From 199 in the Draft Pick to Most Winning Player of All-Time
Skill Development Expert Profile — Tom Brady
In the 2000 NFL draft, a quarterback who would become one of the best of all-time was available. But he wasn’t the highest-rated. Not the best athlete. He didn’t have the best numbers or the best mechanics. Or the strongest arm. The draft report described him like this: poor build, skinny, lacks great physical stature and strength, lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush, lacks a strong arm, can’t carry the ball downfield, gets taken down easily.
It doesn’t sound like someone you want to choose if you ask me. And most of the teams felt the same until the New England Patriots drafted him as the 199th pick. They thought he had some promise for the future, but for now viewed him just as a backup for their backup quarterback.
Only two seasons later he led the New England Patriots to win the Superbowl as their starting quarterback and has since led the team to nine Super Bowl’s and won six of them. Both are records for a player, in any position on the field.
This shows how difficult it is to predict success. Tom Brady had something that the tests weren’t able to measure — a strong will to do whatever it takes to become the best and mental strength to perform under pressure. What can we learn…
