Well, let me tell you ’bout this Tom Brady fella and how he got into that football league. It’s a real somethin’, you know, this whole “draft pick” thing.
Tom Brady, the Pick Nobody Saw Coming
See, back in 2000, they had this thing called the NFL draft. Big to-do, all these college boys hopin’ to get picked to play professional football. Now, Tom Brady, he played quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines. Good player, I guess, but nobody was makin’ a fuss over him. He was 22 years old, just a young fella tryin’ to make his way.
This draft, it’s got rounds, see? Lots of ’em. And the worse your team did the year before, the earlier you get to pick. That’s how they try to make things fair, I reckon. Well, Tom Brady, he didn’t get picked early, no sir. He waited, and waited, and waited some more.
- Round one? Nope.
- Round two? Not him.
- Round three? Still waiting.
- Round four? Nope.
- Round five? Still no Tom.
- Round six? Finally!
The New England Patriots, they picked him. But get this, it wasn’t even a regular pick. It was what they call a “compensatory pick.” Means they got an extra pick ’cause they lost some players the year before. So, Tom Brady, he was pick number 199! Can you believe that? Way down there, almost the last guy picked.
Six Other Quarterbacks Before Tom? Go Figure!
Now, quarterbacks, they’re important fellas in football. They throw the ball, you know? And in that draft, six other quarterbacks got picked before Tom Brady. Six! They call ’em the “Brady Six” now, ’cause those teams, they missed out big time. They picked those other fellas, and they weren’t nothin’ like Tom, not even close. That Courtney Brown fella, he was the first pick overall that year, went to the Cleveland Browns. Big strong guy, but he didn’t do much in the end. A real bust, they say.
From Late Pick to the Greatest
But Tom Brady, he was different. He got his chance with the Patriots and he ran with it. He worked hard, I tell ya. Practiced and practiced, learned everything he could. And he became, well, he became the best there ever was, many folks say. Won all sorts of championships, Super Bowls they call ’em. Made a whole lot of money too, over 332 million dollars they say! That’s more money than anyone in our town has ever seen, I betcha.
Why Was Tom Brady Picked So Late?
Now, folks always ask, why was he picked so late? Well, nobody really knew back then. Maybe they thought he wasn’t strong enough, or fast enough. Maybe they just didn’t see what he had inside. But those scouts, they missed somethin’ big, that’s for sure. Tom Brady proved ’em all wrong, he did.
Tom Brady’s College Days
Back in college, at the University of Michigan, from 1995 to 1999, Tom was a pretty good player. He threw the ball a lot, over 700 times. Completed a lot of those throws too, over 400. Got his degree, a Bachelor of Arts. Smart fella, see? Not just a jock.
The Number 199 Pick
It’s funny, that number 199. After Tom Brady, every year they draft more players. And every year, there’s another number 199 pick. But none of ’em ever did what Tom did. He made that number special, he did. He showed everyone that it don’t matter where you start, it matters where you finish.
Tom Brady’s Jersey Retirement
And now they even retired his jersey, number 12. That means nobody else can wear that number for the Patriots. That’s a real honor, let me tell you. Mr. Kraft, he’s the big boss for the Patriots, and he put Tom right into the team’s Hall of Fame. Deserved it, I say.
Tom Brady, the Sixth Round Success Story
So that’s the story of Tom Brady, the sixth-round draft pick. The guy nobody thought was good enough. He went on to become the best, a real champion. It just goes to show ya, hard work and determination can take you a long way. And sometimes, the folks who don’t look like much on the outside, they got the most fight on the inside.
It’s a good story, a real good story. And it makes you think, don’t it? Makes you think about who we overlook, who we underestimate. Maybe the next Tom Brady is out there right now, just waitin’ for his chance. And maybe, just maybe, someone will be smart enough to give it to him.
