What Was the World Like the Last Time Tom Brady Wasn't Part of the New England Patriots?

Tom Brady was drafted on April 16, 2000. That was the day his life with Bill Belichick began. It was also the last day he was not 100% committed to the New England Patriots. How much has life changed since then? A lot. What was happening the weekend that Brady fell into New England's lap? I'm glad you asked.

A unhearlded quarterback out of the University of Michigan, Brady was drafted in the sixth round, 199th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He was passed on by every single team, including the Patriots, who did so six times. Here's a list of players that Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots prioritized over Brady: Antwan Harris, Jeff Mariott, Dave Stachelski, Greg Randall, J.R. Redmond, and Adrian Klemm.

Santana's Maria Maria was the #1 song on the charts.

Bill Clinton was in his final year as President. A year earlier America had been rocked by scandal when Clinton was impeached for unspeakable acts in the Oval Office. Brady would vote for the next president to be at risk of impeachment. Just don't ask him about it.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 101-95, behind 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists from Shaquille O'Neal. It was the Lakers 67th and final win of the regular season. They went on to win their first championship since 1988.

Brady was single. Or maybe not. If he was dating some Michigan co-ed at the time, neither of them had any idea what was about to happen. The man that would be Dreamboat would not meet his future wife, Gisele, or the mother of his first son, Bridget Moynahan, for many more years.

Rules of Engagement was the #1 film at the box office in its second week in theaters. If you skipped the draft, you could have caught a matinee of 28 Days or American Psycho which hit theaters on April 14th.

Alex Rodriguez went 4-5 and hit three home runs in a 19-7 Seattle Mariners win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mariners would go on to win the Wild Card and lose to the New York Yankees in the ALCS. A-Rod became a free agent after the season.

Bill Belichick celebrated his 48th birthday. Brady was the surprise.