Tom Brady may be a Super Bowl champion and has, arguably, the most recognizable face in the NFL. 
 
 But worldwide, he's far from the most well-known athlete, according a new ESPN study that ranked him at No. 21 on a list of the most famous athletes in the world 
 
 Brady is the seventh American on the list, behind LeBron James (2), Phil Mickelson (5), Kevin Durant (8), Tiger Woods (10), Stephen Curry (11), Ronda Rousey (16), Jordan Spieth (17) and Serena Williams (19). He came in behind five tennis players, four golfers, three basketball players, four soccer players, one sprinter, one MMA fighter and two cricket players. 
 
 The Patriots quarterback was the top NFL player ranked in the study that compiles data across five different categories -- endorsement money, Twitter followers, Instagram followers, Facebook followers and Google Trends score -- to produce the ranking. 
 
 The ranking is a spike for Brady, who came in at No. 52 and the sixth most famous football player on last year's inaugural list. But he leaped Cam Newton, Peyton Manning (retired), Odell Beckham Jr., Drew Brees and Russell Wilson to jump to 21 on the overall list. Increased endorsements and a new Instagram following, among other factors, seem to have contributed. 
 
 Some other items of note from the list: 
 
 -- The only other Boston tie-in included in the list is U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman, who made it in at No. 99. The Needham native captained last summer's U.S. Olympic team to another team gold medal. 
 
 -- Both Rob Gronkowski (72) and David Ortiz (78) dropped out of this year's list after making it last year. 
 
 -- After eight baseball players and three hockey players cracked last year's list, neither sport was represented on this year's version. 
 
 -- Sixteen NFL players made last year's list, and that number was cut in half. Brady tops the list of eight that includes Cam Newton (47), Drew Brees (52), Russell Wilson (55), Aaron Rodgers (56), Eli Manning (60), Odell Beckham, Jr. (64) and J.J. Watt (74). ||||| LOS ANGELES -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said it didn't take long for his team to realize what its Super Bowl season meant to the people in the Gulf Coast. 
 
 "We were playing more than just football," said Payton, in his acceptance speech for the best team at the ESPY Awards. "We were playing for the region, for our city, beginning in 2006 after [Hurricane] Katrina and culminating this February in Miami." 
 
 The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees were the big winners at the ESPY Awards. 
 
 Brees received four trophies, including male athlete of the year, on Wednesday night. He also won best championship performance, best NFL player and shared the team award with his Super Bowl-champion colleagues. 
 
 "It's hard to beat the Lakers in L.A.," Payton said, hoisting the silver team trophy. 
 
 Brees was chosen male athlete over Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jimmie Johnson and Albert Pujols. All but James picked up trophies in other categories. 
 
 "I'd also like to thank the Who Dat nation," Brees said. "We love you." 
 
 Gold medal-winning skier Lindsey Vonn won female athlete of the year honors during the show hosted by "Saturday Night Live" comic Seth Meyers that aired live on ESPN from the Nokia Theatre. She beat out Serena Williams and basketball players Maya Moore of Connecticut and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury. 
 
 "This is coming from the fans," Vonn said backstage. "It's not basketball, tennis or golf. It's not as highly viewed as other sports. To win is a lot more than I expected." 
 
 Vonn was also chosen best female U.S. Olympian. 
 
 Landon Donovan of the U.S. national soccer team picked up three trophies, for best moment in a World Cup game against Algeria, best MLS player and the performance under pressure award. He didn't join his U.S. teammates backstage. 
 
 Phil Mickelson ended Tiger Woods' five-year run as best male golfer, denying Woods a record 23rd career ESPY. 
 
 Meyers worked some jokes about Woods' sex scandal into his monologue. 
 
 "We all know which free agent is making the most money this summer -- Elin Nordegren," he said, referring to the golfer's estranged wife. 
 
 "Everyone, give it up for Tiger Woods, if you haven't already," Meyers said, drawing one of his biggest laughs. 
 
 Phil Jackson of the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers was named best coach and Bryant won best NBA player. 
 
 James was booed when a montage of male athlete nominees was shown. He didn't attend the 18th annual awards. 
 
 Meyers zinged James' decision to leave Cleveland as a free agent and sign with the Miami Heat. 
 
 "Did it really need to be an hour?" Meyers said. "Somebody time me. Miami. How long did that take? A second." 
 
 Actors Steve Carell and Paul Rudd spoofed James' hourlong decision special on ESPN in a pre-taped bit that culminated in Carell announcing he had chosen to eat dinner at Outback instead of his longtime haunt Chili's. 
 
 Meyers closed the show by saying, "Stay tuned to ESPN for an encore presentation of LeBron James' 'The Decision.'" 
 
 The year's best game honor went to the U.S.-Canada gold-medal hockey game at the Vancouver Olympics, won by the host nation. 
 
 Minnesota Vikings teammates Brett Favre and Greg Lewis shared the best play award for Favre's last-second pass to Lewis early last season. 
 
 "A lot of debate about better pass, better catch. That was one heck of a catch," Favre told the audience. "That was just a little blip on the radar of what kind of season we had. At 40, I still felt like I could do it. You guys made me believe it. It was just a magical year." 
 
 Favre hasn't announced whether he'll play this season and Lewis appeared alone backstage. 
 
 "I really couldn't get a read on whether he's coming back or not," Lewis told reporters. "I hope he comes back." 
 
 Denver Nuggets coach George Karl received the Jimmy V ESPY for Perseverance. He missed games and practices last season while battling neck and throat cancer. A thinner Karl appeared well, although he didn't come backstage. 
 
 The Arthur Ashe Courage Award went to the Thomas family of Parkersburg, Iowa, for its courage to forgive. In June 2009, coach Ed Thomas was shot and killed in the high school football team's weight room by Mark Becker, one of his former players. Favre presented the award to Thomas' wife, Jan, and sons, Aaron and Todd. 
 
 "Without our faith I don't think there's any way we could get through this tragedy," Todd Thomas said.
– Tom Brady who? The all-star NFL quarterback might be a household name in the US, but he doesn't even make the top 20 of ESPN's list of the most famous athletes in the world, reports the Boston Herald. The 10 most well-known athletes, based on social media followers, endorsement money, and internet search popularity: Cristiano Ronaldo LeBron James Lionel Messi Roger Federer Phil Mickelson Neymar Usain Bolt Kevin Durant Rafael Nadal Tiger Woods Click to see the highest-ranking female athlete or the best US cities for football fans.