NY Daily News article on Tom Brady and Michigan
Nothing anyone really here doesn't know but a still good look at Brady's time at Michigan and his ongoing relationship with Lloyd Carr.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/tom-brady-belichick-lloyd-ca…
February 2nd, 2018 at 2:00 PM ^
February 2nd, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
I'm trying not to imagine that.
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:39 PM ^
If Tom Brady had taken Lloyd Carr's offer to sign his release, Brady would be the GOAT and Carr would be the goat.
February 2nd, 2018 at 7:32 PM ^
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:26 PM ^
Or Brady goes to another school, he isn't part of a QB controversy and the Cleveland Browns take Tom Brady at 183 instead of Spergon Wynn. That's right, Brady went after the star QB of SW Texas State, Spergon Wynn.
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:35 PM ^
It’s a team sport... Number of Super Bowl rings doesn’t determine the GOAT.
February 2nd, 2018 at 7:29 PM ^
But you pick Tom Brady because he went to UM.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
And I don't even have to leave the Wolverine flock for a defender. How about one Charles Woodson?
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:23 PM ^
February 2nd, 2018 at 4:05 PM ^
Illuminating quote from Tom Brady Sr., asked whether he holds a grudge against Lloyd Carr for the way Tom was trated at UM:
“I absolutely do. I don’t harbor it against Michigan. I have Irish Alzheimer’s. I forget everything but hold my grudges… As a parent, I feel Tommy got screwed and many of my friends who were at Michigan, who were strong Michigan advocates and graduates — they felt he got screwed, too.”
The article is not clear on whether this grudge is about the Brady/Henson controversy specifically, or Tom's treatment in general at UM. Anyway looking back on that era, it is amazing how Brady's and Henson's paths have diverged.
February 2nd, 2018 at 4:45 PM ^
If it is related to Henson, I don't understand this sentiment. Brady started every game in 1998 and 1999, going 20-5 in those games. Brady ranks 6th all-time at Michigan in completions with 443, 8th in yards with 5,351, and 9th in TDs with 35, despite only seeing significant playing time for two years.
I wouldn't think Brady Sr. would argue that his son should have been the starter his freshmen year or his sophomore year during the 1997 championship season when he backed up up Brian Griese, but perhaps he is.
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
He started every game, but the starting job wasn't ever his fully. Having to compete with Henson every game for 2nd half snaps as a 5th year who was better. In the end very obviously so. It wasn't handled well, IMO. His frustration is very understandable.
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:26 PM ^
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:37 PM ^
He started every game, but the starting job wasn't ever his fully
The starting job was fully his throughout 1998 and in the second half of '99.
February 2nd, 2018 at 6:17 PM ^
In '99, he had big wins over Penn State, Ohio State, amd Alabama.
Henson was nowhere to be seen.
It was his team when he graduated.
Carr threw down a challenge and Brady met it and was rewarded for it.
That's how it's supposed to work.
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:20 PM ^
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^
occurred during a very rollercoaster period for the football program in many respects. His career was cleary set back by circumstances outside his control which limited his ability to get on the field early and showcase his competitive spirit and dedication to purposeful success.
Before Chad Henne, there was Brady pushing teammates to study film at all hours of the day and night. The guy was a studyholic when it came to football preparation.
What is not made clear in that story is the pressure Carr was under after two consecutive 8-4 seasons. By 1997, he was only five years removed from Bo's retirement with his shadow still a fixture in the Michigan football building named for him, Carr needed to win now regardless of who he wanted to run his offense.
Carr had been recommended for hire by Moeller, succeeded him and then spent two years spinning his wheels, with a pretty deep rotation at qb. Lloyd had perhaps one of the most remarkable opening and closing victories as a Michigan football coach, beating Virginia on the final play of his first game and then defeating defending national champion Florida in his bowl finale.
In between, there was hardly a season in Carr's time where he could project a qb starter based on prior performance or simple availabiltiy, let alone a recruiting planner guide. Circumstances always intervened and skewed the rotation, and that is why Brady languished so long on the bench at Michigan, and there is still a cloud over his Michigan career from recruitment to Orange Bowl conquering hero.
Brady, as he has done as a pro with the Patriots, perservered by making himself better and learning that nothing is guaranteed. You write your own ticket.
Lloyd Carr was alwsys brutally honest with Brady about his situation, which probably explains why both can look back at their experience together and appreciate how it worked out, as they went through it together.
And we are the reflectied observers of that backstory and prideful beneficiaries of their shared history, only wishful that circumstances might have given us a longer Brady experience as a premiere Michigan man.
February 2nd, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^
I was a little surprised that the article didn't point out the same dynamic was there in Brady's early career at New England. Bledsoe was a real star, and beating him out to start would have been a tall order without Bledsoe's (gruesome, life-threatening) injury. I'd think the time he unseated the starter from the backup position has more relevance when they talk about his attitudes around Garoppolo.