On September 23, 2001, a bone-crushing hit by former New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis would change the football history books for all time.
The tackle injured New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, an established veteran who was already a three-time Pro Bowler at age 29. In came sixth-round draft pick Tom Brady and the rest is written in Canton.
After Matt Judon’s similarly late hit injured rookie phenom, Zach Wilson, Jets fans began to notice some similarities in fifth-round backup Mike White.
Here’s the play where Zach Wilson got hurt. Here’s what he said about the injury postgame. “I think my toe kind of just got stuck in the ground and Judon just kind of fell on it with all of his weight and that kind of twisted it. Felt a pop there…” #Jets
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Is Mike White a Man of Destiny?
It’s hard to say who started the White-Brady Twitter movement but the buzz has started a trend among Jets fans. Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor was definitely one of the first to make the connection when he tweeted, “Mike White’s Brady-Bledsoe story begins now,” on October 24 at 1:54 p.m. — just after Wilson left the game.
Mike White’s Brady-Bledsoe story begins now
A fan by the name of Corey Lepore gave a nice assessment just after Nania when the backup threw a touchdown pass to Corey Davis to finish the drive.
Before long, even a publication like The Jet Press got involved, stating, “Mike White really is the next Tom Brady, isn’t he?”
Mike White really is the next Tom Brady, isn’t he?
Most of the hype fizzled when the franchise announced that they had traded a sixth-round pick for veteran Joe Flacco, but head coach Robert Saleh breathed new life into the theory during a press conference on October 27. “We have a lot of faith in Mike,” he voiced after naming White the starter in Week 8.
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White May Receive an Extended Opportunity
After an opinion from pro football doctor David Chao explained why Wilson could be out longer than two weeks, it became clear that White may receive an extended look. Flacco could be inactive this week and he may not even be ready for Thursday Night Football in Week 9, according to Saleh. If he is, he might serve as White’s backup anyway.
This trendy joke could implode if White comes out and throws a bunch of interceptions against the Cincinnati Bengals, but what happens if he plays well?
It would take two decades of championship success to become Brady, but what would it take for White to leapfrog Wilson? Joe Douglas and Mike LaFleur hand-picked the BYU product with a crucial number two overall pick in 2021. Surely, it would take a lot for them to pass the baton to a failed Dallas prospect that they signed off the scrap heap.
Brady’s story is truly one in a million but people love sports because they make us believe that anything is possible. Wilson is still the future of the organization as of now but just in case, I’ll leave this here.
| At Time of Injury to Starter | Tom Brady | Mike White |
| Age | 24 | 26 |
| Height | 6-4 | 6-4 |
| Weight | unknown (225 lbs now) | 218 lbs |
| College | Michigan | Western Kentucky |
| Draft Status | 6th, pick 199 | 5th, pick 171 |
| NFL Experience | 1 appearance (3 pass attempts) | 0 NFL snaps |
| Starting QB | Drew Bledsoe | Zach Wilson |
| Defender That Caused Injury | Mo Lewis (Jets) | Matt Judon (Pats) |
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Jets Fans Remind NFL, Mike White Could Follow in Tom Brady’s Footsteps