazing the Patriots' season has been and how hard it will be to duplicate.

"If you get complacent, there are too many other great teams that are just waiting to bury you. You realize now that you're defending Super Bowl champs and that you're a marked team and that you get everyone's best shot."

At the same time, he also knows that he has to make sure to completely appreciate everything he's accomplished personally and everything the team has accomplished.

"That's why we play, for years like this. You just have to appreciate them when you get them, because every person that I talk to tells me to appreciate it because you never know when something like this is going to happen again."

The Patriots likely will enter the 2002 season as underdogs again. Despite being the defending Super Bowl champions, it's doubtful that they'll be considered favorites to repeat.

But after the run that Tom Brady put together this season, who is going to bet against him?

Peter Lawrence-Riddell is the assistant NFL editor for ESPN.com