Tom Brady was slated to be a bench warmer until….
The New England Patriots are a NFL dynasty. How did New England do it? The reasons are many, but one reason is clear–Tom Brady.
Brady picked in NFL Draft (photo courtesy, YouTube)
Drafted in the 6th round, the 199th pick overall, in the 2000 NFL Draft, Tom Brady was thought to be just another backup quarterback. He was slated to be #2 man behind starter Drew Bledsoe, who had been the Patriots starter since 1993.
In 2001, Bledsoe signed a then-record ten-year, 103 million dollar contract. That made Bledsoe the Patriots’ quarterback of the future.
But when Brady met owner Robert Kraft, he’s reputed to have said: “I’m the best decision this organization will make.” Kraft laughed at what he thought was an outrageous claim.
It turned out to be true.
In Week 2 of the 2001 season, the Patriots were losing 10-3 to the NY Jets. Bledsoe rolled to his right and ran, headed out-of-bounds … when Jets’ linebacker Mo Lewis delivered a hard, but clean, hit. The tackle knocked Bledsoe out of the game.
When Tom Brady entered the contest, a Pats’ staff member expressed angst. “There goes the season. This guy Brady isn’t that good.” Brady had a few completions that day, but his performance wasn’t good enough to win. The Jets maintained the lead and won, 10-3.
After the game, it was clear that Bledsoe’s injury was more severe than first thought. At the hospital, the attending physician told Bledsoe that he was lucky to be alive. A sheared blood vessel in his chest could have been fatal.
#199 in the 6th
Bledsoe would sit. Brady would start.
Bledsoe never returned as the Pats’ starter. Brady won games. He kept winning, too. And here we are, again, in 2019 with Brady still at the helm and still winning games.
Every year in the NFL Draft, one of the big questions is who will be “The Brady Pick”–the 199th pick in the 6th round. Last year, it was Washington State QB, Luke Falk.
The dynasty began in that 6th Round. And Tom Brady became a legend.
