Tom Brady Reflects on His Challenges at Michigan

"Soon, I was getting 4 reps. Then 10, and before you knew it—with this new mindset that Greg had instilled in me—to focus on what you can control, to focus on what you’re getting, not what anyone else is getting, to treat every rep like it’s the Super Bowl—eventually, I became the starter,” Brady said.

By his junior year in 1998, Brady finally got his shot. He took over as Michigan’s starting quarterback, leading the Wolverines to a 10-3 record and a Big Ten title. In a rivalry showdown against Ohio State, he set a school record for most completions in a game, proving he was more than just a backup who had waited his turn—he was a leader.

His senior season in 1999 cemented that. He led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns in a dramatic 35-34 victory over Alabama. He was named team captain, an honor he still considers one of the most meaningful of his career.

By the time he left Ann Arbor, Brady had thrown for 5,351 yards and 35 touchdowns, ranking among the top quarterbacks in school history. But NFL scouts weren’t sold. He ran a 5.28-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, looked lanky next to more athletic quarterbacks, and didn’t have the arm strength that made scouts rave. When the 2000 NFL Draft rolled around, he sat and waited...and waited...and waited.

He was the 199th overall pick in the sixth round. The Patriots took him as a backup, and for a while, he looked like another late-round flier destined to fade into obscurity.

Instead, he rewrote football history.

Over the next two decades, Brady turned that overlooked draft slot into motivation, winning seven Super Bowls, setting every major passing record, and cementing his place as the greatest quarterback of all time. But he never forgot Michigan.

Those years in Ann Arbor shaped him. The mental toughness, the patience, the work ethic, the leadership—it all started at Michigan. Brady has said time and time again that if it weren’t for the challenges he faced with the Wolverines, he wouldn’t have become the player he did in the NFL.

His story is one of perseverance, self-belief, and relentless improvement. And even though his name is now synonymous with greatness, it all started the same way it did for every Michigan quarterback before and after him—waiting for his shot, proving himself, and making every rep count.