During the 2000 NFL Draft, a young quarterback out of Michigan waited patiently for his name to be called. That quarterback, Tom Brady, would have to wait a while until pick No. 199 when the New England Patriots would take a chance on the then-22-year-old backup for Drew Bledsoe.
On Friday, the Patriots released their first phone call with their 199th selection. On the call, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer touched on everything, from entering as a backup, falling in the draft to his goals for the season and beyond. Brady began the conversation saying all he was looking for was a place to get his "foot in the door" and added that he was grateful for the Patriots for being that team.
"It's a great opportunity to head back to New England and play for the Patriots. It's certainly been a dream come true," Brady said.
When asked if he was disappointed for being selected late in the draft, Brady said, "I don't think 'disappointment' is the word. The team that has drafted me, I'm just very comfortable with, and whether it be at the second round or the sixth round I think everybody starts on the same level."
While he said getting picked late wasn't disappointing and that he was just happy for a chance in the league, there had to be a little bit of emotion tied to slipping in the draft. Brady talked a lot about working to prove himself, and prove himself he did, making that draft day one of the last times anyone underestimated his on-field ability.
While he anticipated joining his new team, Brady expressed excitement to learn under Bledsoe, calling the veteran poised, composed and one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Brady knew his role would begin as a backup, but said he would be "ready to go when the team calls on me." That time came sooner than expected when Bledsoe went down with a serious injury, leaving the rookie to run the offense.
Brady was confident from the beginning: "Certainly, this is a great step for me. It's going to be a great challenge, but I think I'm ready for it, actually, I know I'm ready for it."
At Michigan, Brady shared the quarterback role and said it was something the coaches decided was best, and in the end he said "everything really certainly worked out for me."
Things worked out for him in Michigan, and things continued to work out for him during his professional career becoming arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He helped the Patriots win six Super Bowls and he went on to win another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady holds countless records spanning over his two decade-plus career that will be difficult to be topped. All achieved by a sixth-round pick.
