Tom Brady’s College Stats Didn’t Point to Patriots QB Being NFL Star

Getty New England Patriots QB Tom Brady

The Tom Brady which New England Patriots fans know and love isn’t remotely close to the same player who played at the University of Michigan. While Brady was the starter for the Wolverines over his final two seasons there, the numbers posted and overall outlook never really looked like those of a future Hall-of-Famer.

With that said, Brady’s rise from a sixth-round NFL draft pick to one of the best quarterbacks in history is one of the great stories in history. But this stems from his early days at Michigan in which he threw just 20 total passes over his first two seasons while watching most games from the sidelines.

But when Brady finally received his opportunity, he at least managed to take advantage in one area, as he led the team to back-to-back 10-win seasons in 1998 and 1999. In the two seasons, Michigan was ranked as high as No. 5 in the first year and No. 3 in the second.

Let’s take a look at Brady’s college career, a few accolades and how he landed with the Patriots.

Tom Brady’s Mediocre Statistical 2-Year Stretch as Starter

If there’s one thing Brady has continually excelled at, it’s winning games. That remains the most important thing, of course, so his 20-5 record over two seasons as Michigan’s starter stands out above anything else. But one interesting thing to note is that the three-time NFL Most Valuable Player didn’t always put up gaudy numbers.

During the 1998 season, Brady threw for 2,427 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He followed that up by tallying 2,217 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions in one less game the next year. As you can see from the increase in touchdowns and decrease in interceptions, Brady began trending in the right direction during the final season of his collegiate career.

For what it’s worth, the numbers weren’t bad considering the Wolverines didn’t feature pass-heavy offenses. At the time he left Michigan, Brady actually ranked fourth in school history for total passing yards (5,351) and fifth in passing touchdowns (35).

Brady Leads Two Impressive Bowl Victories & Lands With Patriots

The Patriots were surely hoping they drafted a winner, at the very least. This was proven to be true late in his college career after he led victories in two big bowl games. The first season, Michigan topped No. 11 Arkansas 45-31 in the Citrus Bowl, and that was followed up by a 35-34 win over No. 5 Alabama in the Orange Bowl to cap the 1999 season.

Brady’s upward trend over the final year in school surely played a role in the Patriots opting to select him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft with pick No. 199. He became the team’s starting quarterback in 2001 and since that point, New England has never had a losing record. He’s won five Super Bowls with the franchise along with four Super Bowl MVP awards. Brady has the chance to add another victory to his resume in the 2019 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

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