As it turns out.....

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The most important game Tom Brady ever played in his life was the 2000 Orange Bowl against SEC Champ Alabama.

If anyone has a short memory - Brady was a very moderate quarterback at Michigan.

On an offense surrounded with lots of talent, he threw almost as many INT's as TD's in his junior year, and played some awful games his senior year.

That senior year, Michigan (as 25 point favorites) blew a 27-7 home lead against the Fighting Illini, and lost 35-29 after being outscored 28-2 in the final quarter and a half. Brady threw 2 key late INT's in that game.

That game came after a rivalry loss to Plaxico's Michigan State team.

In a game at Penn State that year, Brady throw 3 INT's and completed less than 50% of his passes. It took a GIANT rushing game from the A-Train to lead Michigan to a narrow road win.

Many Michigan fans wanted him benched his senior year in favor of Drew Henson.

Anyway, the 2000 Orange Bowl (on New Year's day) was Brady's final college game. Against SEC Champion Alabama, he went 35-for-47 and threw for 4 TD's against 0 INT's - with 369 passing yards in a 35-34 win.

It was the only time in Brady's college career that he ever threw for more than 2 TD's in a game.

As it turns out - that incredible performance in the Orange Bowl played a huge part in him getting drafted with the #199th overall pick in the 6th round of the NFL draft.

Without his head-scratching good performance in the Orange Bowl, he very likely doesn't get drafted...and he and his fancy Michigan degree might not go for the hard road that is often associated with undrafted free agency at the qb position.

Without the 2000 Orange Bowl performance there would be no four Super Bowl titles later on this decade...there would possibly have never been an NFL qb named Tom Brady either.