The Ultimate Glow Up: How Crying Draft Pick Tom Brady Became The GOAT We're All Obsessed With
By: koalafriend
OMG you guys, get ready to spill the tea because we are about to dive into the most jaw dropping, totally iconic glow up in the history of, well, HISTORY. We’re talking about a story so good, it sounds like a Hollywood script. It’s the journey of Tom Brady, the man who went from a literal draft day afterthought to the undisputed GOAT of football. And trust us, the drama is real.
Let’s set the scene. It’s the year 2000. The world is obsessed with frosted tips and boy bands, and the NFL Draft is on. Tucked away in his family’s home in San Mateo, California, a 22 year old quarterback from Michigan named Tom Brady is waiting for his phone to ring. And waiting. And waiting.
Round after round goes by. Six other quarterbacks are chosen. The New York Jets famously picked Chad Pennington. The San Francisco 49ers, his childhood team, went with Giovanni Carmazzi. We’re not even kidding. The cameras are packed up, the big party is over, and Tom is literally in tears. He had to leave his own draft party to go cry with his parents. Can you even imagine? We are talking full on emotional breakdown.
Finally, deep into the sixth round, with the 199th pick, the New England Patriots called his name. It was less of a celebration and more of a "well, I guess" moment. He was a compensatory pick, basically the NFL equivalent of a pity invite.
And that infamous NFL combine photo from that year? A whole mood. And not a good one. Skinny, a bit awkward, and giving absolutely zero future superstar vibes. He was the definition of an underdog. Nobody, and we mean NOBODY, saw what was coming next.
Fast forward to his rookie season. Brady is holding a clipboard on the sidelines, fourth on the depth chart, watching the team’s franchise player, Drew Bledsoe, run the show. Bledsoe was the man. He had a massive hundred million dollar contract and was the face of the Patriots. Brady was just… the other guy.
But then, in a plot twist crazier than any reality TV show finale, everything changed.
It was Week 2 of the 2001 season. Bledsoe takes a brutal hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis and suffers a sheared blood vessel in his chest. It was terrifying and career threatening. As Bledsoe was rushed to the hospital, a nervous, unknown kid with the number 12 on his jersey trotted onto the field. That kid was Tom Brady.
The entire world of football basically shrugged. This was supposed to be a temporary fix, right? A placeholder until the real star came back. Wrong. SO wrong.
What happened next is the stuff of legend. This 199th pick, this kid who cried on draft day, started winning. And he didn't stop. He had this insane calm, this wild competitive fire, and a chip on his shoulder the size of a stadium. The Patriots, who had started the season 0-2, suddenly became the hottest team in the league.
The real drama hit when Bledsoe was finally cleared to play. But Coach Bill Belichick, in what is now seen as one of the boldest calls in sports history, made his choice. He stuck with the kid. He stuck with Tom Brady. The locker room was divided, the fans were shook, but Belichick saw the future.
And what a future it was. That same season, Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl and BEAT the "Greatest Show on Turf," the St. Louis Rams, one of the biggest upsets ever. It was the beginning of a dynasty that would dominate the NFL for two decades.
From that moment on, Tom Brady wasn’t just a football player. He became an ICON. We’re talking seven Super Bowl rings, a supermodel wife in Gisele Bündchen, Met Gala appearances, and a global brand. He went from being the 199th pick to being the undisputed number one. He transformed the Patriots from an average team into a juggernaut and completely changed the conversation about what's possible in sports.
Even now, after his retirement, he is still living his best life, taking it all in stride at the recent Netflix roast and proving he is still the center of the pop culture universe.
So next time you’re feeling overlooked or like you’re the last one picked for the team, just remember the story of Tom Brady. He proved that it doesn’t matter where you start. It’s about the fire you have inside. From crying at his draft party to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, his journey is the ultimate underdog story, and we are still totally and completely obsessed. Legendary.
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