For Tom Brady, unending college competition set the stage for NFL greatness

Submitted by BrownJuggernaut on

Boston.com has a write up on Brady and his college years. I'm sure many of you know his story and may even have it memorized by now, but it's always nice to read about his time at Michigan. 

Link: https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2017/11/05/for-tom-brady-unending-college-competition-set-the-stage-for-nfl-greatness

bacon

November 6th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^

Hopefully there will be enough young QBs with star potential on this team (including 2018 recruits) and we’ll see a similar situation. More competition breeds better players. Also, fuck the Yankees for ruining Drew Henson.

Everyone Murders

November 6th, 2017 at 9:20 AM ^

True enough that the Yankees hurt Henson's career at Michigan.  But more so than the organization as a whole, fuck OSU alum George Steinbrenner for purposely fucking over Michigan by giving Henson a non-market offer to screw Michigan over.

The only upside (and not toward Henson - great athlete, presented with difficult choices) is that the Yankees got very little bang for their buck with that move.

FauxMo

November 6th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^

A calzone, huh? Pass it down here. Let's have a look at at it. I want a little taste. Come on, come on. Pass it down here. That's a good boy. Okay. What's in this thing? Eggplant. Yes. That's a hell of a thing. Okay let's get back to business. Okay here you go. Very good, very good. Excellent, excellent calzone you got there Costanza. Okay a little jealous now. Everybody out. I got eggplant on my mind. Costanza get me couple of those calzones right now. Pronto. Move out. Big Stein wants an eggplant calzone. Must have one. Everybody out. Out.

bacon

November 6th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^

To be fair, the size of the deal was contingent on Henson dropping football and only playing baseball. That meant leaving Michigan and Steinbrenner knew it. The NY Times article at the time suggests that Steinbrenner made the offer directly. Also, at the time, Michigan was dominating OSU in the game, so it’s a little more plausible that the intent was there.

garde

November 6th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^

It would be great, but I think the game has changed since Brady's collegiate years that will make it harder to happen. Freshmen have a much bigger opportunity to start these days and will expect to play early. I just dont see a lot of kids wanting to sit 3 years to get their shot.

LSAClassOf2000

November 6th, 2017 at 9:51 AM ^

"I took a lot of those things that I learned and brought them to the professional level. I was lucky to learn a lot of lessons at 19 and 20 and 21 that a lot of guys don’t learn until they’re 23 or 24 or later when it’s too late.”

I found that quote interesting, and I would think that's probably the case too. A lot of players really don't necessarily need to play like their position is in question week to week because it isn't really, but even when Brady became the starter at Michigan, there were others nipping at his heels almost every week. He plays each week even now like he is trying to show everyone he deserves to be out there, like he could be repleaced at any time, and that probably makes him an even better player. 

WindyCityBlue

November 6th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^

Back then, when things were not so strict, I had a connection that could get me fairly easy access to practices.  So I went to bunch before the '97 season started.  I thought Jason Kapsner looked far and away the best QB out of the bunch, which included Tom Brady, Scott Driesbach, and Brian Griese.  He was bigger, had a stronger arm and could make plays with his legs. 

Justt shows what I know about evaluating QBs.

M-Dog

November 6th, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^

The article mentions the myth that Brady was an unheralded under-the-radar recruit when he signed with Michigan. 

That is correct, it's purely a myth fueled by his came-out-of-nowhere story in the NFL.

He did not come out of nowhere as a college recruit.  He was a top-level recruit.

Here are his recruiting rankings when he signed with Michigan in 1995:

BlueChip Illustrated: #6 QB West, All American
 
National Bluechips: 1 of 23 PRO QB's rated 10.5 (Highest Rating)
 
National Recruiting Advisor: #10 PRO QB, 5.7/6.1 (Potential All American)
 
Prep Football Report/Lemming: #6 PRO, #26 West, All American
 

M-Dog

November 6th, 2017 at 3:57 PM ^

She's supposedly a "supermodel" but I've never seen her in a single thing.

Granted, I'm not the target audience for whatever she does - fashion shows, clothing magazines, whatever - but to me if your are "super" something it means that you crossover out of your field so that everybody knows who you are.

My grandmother would not know a basketball from a pumpkin, but she knew who Michael Jordan was.