Six quarterbacks were drafted before Tom Brady in 2000. He wants you to remember them
Tom Brady’s pettiness is unmatched.
Thursday marked the 20-year anniversary of the New England Patriots taking a chance on some scrawny quarterback out of Michigan. Six Super Bowls and three NFL MVPs later, the former sixth-round pick doesn’t have much left to prove.
With all that he has accomplished, Brady could have spent the day reveling in his success. Nobody would blame him. He’s certainly earned it. But, then again, that’s not what GOATs do. GOATs remind the world the danger in overlooking them or, in Brady’s case, of the six quarterbacks chosen before him.
Chad Pennington was the first off the board, going to the New York Jets at No. 18. The third round saw the San Francisco 49ers pick Giovanni Carmazzi and the Baltimore Ravens snag Chris Redman. Then came Tee Martin, Marc Bulger and Spergon Wynn.
It’s safe to say none of them lived up to being picked before Brady. Just in case that wasn’t already clear, here are some facts: two (Carmazzi and Martin) never started a NFL game, zero threw more than 24 touchdowns in a season (Brady has 14 times) and Brady has more passing yards in the last 10 years than they do collectively.
If the past two decades haven’t taught you anything, just know that Brady loves doubt. The slights, the criticism, the disbelief — it fuels him. It’s why he works so hard, why he wants to play into his late-40s and, most importantly, why he has those six shiny things on his fingers.
Brady is an underdog at heart. Remember, this is the same man who scouts deemed immobile, weak and a system player. All the accolades in the world couldn’t stop him from feeling disrespected in some way. And that mind-set, for better or worse, always comes with a little bit of petty.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 2:36 PM.
