Tom Brady, the most successful quarterback on the planet, has one of the most intriguing underdog stories in the history of the National Football League. Reflecting on his journey, in an interview conducted a few years ago, Brady had called himself a late bloomer.
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The 7x Super Bowl champion, who hung up his boots earlier this year after 23 fantastic seasons at the highest level, once reflected on his exhilarating journey from a backup QB of a 0-8 college team, to earning his status as one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
Tom Brady Called Himself a Late Bloomer After Starting as a Backup QB in College
Tom Brady started out as an unheralded quarterback from Michigan and had to endure intense competition in order to earn playtime. He enrolled himself into the University of Michigan college team and started out as the seventh QB in the depth chart. His position on the depth chart spoke a lot about his sporting prowess back in college.
Brady reminisced about his initial days in the college circuit when he did not get a chance to play despite his team failing to record a single victory after 8 games. Talking about his personal game, he termed himself a late bloomer, who had to work incredibly hard in order to make it big in college, and then later on in the NFL.
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“I was a backup quarterback on a 0-8 freshman high school team. I didn’t even play. We didn’t win a game and I couldn’t even get on the field. I was a kind of late bloomer recruited to Michigan late and started as a 7th quarterback. Had to work really hard to even play. Thought, oh man, I’ll make being pro football, got drafted in the 6th round. You know, no one thought I’d make the team,” Brady said.
Tom did not have the best of records in college. This led to him being eventually drafted by the New England Patriots way late in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL draft, a pick which then came to be known as one of the greatest heists in NFL history. Despite his humble beginnings, Brady rose to prominence in the NFL in quick time. His passion, hard work and consistency eventually allowed him to stay on top of his game for well over two decades.
Tom Brady Delivered An Inspiring Speech for Michigan Players 10 years ago
Despite not having high hopes about himself, Tom Brady did eventually do the unthinkable in the NFL by winning 7 Super Bowl titles and then he made sure to go back to his roots. 10 years ago, Tom delivered one of the finest speeches back in his own college.
Brady addressed the players of the Michigan football team, inspiring them to bring out the best in themselves. In his speech, Brady tried to make them aware of the importance of playing for Michigan, and how it was a special place for himself and all those who have donned the Michigan shirt.
Even though he had won three Super Bowl championships at that time, Brady claimed that his single greatest achievement came when he was named Michigan’s team captain during his fourth and fifth years. Tom Brady ended his career as an undisputed GOAT of the NFL, but he owes a lot of it to his learnings from his initial struggles at Michigan University.
