Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady led his team to a resounding victory over the Detroit Lions Saturday afternoon, 47-7, to officially clinch a playoff berth. Brady threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns while completing 22-of-27 passes — all in the first half. He sat the entire second half while the Buccaneers held a commanding lead.
Brady's time in Ann Arbor preceded his career as a New England Patriot, where he made nine Super Bowls and won six, breaking countless records and establishing himself as the greatest football player of all time in the process.
"We played pretty good in the first half today," Brady said after the game, severely understating the 410-yard offensive effort before the break.
Ahead of the game this week, Brady, who competed in his 300th career NFL game Saturday, reminisced on making his NFL debut in Detroit at the Silverdome on Thanksgiving Day, circa 2000. Twenty years and one month later, he was with a different team, playing in a different Detroit stadium, but the living legend acknowledged how significant it is to return to the state of Michigan, where he learned plenty of lessons early in his football career.
"I got in at the end of the game and I think I threw three passes," Brady recalled of his debut in 2000. "It was kind of an insignificant start to the career because I wouldn't say many people were expecting me ever to have the kind of career that I've had. For me, it was great being out on the field and learning. Then I got more opportunities as that season went on in practice and put myself in a position that next offseason to compete for the backup role, which I ended up winning. Then when Drew [Bledsoe] got hurt, I was able to become the starter. I tried to play as well as I could. I treated everything like it was very important.
"Year round, it was very for me important to compete against myself to see how good I could be, and I learned a lot of those lessons at Michigan. Michigan was a great training ground for me because nothing was gifted. I think you had to go out there and earn it. You had to earn the respect of your teammates and your coaches.
"For me, that's what I had to do in order to play in college. I didn't expect much difference when I went to the pros. Then I got my opportunity and always felt like when I got my opportunity I was never going to look back. I still haven't really looked back that much, even 20-plus years later."
Brady was Michigan's starter for two seasons, beginning 25 games in 1998 and '99, and completing 61.9 of his passes for 4,773 yards in his career. He went 20-5 as the starting signal-caller, beat Ohio State in 1999 and led the Wolverines to a thrilling overtime victory over Alabama to cap off that same season. Brady was also a part of the Wolverines' 1997 national championship team and won two Big Ten titles.
He often credits his days at Michigan and the high level of competition within the quarterback room for his mindset that has allowed him to be extremely successful in the pros. He also pays homage to legendary former Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk when asked which one of his many rings is his favorite — "the next one," Brady, quoting Falk, answers.
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