Foxborough, Mass. ? Tom Brady arrives at Gillette Stadium before the sun comes up. As always, there is work to be done, and no time to waste.

Yes, he is the superstar quarterback with the golden arm and the sharp football mind. Yes, he is in position to break Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 49 touchdown passes. And yes, he is the main reason the New England Patriots are challenging the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ status as the only team to go undefeated for an entire Super Bowl season.

This, however, is what teammates see and respect:

“When you see him here at 6:15 in the morning, lifting weights, watching film and working out, I think that’s not a sign of a guy that’s getting a big head,” safety Rodney Harrison said.

And that is why Brady was both flattered at being selected The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, and determined to spread the honor around.

“I play in a team sport,” Brady said. “Everybody I play with is responsible for what each of us accomplishes as individuals and for what we all accomplish as a team.”

Brady received 51 votes from members of The AP, 18 more than runner-up Roger Federer, who won his fifth straight Wimbledon and fourth straight U.S. Open tennis tournament in 2007. They were followed by Tiger Woods, Manning, Barry Bonds and Josh Beckett.

Lorena Ochoa, who won eight tournaments including the Women’s British Open and became the first LPGA Tour player to win $4 million in a season, was the runaway choice as top female athlete for the second consecutive year.

Ochoa received 71 votes from members of The Associated Press, equal to the combined total of the next seven athletes below her on the list.

Justine Henin, who won her third straight French Open title in tennis, was second with 18 votes. Rounding out the top five were New York Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe, Tennessee basketball player Candace Parker and Allyson Felix, the second woman in history to win three gold medals at the World Track and Field Championships.