The New England Patriots are gearing up to honor Tom Brady at their season opener, and the team released an audio clip this week that serves as a reminder of where the quarterback’s historic journey began.
Brady was drafted by the Patriots with the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. While he enjoyed success at Michigan, there was no guarantee he would even make the roster in New England. He was basically reminded of that in his first NFL conference call.
The Patriots on Thursday shared the audio of Brady’s first conference call after they drafted him. The seven-time Super Bowl champion was asked about playing behind an established QB in Drew Bledsoe. One reporter also mentioned how the Patriots drafted another quarterback, Kansas State’s Michael Bishop, the year before.
“All I was looking for is a place to get my foot in the door and try to be great for the team that picked me,” Brady said. “Drew Bledsoe is certainly one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and it’s gonna be great to learn under him and compete for a job on the Patriots.”
Brady also referred to playing for the Patriots as a “dream come true,” even if he was drafted later than expected. He expressed confidence that he was ready to compete at the NFL level.
“I’ve always really concerned myself with the things I can do, and I don’t put a whole lot of thinking into the other guys because I know I’m not really at my best when I’m not controlling and playing as well as I possibly can. … Certainly, this is a great step for me and it’s gonna be a great challenge, but I think I’m ready for it. Actually, I know I’m ready for it,” Brady said.
Brady was 22 at the time. He played in only one game as a rookie. Bledsoe went down with an injury in Week 2 the following year, and the rest was history.
One thing that really stuck out about the conference call is that Brady sounded almost the same then as he did at the end of his career, even after he won seven titles and established himself as the greatest quarterback of all time. That consistency was one of the biggest keys to his success.
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