Tom Brady, the final active draft pick of the Montreal Expos, retired (again) from the NFL today.
Brady, the longtime New England Patriot and more recently Tampa Bay Buccaneer is widely considered one of the, if not the greatest player in the history of the National Football League. The University of Michigan product has quite the portfolio:
7x Super Bowl Champion (5x Super Bowl MVP)
3x Most Valuable Player
15x Pro Bowl Appearances
These are only three of the many accolades that make up the retrospective list of Brady's career.
However, before the "Comeback Kid" even suited in a Wolverine uniform and later the NFL, he was an 18th round pick of the Montreal Expos, a team that is now your Washington Nationals.
Tom Brady's retirement means there are no more active professional athletes who were drafted by the Montreal Expos. pic.twitter.com/aNVa8Opnxp
— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) February 1, 2023
This left-handed catcher played high school baseball in his hometown of San Mateo, CA. However, as promising of a prospect as he was rumored to be, we all know where this story goes.
Brady left baseball behind to play football and the University of Michigan, get drafted by the New England Patriots to be a backup for Drew Bledsoe. He took over for an injured Bledsoe on September 23, 2001, and never looked back.
The Washington Nationals congratulated Brady on his career with this message:
The last active draft pick in Montreal Expos history has retired.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 1, 2023
Congrats on a Hall of Fame career, @TomBrady! pic.twitter.com/GehcaXi4bB
Like him or hate him, there's no denying the greatness that was Tom Brady. All he did for the game of football and sports everywhere will no doubt leave a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.