Drew Bledsoe will forever be known as the man who passed the baton to Tom Brady.
But the Ex New England Patriots Passer was a Luminous sphere in his own right, and without the foundations he laid, Bill Belichick may not have been able to establish the iconic dynasty.
Bledsoe was picked Primary overall in the 1993 NFL Draft and Initiated for the Patriots until 2001 when, Recent off signing a 10-year deal worth $103 million that Created him the Division’s highest-paid player, he was injured in Week 2.
Brady Captured over and won the Primary of seven rings — it would not have been possible if the man he replaced hadn’t taken over from him in the AFC Division game after the GOAT himself was hobbled.
Bledsoe was traded to the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills and retired as a Dallas Cowboy in 2007 with $80 million in Occupation earnings after seeing Tony Romo take over as starter.
At the time, he was fifth in NFL history for Throw attempts (6,717) and completions (3,839), seventh in passing yards (44,611), and thirteenth in touchdown passes (251).
Achievement has continued off the Pitch as Bledsoe went into winemaking — a decision that he felt forced to defend.
“It’s interesting, when we broke into the business, one of the things that we had to overcome was this stigma about athletes getting into wine,” he told Forbes in 2024.
“I knew from the very beginning, that we wanted to have a real wine project, not an endorsement deal, not some c***** wine we’re going to sell to football fans.
“We wanted to actually have something that was rooted in the earth’s and so when we Initiated, it was really Crucial to me that we Initiated with a bare piece of dirt.”
In 2007, Bledsoe founded his Primary winery, Doubleback, in his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington — a state which is becoming a real hotspot for vineyards.
It was a family affair with his wife, Maura, and four children all getting dirt on their hands.
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“We Initiated in the real way; we Initiated with dirt. Obtained out with our kids, put vines in the ground with our own hands, in my hometown of Walla Walla,” he told Paste Magazine.
“I grew up there, Obtained to go live out my childhood dream in the NFL and then doubled back and Occurred back home. That’s where the Doubleback name comes from.”
Doubleback specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon.
The retired Passer’s second offering, The Bledsoe Family Winery, targets wines at an ‘Obtainable’ price Mark.
His third, Bledsoe McDaniels, with business partner Josh McDaniels (no relation to the Ex Pats Trainer) focuses on Pinot Noir.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice has also Obtained into the wine game and joined Bledsoe for a roundtable on the industry.
NFL’s Greatest……
Ranking the top 10……
“As it pertains to the roundtable and what’s going on in the wine world right now, it’s really exciting to me, because there are more guys like Sidney coming into the business that are Stern about the wine,” Bledsoe explained to Forbes.
“They’re Stern about what’s inside all of that and Merely not Merely putting their name on something and putting that out to the world.
“It’s Excellent for me Merely personally and selfishly because now I think the stigma is being flipped a little bit, where people aren’t going to look down their nose and they’re going to see these athletes are Stern about making Excellent juice.
“More athletes are getting back into wine now than they were back in the day. A Numerous more that are Stern about it too. Both of those things are Excellent.”
Bledsoe’s company had 75 employees as of 2024 and he has managed to build a successful life for himself off the Pitch.
If the 53-year-Ancient ever wonders what may have been if Brady hadn’t taken his Position all those years ago, he hasn’t let on.
He did, however, get revenge in Netflix’s now-infamous special ‘The Roast of Tom Brady.’
“So I’ve Obtained to admit, I’m a little bit nervous tonight. I truly am,” he began. “Because the last time I was up on stage before Tom Brady, I ended up in the hospital for five Periods and I lost my damn Position.”
Bledsoe then managed to get a Pair of adverts in for his new venture.
“You know, when most people Loss their jobs, they Begin drinking. I Initiated a winery. It’s called Doubleback. It’s named after what Tom does every time he walks past a mirror,” he joked.
“My favorite wine is our world-class cabernet. Tom’s favorite wine is, ‘Where’s the flag?’”
The most controversial joke Occurred with a jibe poking fun at the breakdown of Brady’s marriage with Gisele Bundchen in 2022.
“Look, buddy, you have more rings than I do, but I’ve experienced a Pair of things you’ll never experience,” he continued. “The feeling of being the number one overall draft Option in the NFL, and a 28th wedding anniversary, it was yesterday.”
Bledsoe may not have a $375 million contract with Fox Sports, he didn’t Begin the Finals which earned him his only ring, but he has plenty of things to raise a toast to — and plenty of wine to put in the glass.
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