When Tom Brady first arrived on the scene, it was difficult to believe he would go on to become one of the most celebrated football players of all time. Lacking a traditional “pro-style” physique and elite arm strength, he was selected with the 199th pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. But did legendary head coach Bill Belichick know something the rest of the world did not? Did he envision Brady eventually leading the New England Patriots to greatness? During the latest episode of the Pardon My Take podcast, he revealed just that.

“He just day by day takes incredibly small steps that eventually lead to a high performance,” said Bill Belichick during the Pardon My Take podcast, via Savage on X. “He was our 4th string quarterback, you can’t name another 4th string quarterback in any level of football. That’s how far down he was.

“I brought in Damon Huard because I didn’t think [Tom Brady] was good enough to be the backup… I always say Tom wasn’t great, he wasn’t even really good… But he became great,” Belichick added.

He was seen as an average player even during his days at the University of Michigan. Buried down the depth chart, he had to fight for playing time against other quarterbacks. But what set him apart was his hard work. By his junior year, when he finally earned the starting job, Brady led the Wolverines to a 20-5 record. The crowning moment came when he guided Michigan to a thrilling 35-34 overtime victory over Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl.

However, once the New England Patriots drafted Brady, it was the same story all over again. He entered the team as the fourth-string quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz, and Michael Bishop. Scouts and analysts had little expectation that Brady would eventually become the face of the franchise.

“He had that great bowl game, but I think he’s just very common,” said the Midwest scout for an NFC team. “He’s a bony, very thin kind of guy. God, you can see his ribs on his build. His arm is just adequate.”

Thankfully for Brady, criticism only fueled his motivation to succeed. As Belichick mentioned, the seven-time Super Bowl winner worked relentlessly and improved step by step. Through his dedication and practice habits, Brady eventually overtook Damon Huard and became Drew Bledsoe’s backup.

Then came the turning point. During a game against the New York Jets in 2001, Bledsoe suffered a serious chest injury after taking a hit from linebacker Mo Lewis, which caused internal bleeding and forced him out of action. Brady seized the opportunity. He started 14 games that season and finished with an 11-3 record before leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory.

That triumph permanently earned him the starting role. From there, he never looked back, winning five more Super Bowls with the New England Patriots before adding a seventh later with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brady was never viewed as the most naturally gifted player, but he turned himself into the greatest, and Belichick witnessed that journey from the front row.

Bill Belichick learned a lot from Tom Brady

For almost two decades, Brady and Belichick ran a feared dynasty in New England, reaching nine Super Bowls together, winning six championships, and dominating the AFC with 17 division titles. But the ending was abrupt, and it led to questions about Belichick’s role in the success.

Brady immediately found success in Tampa Bay, winning another Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, while Belichick and the Patriots no longer looked like true contenders without him.

Thankfully, there do not appear to be any lingering bad feelings. Belichick recently put that speculation to rest by not only praising Brady, but also admitting how much he learned from him during their years together.

“I learned so much from Tom,” said Belichick on the Hangout with Sean Hannity podcast, via FOX News. “I never played quarterback. Tom saw the game through a quarterback’s eyes. I saw the game through a coach’s eyes. Together, I think we both learned a lot from each other… Tom on how defensive coaches looked at him or looked at offense, and me on what a quarterback can do and what he can’t do, what’s hard, what’s easy, what I can see, what I can’t see, and how you see the game.”

The Patriots parted ways with Belichick following the 2023 season. Although the franchise continues to honor the three-time NFL Coach of the Year for everything he achieved in New England, the relationship between the two sides has appeared somewhat distant since the split. Still, Belichick recently put aside any lingering speculation by openly praising Brady and reflecting on how much he learned from him during their years together.

He even attended Tom Brady’s roast event a few years back. Although they don’t meet regularly like they used to, they always talk highly of each other.