Tom Brady’s Legendary NFL Career Almost Took an Ironically Different Path, According to a Former New York Giants Scout: “I Feel Exonerated”
Tom Brady is undeniably the GOAT. He solidified his case by dominating throughout his 22-year NFL career. As he prepares to face the New York Giants as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a former scout reveals that the franchise almost drafted TB12.
Brady has already proven that one draft pick can change the entire trajectory of a franchise.
The Giants ignored scout who wanted to draft Tom Brady
The New England Patriots selected Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Every other NFL team passed up the former Michigan Wolverines signal-caller.
However, the New York Giants are admitting their foolish mistake. A former Giants scout recently revealed that he begged the front office to draft Brady, per the New York Post.
The scout’s name is Raymond “Whitey” Walsh Jr. He made a long career out of evaluating talent for the Giants organization. His assessments helped the front office draft players like Lawrence Taylor, Shaun O’Hara, and Brandon Jacobs.
Walsh also recommended Brady after watching his Michigan tape, but the Giants didn’t buy what he was selling. The ex-scout met with general manager Ernie Accorsi and director of player personnel Tom Boisture to plead his case.
“I said what I said, and nobody cared,” said Walsh. “They were waiting for backup from some other scout in the room that saw him, and nobody did. Dead silence.”
Accorsi admits the Giants missed the mark on Tom Brady. “We were all asleep on Brady,” he said. “And for the life of me, I can’t figure that one out. Brady was at Michigan, not at Augustana. What were we doing? Where were we on this guy?”
Walsh watched Brady’s entire career and couldn’t help but feel he was right. “I feel exonerated,” said Walsh.
The Buccaneers QB went on to become the GOAT
The biggest travesty in NFL history may be the fact that 198 players were drafted ahead of Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft.
The New York Giants aren’t alone in wallowing in their sorrow. Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots hit the ultimate jackpot, stealing TB12 in the sixth round.
Brady’s resume speaks for itself.
- 7-time Super Bowl champion
- 14-time Pro Bowl selection
- 3-time MVP
- NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns
Well, you get the point. The Buccaneers quarterback is the greatest player ever to play the position. The Pro Football Hall of Fame committee will forever immortalize Brady’s legacy with a bust in Canton, Ohio.
Let’s not forget this guy is 44 years old and still playing good football.
Brady can attribute a lot of success to his teammates and coaches along the way, but his individual greatness is still undeniable.
Does Tom Brady have the same success in New York?
While it’s easy to say the New York Giants should’ve drafted Tom Brady in 2000, there’s no guarantee he’d enjoy the same level of success in New England.
The Giants franchise is one with a rich history. When Brady was coming out of college, the team had seen multiple notable quarterbacks like Phil Simms, Fran Tarkenton, and Y.A. Tittle in its locker room. Brady could’ve been the next great signal-caller in New York.
Kerry Collins was the starting quarterback at the time, and it would be crazy if he were the hold-up. The Giants did have some pieces in place, though. The offense featured Tiki Barber, Ron Dayne, and Amani Toomer. Michael Strahan and Jessie Armstead spearheaded the defense.
New York reached the Super Bowl in the 2000 season, but ultimately lost to the Baltimore Ravens. Brady led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in 2001.
Brady took over as the Patriots’ full-time starting quarterback in the 2001 season. The team never posted another losing season before his departure for Tampa Bay in 2020. It wasn’t all him, but New England doesn’t win six Super Bowls without him.
Whether or not Tom Brady becomes the GOAT in a Giants uniform is up for debate. However, if New York did draft him, we’d never get the famous Brady-Eli Manning rivalry.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
