The New England Patriots themselves didn’t know that they were bringing home one of the greatest NFL stars when they drafted the then-22-year-old Tom Brady with the No. 199 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. During his prolonged career, he earned countless titles and accolades, including 15 Pro Bowl selections, five Super Bowl MVPs, three regular-season MVPs, and two NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards.
After announcing his second and final retirement in February of this year, Brady is now out of the league. While the fans are trying to digest the pain of not seeing their quarterback in the upcoming season, the Patriots unearthed the signal-caller’s first conference call following his draft.
Patriots release Tom Brady call recording
During the prolonged call, reporters asked the would-be NFL GOAT some questions ranging from his potential role in New England to his measurements. The first question aimed at him was his thoughts about playing as a backup to Drew Bledsoe. The signal-caller remained positive, saying the opportunity to play behind Drew would be a benefit only for him.
“Well, all I was looking for was a place to get my foot in the door and be great for the team that picked me. Drew Bledsoe’s certainly one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s gonna be great to learn under him and compete for a job with the Patriots,” he said.
The then-new draft pick was also asked about his potential competition with New England’s second quarterback, Michael Bishop, and he radiated a positive vibe by saying he would only focus on putting his best effort on the field without engaging in unhealthy competition with others.
“It’s up to me. I think the team picked me to come in there and be a team player and fight every day. That’s really what I plan to do. I’ve always really concerned myself with the things I can do, and I don’t put a whole lot of thinking into the other guys, because I know I’m not really at my best when I’m not [thinking about them].”
The reporters asked him about the awkward feeling of falling to the sixth round, but the California Cool showcased his coolness, saying it had already been a great chance for him to enroll in the team regardless of the draft pick.
“I don’t think ‘disappointed’ 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. It’s a great opportunity to head back to New England and play for the Patriots. It’s certainly been a dream come true.”
Later on the tape, TB12 said he played catcher in high school and was drafted by the Montreal Expos, although he later thought of giving a 360-degree turn to his career by going to Michigan to be the starting QB. The dual-threat was already radiating a threat, saying he was ready for the new journey, and the rest is history.
Fans left in awe of the QB with the recording going viral
Brady bid adieu to his illustrious career with several NFL records in the bag, including the most regular-season completions (7,263), passing touchdowns (624), and passing yards (84,520). After hearing the iconic star’s recording, fans took to social media to say how he already had a big picture in mind during the draft.
A user wrote, “In 2000, he was already “Tom Brady.”’
For the first time since 2000, the ex-Patriots star will not grace the football field, and now the audio tape has made fans miss their favorite QB even more.
A fan wrote, “Why do I miss Tom Brady playing football now.”
Besides on-field excellence, Tom was lauded by the NFL community for delivering positive words, and some users noted this speech might be working as a motivation for the young players in the league.
A netizen wrote, “Many players in all sports need to listen to this. Not once did he speak about how he “deserved” anything. He said he was going to work hard & be a team player. He had no expectations to play & never compared himself to the other quarterbacks. He knew he had room to grow. WOW.”
Brady is now busy making back-to-back business moves and spending quality time with his three children, but the influence he left in the league will remain vivid in every football lover’s mind. What’s your take on his audio tape? Let us know if you miss seeing Tom on the field in the comments.
