Every time Tom Brady marches to the brink of another Super Bowl, every time he defies the customary boundaries of an NFL career and polishes his case as the greatest quarterback ever, one Oakland police officer flashes back to a muddy, memorable romp to the end zone.
Eugene “Henry” Lara, an 18-year veteran patrolling the streets, played football at Riordan in the mid-1990s. He was a junior defensive lineman in 1994, when Riordan headed to San Mateo to tangle with Brady and Serra on a rain-soaked day.
A field caked with mud did not exactly favor Brady’s passing skills.