Tom Brady is the most successful quarterback in the history of pro football, but you wouldn’t have suspected it judging by his NFL Combine performance.
Flashback to 2000: Tom Brady’s NFL Combine Performance: “Lacks a really strong arm”
Tom Brady was selected in the 2000 Draft in the sixth round as the 199th pick- the seventh quarterback to be chosen. Obviously, his potential was not visible to many at the time. He had failed to impress at the NFL Combine, which is why not many were knocking at the University of Michigan alum’s door.
No sign of things to come
The 2025 scouting combine is under way, making this the perfect time to look back at how Tom Brady performed in 2000, when no one yet suspected the heights of greatness that he would reach. His unpromising appearance then as a fresh-out-of-college young man gave no indication that he would one day become a seven-time Super Bowl winner and a three-time NFL MVP.
Tom Brady just wants his combine photo deleted 😂
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 14, 2022
(via @TomBrady) pic.twitter.com/BOCvLJ6KQu
Brady’s success story is a reminder to all aspiring football players that a not-so-stellar showing in the combine is no indication of one’s ability to make it in the NFL. So those prospects who are not the fastest, the biggest, nor the strongest can find solace in Brady.
“Lacks a really strong arm”
The now-retired quarterback himself reminds other football players that it is up to them to live up to other people’s expectations... or not. In a 2017 Instagram post, he waxed nostalgic about his experience at the start of the millennium.
“I found my combine shirt from 17 years ago and it got me thinking. This is what they said about me then..... Poor build, Skinny, Lacks great physical stature and strength, Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush, Lacks a really strong arm, Can’t drive the ball downfield, Does not throw a really tight spiral, System-type player who can get exposed if forced to ad lib, Gets knocked down easily,” he shared.
Although he was considered ‘skinny’, one thing about his physique did stand out- his height. At 6′4″, he was one of the two tallest quarterbacks that year.
Watching Tom Brady's NFL combine highlights synced with the audio of his career highlights is kind of a wild trip. pic.twitter.com/aYhU636Hxx
— Mark Dondero (@MarkDondero) January 26, 2025
Here are Tom Brady’s scores at the 2000 NFL Combine.
- 40-yard dash: 5.28 seconds (2nd slowest time among QBs)
- Vertical jump: 24.5 inches
- 20-yard short shuttle: 4.38 seconds
(Brady did not participate in the bench press, broad jump, or 60-yard shuttle.)
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