No one knew how Tom Brady's career would pan out when he took the field for an injured Drew Bledsoe.
Of course, the sixth-round draft pick went from backup quarterback to a future Hall of Famer with more than a hand's worth of Super Bowl rings.
"He got no recognition and everyone thought he was not going to go anywhere, so it's amazing where he's come," said Patriots fan Robyn Bielenberg.
"He came out as a nobody and was given a shot, and he happened to get lucky and get that one chance and proved himself," said Pats fan Kim White.
It certainly wasn't something Bledsoe ever imagined.
"Here's the real truth. When he was on practice squad his rookie year, I actually called my financial adviser about him. I said, 'Hey, you know, I really like this kid. He's never gonna be a starter, he's going to be Jason Garrett or one of those guys that's just going to be around forever,'" Bledsoe told ESPN in a new interview.
Bledsoe says he had Brady over for dinner about every other week.
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"Just really liked the kid," Bledsoe said. "But nobody outside of maybe Tom himself ever would have predicted he'd go on to be a starter in the league and be in the conversation as one of the greatest of all time."
Bledsoe's interview is part of an in-depth look at his career, the foundation he helped build for the Patriots, and what happened when Brady took over. It airs this Sunday night on ESPN2.
"I think it was a surprise to a lot of people that Brady even worked his way up to be Drew Bledsoe's back up," said Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. "He was one of four quarterbacks on the roster his rookie year."
