Tom Brady’s NFL journey is legendary, marked by seven Super Bowl wins and five MVP honors, solidifying his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever in the league. But hidden beneath his triumphs is a time in college when he faced doubts and found himself warming the bench more often.
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Recently, “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” director Matthew Hamacheck sat for an interview at the “Rich Eisen Show.” In the show, he discussed Tom Brady’s journey from being an underdog to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Tom Brady faced challenges throughout his career, like being overlooked by other players, such as former QB Drew Henson in his college days. When Brady first joined as a freshman at the University of Michigan, he was way down the order, being the seventh-string quarterback. But as time went on, he worked hard and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the starting quarterback by his senior year.
However, just when Brady earned the starting spot, a talented young player named Drew Henson emerged. Hamacheck reveals that Brady himself admitted that Henson had impressive qualities as he was bigger, stronger, and faster. The coach too favored Henson over him, which was a tough blow for Brady.
Due to the challenges he faced in college, he always felt “like a guy who didn’t get picked.” Moreover, he also states, that this might have fueled his determination to prove himself later on.
The conversation in the show also touches on Brady’s relationship with the former head coach of the New England Patriots Bill Belichick. The Dynasty’s documentarian mentions of Brady feeling like he always had to prove himself, especially when Belichick drafted Jimmy Garoppolo as his potential replacement.
The former Patriots QB always wanted to play until the age of 45, but Coach Belichick believed that athletes performance decline after a certain age and prompted him to plan for the future. However, it all changed when the Patriots made an incredible comeback from being down 28 to 3 in the third quarter. They ended up winning the game in overtime with a score of 34-28 against the Atlanta Falcons, marking one of the greatest sports comebacks ever.
According to Matthew Hamacheck, following this incredible victory, he wasn’t just someone who would willingly take criticism from Coach Belichick. This change in perception might have been the “beginning of the end” of Brady’s time with the Patriot
Brady’s Journey From Overlooked Autographs to Super Bowl Glory
During the interview, they also briefly talked about a time when nobody wanted Tom Brady’s autograph. It’s quite surprising considering how valuable his autographed items are now. But things were different when he was just starting out.
In an interview with ESPN’s Ian O’Connor, Brady’s close friend, Jay Flannelly, shared an interesting story. He mentioned that there was a huge line of 500 people waiting to get Drew Henson’s autograph, who was another quarterback at Michigan. He revealed, on that day, Brady signed “no more than three autographs.”
Despite being the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft, Tom Brady achieved what no other quarterback has. He led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowls, proving himself every year. When doubts arose about his ability without Bill Belichick, he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and in his first year there, he won his seventh Super Bowl, earning praise worldwide.
Although retired, Brady isn’t slowing down as he is gearing up for a broadcasting career with FOX Network in 2024.
