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GLENDALE, Ariz. - Tom Brady was sporting a new look Tuesday, ditching the shaggy-dog look preferred by his supermodel girlfriend, Gisele Bündchen, for shorter bangs and a clean-shaven face.

Flashing a winning smile that earned him a top-model award presentation and a proposal of marriage at the annual Media Day at Super Bowl XLII, Brady still found himself answering questions about a part of his anatomy that is as far as it can possibly be from those pearly whites.

"My ankle feels good," the Patriots' quarterback said during the hour-long interview session at University of Phoenix Stadium. "My ankle feels great. I practiced a full day yesterday. I think we had one incompletion in practice. It feels great."

It's been more than a week since New York paparazzi caught Brady wearing a protective boot on his right ankle as he limped into Bündchen's apartment, but apparently, it's the story that won't go away. And, magnified by the presence of not only sports reporters and broadcasters, but also those from the entertainment and international media, it's clear that the ankle angle will stay in vogue until Brady finally leads the Patriots' offense onto the field Sunday against the New York Giants (6:18 p.m.; Ch. 25, 64).

"It's doing good. I'm feeling better each day," he said, responding to persistent questioning. "I'm glad we had the week off and I had the chance to rest a little bit. I really feel that by the game, it's going to feel great, and there will be no issues. Not that I can run anyway, but hopefully I'll be able to skirt around some of those guys who are trying to tear my head off." When the topics finally got to football - and first, Brady had to verbally sidestep a stunningly attractive female Mexican television "reporter" dressed in a revealing bridal gown and asking for his hand in holy wedlock - the eighth-year veteran from Michigan did his best to keep from anointing himself as the best quarterback ever to play the game.

"I don't know about that," he said. "Growing up and watching Joe Montana play and watching Steve Young, they were the guys I looked up to, and I've got a long way to go for that. I've still got a lot of playing left. I'm not done."

Brady was asked a more reasonable question, whether he considered himself one of the "elite" quarterbacks in the game.

"I don't think so at all," he said. "This is my eighth season. I have so much football to play. I'm 30 years old. I've been very healthy in my career. Hopefully physically, my skills continue to improve, and hopefully mentally I continue to gain a better understanding of the game.

"Our coaching has been so stable, and the best thing throughout my career is that I've had to deal with one offense," he said. "I've never had to change offenses. I've been in the same system for my entire career. There are a lot of factors that play into being in this game and I think that's one of them - the history that we've had here."

Clearly, Brady still feels in awe of some of the great quarterbacks that have preceded him.

"Those guys, as far as I'm concerned, are in a league of their own - Joe Montana, Steve Young, Brett Favre, John Elway, Dan Marino, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach," he said. "Joe Namath I mean these guys, you still watch film of those guys and see the greatness of their play. I just saw Terry Bradshaw a little while ago, four Super Bowl rings and everything he's been through in his life, and you understand how wonderful a person he is.

"I think that's the greatest part about of all of this," he said. "You can share the experiences with people you've always looked up to, whether it be Joe Montana or Steve Young, guys I've really always admired. It's a great bond that you have with people who you've shared experiences with, and more so than anything, people who I looked up to when I was younger, now I have some things in common and that's probably the best thing about it."

Brady also has the advantage of playing for a coach, Bill Belichick, who absolutely refuses to allow distractions to disrupt his players' focus.

"We have a great coach and great coaches who keep us focused on the things we need to be focused on," Brady said. "I think there are a lot of things that are out of your control - the expectations other people might have or the things people might say about you. The only thing you can control is the way you prepare each week and this team has done a great job of doing that." Brady, calm and collected throughout the media stampede, underscored the importance of keeping one's wits when things get hectic.

"I'm pretty low key," he said. "I'm pretty consistent, so hopefully that's Zen-like. I just try to never be too up and never be too down, and just take things in stride."

It will be important to maintain that balance of yin and yang as Sunday's game approaches.

"You've got to find ways to contain the excitement so that when you come out to play, you can have the most energy you can," he said. "If you wear yourself out throughout the week and you get out there and really need your energy, you are not going to be dealing with a whole lot.

"I just hope that we as a team can really put whatever may seem important aside so that we can try to perform at our very best when it matters the most," he added. "That's why we are here. We're here to win a football game, and that's what this team has been focused on all season, and we've got one week left."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com