The 199th draft pick became football's most decorated quarterback
Six rounds and 198 players went by before the New England Patriots picked Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL draft. He went on to play 23 seasons, win seven Super Bowls and set records for passing yards and touchdowns. He was also once drafted by baseball's Montreal Expos, who saw a future star catcher.
Brady grew up in San Mateo, California, born in 1977 as the only son among four children. As a four-year-old he was in the stands at Candlestick Park for the 1981 NFC Championship, when his idol Joe Montana threw the pass remembered as The Catch. At Junípero Serra High School he started as backup on a junior varsity team that lost all eight games without a touchdown, getting his chance only when the starter was hurt. As a senior he mailed highlight tapes to colleges to get noticed.
Baseball nearly claimed him. A left-handed hitting catcher with power, he was taken by the Expos in the 18th round in 1995, and their general manager thought he could become one of the greatest catchers ever. Brady chose football at the University of Michigan instead and became the last active athlete the Expos had drafted.
In his second Patriots season he became starter and won the franchise's first Super Bowl. Over 18 seasons as the main quarterback he led New England to 17 division titles, 13 conference championship games, nine Super Bowls and six titles, all records. Moving to Tampa Bay in 2020, he won Super Bowl LV, raising his totals to ten appearances and seven wins, and he remains the only Super Bowl MVP for two different teams.
Longevity set him apart. He is the lone quarterback to win Super Bowls in three decades, the oldest league MVP at 40, the oldest Super Bowl MVP at 43 and the oldest Pro Bowl quarterback at 44. He also became the first unanimous MVP and was named to the league's 100th anniversary all-time team in 2019. In 2024 he joined Fox as lead analyst and bought part of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Source: Tom Brady
