Much has been made about the longevity of Tom Brady’s career. Certainly, there are few souls in the nation unaware of the 44-year-old quarterback’s exploits. But with the legendary passer calling it a career after 22 years, we’re left to wonder what the NFL will look like without the player who has been its public face for the last two-plus decades.
It’s especially hard for me to imagine a league without Brady in it. I was just a one-year-old on April 15, 2000, the last day he wasn’t part of the league, and he’s been a dominant player as far back as my football memory extends.
It was a very different world the last time Brady wasn’t playing professional football, and in the wake of his impending retirement, let’s travel back in time to see just how different things were the day before he was drafted.
