A Retrospective Of Tom Brady's NFL Career, Told In Photos
David Craig As far as NFL careers go, most aspiring players would probably love to have the kind of career that Tom Brady has had. Having played for over twenty years at this point, Brady has managed to go from a general nobody to one of the most dominant players in the history of the league.
Related: The 10 Most Important Players In NFL History
Since his GOAT-worthy career has become so storied over the years, there are plenty of major moments that a lot of modern NFL fans might have missed out on. It would take a feature-length movie to cover Brady’s whole career, but a few photos are enough to create a unique retrospective for his biggest fans.
11 The Scouting Combine
A lot of people forget that there was a time when Tom Brady didn’t look to be anything special. At the start of his NFL career, Brady wasn’t in high demand, only being drafted in the sixth round. A big issue for Brady’s early career was his look and reportedly poor performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Brady has even said that how late he was drafted was horrifically embarrassing and that it even made him cry. It was a rough start to his career, but Brady managed to turn things around in no time at all.
10 Joining The Patriots
While Brady quickly became a force in the NFL, his rookie season in 2000 was more of an adjustment for the future star. He joined the Patriots as the 199th pick in the NFL Draft, but even that wasn’t always going to be a sure thing.
Brady didn’t see much play in his rookie season, but he was able to move from the team’s fourth-string quarterback to a reliable second for Patriots starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe. One year later, Brady would prove his worth to the team.
9 The Tuck Rule
It’s impossible to talk about the history of Tom Brady without mentioning the Tuck Rule Game. Some point to it as the thing that ultimately led to a wave of Patriots momentum in the playoffs, while others point to it as effective and knowledgeable officiating.
Related: 10 Things NFL Fans Forget About Tony Romo
The game was Brady’s first in the playoffs, and it became controversial when what seemed like a fumble was ruled as an incomplete pass, something that worked heavily against the Raiders. The game is still infamous to this day, and a reason why so many Raiders fans hate Brady.
8 First Super Bowl Win
After the mess that was the Tuck Rule incident, the Patriots seemed to be an unstoppable force. They continued to do what they did best, even after Brady suffered an injury in their AFC Championship game against the Steelers.
The injury wasn’t bad enough to keep Brady down for long, and he returned in time for the Super Bowl. The Patriots were heavy underdogs at the time going up against the Greatest Show on Turf in the St. Louis Rams. Brady would lead the team to the first of many Super Bowl wins, making him the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl.
7 First Super Bowl Loss
Brady was looking to win a fourth Super Bowl after a perfect NFL regular season, but 2007 was the first time that Brady failed to get the win in the big game. Their road to the game was already a tough one, but Brady wasn’t prepared for the great Giants pass rush
The Patriots o-line really struggled to keep the Giants off of Brady, something that cost them in the long run. They lost 17-14 in the first Super Bowl upset of Brady’s career. He would get another chance against the Giants a few years later, and Brady would fail again.
6 The 2008 Injury
There are a lot of ways for players to get injured on a football field, but there isn’t a single one who would even dream of getting injured to start the season. Only part of the way through the first quarter, Brady took a bad hit and was out for the rest of the game.
He had torn two ligaments and would need serious surgery to properly repair the damage, ending Brady’s NFL season that year. Without Brady, the team did their best, winning 11 games, but they were ultimately unable to make it into the playoffs without their star player.
5 A Dear Friend For Life
While Brady had played with a number of fantastic players in previous years, one of his most notable friendships has been the one he’s made with Rob Gronkowski. Joining the team in 2010, Gronkowski immediately became a legend in his own right with some help from Brady.
The friendship between the two is one of the most beloved in the NFL with the two remaining good friends to this day. The two men even made the jump from the Patriots to the Buccaneers to continue to play together.
4 Deflategate
Quite possibly the biggest scandal of Brady’s career, and potentially even in NFL history for the wider public is Deflategate. Put simply, the entire issue was about allegedly deflated balls that were in use during the AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Colts.
It was ruled that Brady at least knew of the plot, and as a result, was suspended for his involvement. The entire thing is the biggest blemish on Brady’s career and one that NFL fans will probably never forget.
3 Moving To Tampa
When Brady moved from the Patriots to the Buccaneers, the entire world was in a state of shock. He seemed like he’d end up as a lifer for the Patriots, but a lucrative contract was calling. Even better, Brady petitioned to get his good friend Rob Gronkowski onto the team as well.
Related: 10 Things NFL Fans Forget About Dan Marino
Brady was able to make an immediate impact for the team, and the addition of Gronkowski only sealed their ambitions to make it through the playoffs. Arguably, the Buccaneers had never been a stronger team.
2 First Time Against The Patriots
For a lot of people, Tom Brady facing off against his old team for the first time was a serious moment. There had been tons of rumors about Brady’s exit from the team, leaving plenty of people to theorize about the intensity of the game.
Luckily, the game was a competitive one, but not in a mean-spirited way. Brady and the Buccaneers would take the win, but he would also be sure to share handshakes and hugs with plenty of his old teammates and coaching staff.
1 Super Bowl With The Buccaneers
While everyone knew Brady was one of the best quarterbacks to ever take the field, people were still wondering if he’d be able to win the Super Bowl without the great Bill Belichick on the sidelines. A shift to a new team can be a huge adjustment for any player.
The shift clearly didn’t affect Brady, as the team dominated much in the same way that the Patriots used to. Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to win the Super Bowl in different conferences, just further adding to his incredible legacy.