Tom Brady is one of the most successful quarterbacks that NFL has ever seen. Surprisingly, it turns out that Tom being such an exceptional player had a phase of his life where he was about to quit his college team Michigan.
For the first few years when Brady was in Michigan, he was offered almost no playtime in the games and was even red-shirted in his first year. Tom Brady decided to leave Michigan for some other college where he would get more playtime, but fortunately his coach Lloyd Carr convinced and motivated him to stay.
Tom Brady’s career was rescued by Lloyd Carr’s crucial guidance
Tom Brady had requested Lloyd Carr to release him, so that he could go somewhere else to get more playtime. Carr although, made this moment the inflection point in Tom Brady career.
Lloyd Carr exclaimed, “It’ll be the biggest mistake of your life,” to Tom Brady. Carr also went on to say “You came here to be the best. You came here because of the great competition. … If you walk away now, you’ll always wish you had stayed and tried to compete. You’ll always wonder what would have happened if you stayed.”
After this Tom Brady took some time to reconsider and confirmed Lloyd Carr that he’ll not only be staying in the team, but also promised that he’ll become the greatest NFL quarterback. This event boosted his confidence and the promise, as we all know, he did complete. Tom has always been grateful to Lloyd Carr, for being an excellent coach.
How much time did Tom Brady spend in Michigan?
Tom Brady’s time in Michigan started with the 1996 season. Brady was the backup QB in the team and didn’t get many chances to play. Similarly, in the 1997 season, when Brian Griese led the team to an undefeated season, Brady was still a backup QB. It was not going too well for Brady, but thanks to Lloyd Carr’s advice, he decided to stick it out.
The 1998 season is when Brady replaced Drew Henson and became the starting QB. This time he got the playtime of the entire season, in which he proved his excellence with 2,427 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
In the 1999 season, Tom Brady led the team to winning Citrus Cup. Finally in 2000, Brady won the 2000 Orange Bowl with Michigan, after which he went on to complete the NFL draft process. He was finally drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft as 199th selection.
Do you think that coaches like Lloyd Carr are angels in disguise and every player deserves such a coach? Let us know in the comments.
