20 years ago today, Bill Belichick did not just celebrate his 48th birthday, he also was busy conducting his first ever draft as head coach and de facto general manager of the New England Patriots. The team’s haul after having traded its first-round pick to the New York Jets for the rights to acquire Belichick himself was rather unremarkable, but the seventh of the team’s 10 total selections stands out and went on to change pro football forever: Tom Brady.
The Patriots bringing Michigan’s quarterback on board with the 199th overall pick is the stuff of legends these days, and Brady himself not just the most successful player of all time but also the NFL’s greatest ever draft day steal.