Almost everyone experiences some butterflies when they begin their first day of work, but not Tom Brady.
As Tuesday marked the 24th anniversary of Mo Lewis’ infamous hit on Drew Bledsoe, Brady shared that he felt comfortable replacing the then-Patriots‘ franchise quarterback when he took the field as a second-year sixth-round draft pick.
“Hard to forget that day for a lot of reasons,” Brady said on the latest edition of “Storytime.” “Everyone has their unique path in their own journey in their career, and mine started that day. I was obviously super concerned about Drew, but I also knew we had a job to do, too. I ran out on the field and there was a lot of intent to go out there and be the best I could be for my team.
“I was really prepared for that moment.”
When Tom Brady Stepped in for Drew Bledsoe and Changed Football Forever
While that moment served as the turning point for the Patriots, it wasn’t necessarily the day that the legend of Brady was born. He replaced Beldsoe, who suffered a life-threatening hemothorax on the hit from Lewis, late in the fourth quarter and wasn’t able to drive the Patriots down the field to tie the game in what would be a 10-3 loss.
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But Brady’s legend started shortly after that day in September 2001. He helped the Patriots win three of their next four games and eventually led New England to six straight wins to close out the regular season. When Bledsoe filled in for an injured Brady and helped the Patriots win the AFC Championship Game that season, Brady still held on to the starting job for Super Bowl XXXVI.
Drew Bledsoe remained down for several moments after taking a hard hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, which wound up changing the course of NFL history. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Bill Belichick’s decision to go with Brady in Super Bowl XXXVI ultimately paid off, with the Patriots getting one of the biggest upsets in the history of the game over the Rams. Of course, that was the first of seven Super Bowl wins for Brady — which was a number of titles he’d never thought he’d win. But the preparation into helping Brady become the most decorated quarterback in NFL history preceded his time as a professional.
“I never would have imagined that,” Brady said on if he thought he’d become a seven-time Super Bowl winner when he took the field on Sept. 23, 2001. “But I’ll tell you this: When you jogged out in front of 110,000 at Michigan, there was nothing that was too big. And I played in some big-time college games, and I think my experience at Michigan taught me so much about how to be a teammate, be a team player, and be prepared to play good in big moments.
“We accomplished that at Michigan. I went to the Patriots, and was very fortunate to have the best teammates and mentors there. And then I think we won a few games. I don’t remember all of them, but I think we won some big ones there, too.”
While most football fans likely remember Brady’s memorable comebacks with the Patriots, such as coming back from a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI, he had a pair of big-time clutch wins to close out his Michigan career. He led Michigan to a late touchdown to beat Ohio State before throwing for four touchdowns in an overtime win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl in the 1999 season.
Those games put a bow on what was a challenging college career for Brady. He was the seventh-string quarterback for the Wolverines when he arrived at Ann Arbor in 1995 and even when he got starting reps by the 1998 season, he still had to constantly prove himself as there were games he split snaps with Drew Henson.
However, Brady credited what he went through at Michigan for helping him be prepared to not only replace Bledsoe, but to also thrive in the months and years following that moment.
“What I learned from college was that I was always going to be ready to go whenever I got my opportunity,” Brady said. “At that point, I didn’t know if I’d be in just to finish the game or the following week or beyond. At that point, Drew was pretty injured, so it took him a while to recover. We kind of got on a little bit of a roll, and it ended up being a fairy-tale end to the season.
“So you can never predict how the seasons go. All you can do is try to put as much work into it in advance and prepare as hard as you can every day, because you don’t understand when you’re going to get your chance. You always have to be ready for the opportunity to strike.”
Tom Brady had an unusual tenure at Michigan, climbing the depth chart after a few seasons but still had to battle for the starting job as a fifth-year senior. (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Brady’s rise to prominence might feel like a million-to-one story as he also worked his way up from the fourth spot on the Patriots’ depth chart as a rookie before becoming their second-string quarterback in 2001. But even if the odds feel long, Brady still wants young players to prepare so they can strike when everything falls into place.
“You’re going to get it at some point. So, work your ass off like you’re going to play every week, even if you’re third on the depth chart,” Brady said. “Have something that you’re trying to accomplish every week with a real purpose. You can still be a leader, you can still have a great work ethic, you can still study hard and prepare as if you’re going to play. You may not be out there, but all that work leading up to it is going to set the stage for when you do get your chance.”
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