If quarterbacks are the glamour boys of the NFL, Tom Brady might be the most glamorous of them all. He's the guy who's just as likely to show up on the cover of GQ as Sports Illustrated, but that doesn't prevent him from maintaining his status as one of the best - and most collected - players on the gridiron.
Not that everything came easy for Brady, who lived a riches-to-rags-to-riches story in the early part of his football career. He set records during his time at the University of Michigan, but doubts about his arm strength made him anything but a hot prospect for the 2000 NFL Draft. The New England Patriots finally called his name in the sixth round, 199th overall.
Brady didn't step right in as the starter either, as the Pats already had a pretty good QB by the name of Drew Bledsoe. Fate intervened during his second season, as an injury to Bledsoe left Brady in the starting role. His sophomore campaign ended up the best way possible, as Brady led the Patriots to a championship and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI.
Since then, Brady has added two more Super Bowl rings (and another MVP) to his resume. He's also silenced all of his critics by showing he could carry the Patriots offense when necessary, as he did in 2005 when he passed for over 4100 yards.
New England reloaded before the 2007 season, making it very possible that Brady might not be done adding trophies to his mantle. He may never throw for 40 touchdowns or 5000 yards, but collectors love him for his wins more than his stats, and his high profile life off the field dating actresses or models ensures he stays in the limelight.
As a sixth-round pick, Brady didn't appear in every 2000 football card set, but he still has over 40 rookie cards from which to choose. His Playoff Contenders # 144 and SP Authentic # 118 are the most expensive, and are likely to hit book values above $1000 whenever Brady decides to call it a career.
Tom Brady 2000 Rookie Cards
- Absolute # 195 - #'d to 3000
- Aurora # 84
- Black Diamond # 126 - #'d to 2400
- Bowman # 236
- Bowman Chrome # 236
- Collector's Edge Supreme # 176 - #'d to 2000
- Crown Royale # 110
- Donruss # 230 - #'d to 1325
- Donruss Elite # 183 - #'d to 2000
- E-X # 122 - #'d to 1500
- Fleer Mystique # 103 - #'d to 2000
- Fleer Showcase # 136 - #'d to 2000
- Fleer Tradition # 352
- Impact # 27
- Leaf Certified # 207 - #'d to 1500
- Leaf Limited # 378 - #'d to 350
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 134 - #'d to 1000, first 200 copies autographed
- Metal # 267
- Pacific # 403
- Pacific Omega # 191 - #'d to 500
- Pacific Prism Prospects # 156 - #'d to 1000
- Paramount # 138
- Playoff Contenders # 144 - autographed
- Playoff Momentum # 180 - #'d to 750
- Playoff Prestige # 286 - #'d to 2500
- Private Stock # 128 - #'d to 278
- Quantum Leaf # 343
- Revolution # 128 - #'d to 300
- Score # 316
- Skybox Dominion # 234
- SP Authentic # 118 - #'d to 1250
- SPx # 130 - #'d to 1350
- UD Graded # 104 - #'d to 1325
- UD Ionix # 77 - #'d to 2000
- Ultimate Victory # 146 - #'d to 2000
- Ultra # 234
- Upper Deck # 254
- Upper Deck Encore # 254
- Upper Deck Gold Reserve # 215 - #'d to 2500
- Upper Deck Pros and Prospects # 124 - #'d to 1000
- Upper Deck Victory # 326
- Vanguard # 139 - #'d to 762
